Thank You!

THANK YOU:

• U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker for lifting the temporary stay on same-sex marriage and allowing same-sex couples to continue marrying on August 18th!


• Dolores Huerta for hosting the "Weaving Movements Together" Benefit Concert at the Greek Theatre yesterday!


• Kentucky Foundation for Women for awarding $100,000 in grants to feminist artist and social justice organizations


• California Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) for authoring SB 677 regarding property owned by human traffickers

DC Same-Sex Marriage Bill Approved by Council Committee

A lot has happened in the last few days regarding the rights of the LGBTQ community. Here's some of the latest from the Feminist Newswire!

The DC Council's Committee on Public Safety and Judiciary approved a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in the nation's Capital yesterday, advancing it to a full Council vote in December. The Religious Freedom & Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009 (see PDF) passed by a vote of 4 to 1 with Council member Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7) opposed, reports the Washington Post.

The bill was originally written by Council member David Catania (I-At Large) and co-introduced by ten of the city's 13 Council members last month, according to the Washington Blade. The committee revised the bill to expand a provision allowing religious organizations to refuse to provide services for same-sex marriage ceremonies.

The new version alters a provision addressing domestic partnerships and removes language that originally stipulated that domestic partnerships would be phased out once same-sex marriage is allowed. If it passes, DC will be the only place in the country where same-sex couples can choose to marry or enter a domestic partnership, according to the Washington Post. The Council is expected to pass the bill in its final December vote and DC Mayor Adrian Fenty has stated he will sign it, reports the Washington Blade. Once signed by Fenty, the bill would undergo a thirty-day review by Congress.

Photo Credit: SFBart on flickr.com

Proposition 8 Trial Date Set

A federal judge scheduled a January 2010 trial date on Wednesday in a lawsuit that challenges the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the November 2008 ballot initiative that overturned the right of same-sex marriage in the state.

The suit, filed in May by two prominent attorneys known for arguing against one another over the 2000 presidential election in Bush v. Gore, is on the behalf of two same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses after the passage of Proposition 8.

In addition to setting a trial date, Chief US District Judge Vaughn Walker, denied requests to intervene in the case by LGBT rights groups including Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. The Campaign for California Families, which supports the measure, was also denied a request to intervene in the suit, reported the San Francisco Chronicle. However, Judge Walker did allow intervention in the case by the city of San Francisco due to the city's unique perspective on the financial impact a ban on same sex marriage has on local governments, according to the Associated Press.

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera responded to the Judge's decision to allow the city to intervene in the case in a statement, "In terms of our unique public sector perspective and the evidence we've already developed, we think the City is an extremely well-prepared co-plaintiff in the kind of trial Judge Walker envisions. We are ready to help put anti-gay discrimination on trial based on the facts, and our office has the experience and expertise to assist in aggressively doing that."

The California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8 in a 6 to 1 ruling in May 2009. The proposition, which passed 52 percent to 48 percent, overturned a May 2008 ruling of the state Supreme Court that resulted in, among other provisions, the legalization of same sex marriage in the state. The Court's 2009 opinion preserved the marriages of the 18,000 same-sex couples who married in California during the period same-sex marriage was legal.

Same sex marriage is currently legal in six states: Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Legislation to legalize same sex marriage remains under consideration in New York.

Story courtesy of: Feminist NewsWire (Feminist Majority Foundation)
Photo credit: flickr.com/pashasha

Obama Says "No" to DOMA

An issue that has taken a sort of back burner position in the wake of everything that is going on with health care reform is the issue of same-sex marriage.

Thankfully, things seem to be heating back up for this issue. Today, President Obama made it clear that he favors the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The Obama administration filed court papers this morning claiming that a federal marriage law discriminates against gays.

DOMA is a denies federal recognition of gay marriage and gives states the right to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. The bill was signed into law in 1996 under former President Clinton.

So what does this most recent action on the part of the Obama administration mean? I guess we won't know for a while, at least until Congress reconvenes on September 8.

Photo courtesy of pinguino on flikr.com

Newsday Tuesday: July 14 Edition

So much news, so little time! We have been super busy here gearing up for the launch of the newly re-designed Feminist Majority Foundation site feminist.org. Look for upcoming announcements on the official launch of the site and other information!

So let's get to it. Here is your wrap up of the latest feminist news for this week.

The big news in the office this week are Judge Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings for the US Supreme Court. The hearings began Monday which were dominated by the Senate Judiciary Committee's opening statements. Sotomayor made a brief introductory statement at the close of the proceedings.

Sex Education
Friday, the House Appropriations Committee's subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education eliminated traditional sources of funding for abstinence-only programs by passing an appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2010. Abstinence-only education has been found to be very ineffective through many studies including the latest in June from the American Medical Association that found abstinence-only sex programs do not result in reduced sexual activity among teens.

Emergency Contraception
The US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a ruling by US District Court in Seattle this week. Pharmacists in Washington must now dispense the emergency contraception medication Plan-B, even if they have personal religious objections to the medication.

The US FDA has approved a single-pill version of the two-pill dose Plan-B emergency contraceptive, called Plan-B One Step.

Federal Appointments
President Obama announced on Monday his appointment of Regina Benjamin, MD to the position of surgeon general. Dr. Benjamin, a family physician, served local residents through Hurricanes George and Katrina. Her clinic treats patients regardless of their ability to pay.

Global
Afghanistan's Justice Ministry released a revision of the controversial Shia law that legalized rape within marriage, among others last Wednesday. The new version bans men of demanding sex from their wives and that no longer requires women to ask their husbands' permission to leave their home.

The United Nations Special Envoy to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, urged Afghan leaders to fight violence against women where he announced a new UN report called "Silence is Violence." The report combats the idea that women's rights are a luxury and focuses on both sexual violence and violence that inhibits women's societal participation.

Three Irish women are challenging Ireland's abortion ban in the European Court of Human Rights. Ireland's laws prevent abortion in almost every circumstance except when a woman’s life is in jeopardy. Of the over 7,000 Irish women yearly that have abortions, the current laws force women to travel outside the country to obtain such services.

US Federal Matters
Massachusetts filed a lawsuit against the federal government on Wednesday, challenging the legality of the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman and denies federal recognition of same-sex marriages.

The NIH issued new regulations Monday that ease restrictions on stem cell research. The new guidelines allow the use of embryonic stem cells that have been discarded from in-vitro fertilization procedures if researchers can prove their methods are ethical and scientifically worthy and also allow for study of existing stem cell lines after approval.

The number of homeless female veterans has doubled in the past decade, even though the overall number of homeless veterans has decreased. In an effort to combat homelessness for soldiers, HUD and the VA last month announced the allocation of $75 million to provide rental housing and support for homeless veterans.

Friday, the US 1st Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Massachusetts law, allowing a 35-foot safety buffer zone between protestors and abortion clinic entrances. The Massachusetts Appeals Court ruled that the law does not infringe on protestors' free speech rights and applies to all protestors no matter their viewpoint.

The Senate Appropriations Committee passed an amendment to the foreign aid appropriations bill Thursday that would permanently ban the Global Gag Rule. This amendment stipulates that foreign NGOs must not be prevented from receiving US aid on the basis of providing abortion services to women.

Photo courtesy of Jay Tamboli on Flikr

“Gayby” Boomers Are Coming Out

No. They are not coming out like that. (Well, I am sure some of them are, but not because they have queer parents…) Forty-years-ago, in the wake of the Stonewall Riots, there emerged a more adamant, more cohesive queer community than the United States had ever seen. This would become the starting block for the modern gay rights movement. Same-sex couples started claiming their rights after the riots, and for many couples, this meant the right to have a family.

Forty-years-later, the children of Stonewall are speaking out about their experiences as children of queer parents. There was a heartening story on CNN this past weekend about a conservative man who was raised by lesbian mothers, and although most of his politics are conservative, he totally supports same-sex marriage and other same-sex rights. He, like many other children of same-sex parents, is a free-thinking and open-minded individual.

Opponents of same-sex families claim that these children are more likely to be sexually confused, but I have to say that I believe that children in homophobic households are much more likely to be “sexually confused.” Some of the children of same-sex couples admit that they hesitated to invite friends over when they were younger, but this was less of a concern as they grew older. Now adults, many are speaking out in favor of same-sex rights, and some are even writing memoirs.

Society can finally quit speculating as to how children of same-sex couples will develop, as the children (now adults) are ready to speak for themselves. As the nation quietly anticipates the verdict, I must say that I believe that most people will find their stories shocking… Shockingly normal.

Feel free to contact campusteam@feminist.org with any questions or concerns!

FMF Interns at Equality CA: Working to win marriage back

As a part of our summer experience at FMF, the West Coast interns are taking on challenges on the marriage equality front. FMF is a leading feminist voice in LGBTQ issues and is partnering with many organizations fighting for equal rights to win marriage equality back in California. To kick off our involvement, the interns of the Los Angeles office headed across town to work with our partners Equality California and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

We arrived bright and early on Thursday at the Silver Lake headquarters of Equality California. Once inside we encountered a hardworking group of activists preparing to canvas the Los Angeles PRIDE festival, a Los Angeles celebration of LGBTQ identity, and raise support for the upcoming battle to repeal Proposition 8 in California.

As many of you know, California continues to be a battle ground for marriage equality.Devastated by the most recent upholding of Proposition 8, we were all incredibly excited to be involved in the efforts to get an initiative guaranteeing marriage equality on the 2010 or 2012 California ballot and mobilize voters to support marriage equality.

Amy Mello and Moof Mayeda, of Equality CA and the Gay and Lesbian Task Force respectively, explained that in preparation for the fight to win marriage for all, organizers planned to approach PRIDE as a rich recruiting point for potential supporters and volunteers to the newest campaign. The recruits will be a part of the newest initiative of the campaign to “Win Marriage Back” by going into areas of California that voted against same sex marriage and starting a dialogue about what drove the voter’s decision.

This effort and the information collected will be an integral part of the new campaign. This effort to personally connect with voters that may have been deemed “unreachable” in the previous election has huge potential for bringing awareness and raising the consciousness of the Californian constituency.

In addition to volunteering for canvassing efforts, Equality California is encouraging people to volunteer with the campaign, donate money to fund organizers, and pledge to have conversations with their family and friends about the right of all people to marry in the California.

We were immediately put to work in the center conference room and began stuffing bright red bags with the inscription “‘I DO’ Support the Freedom to Marry” for dispersal at PRIDE that weekend. Each bag held information on how supporters can get involved with the Campaign to Win Marriage Back along with an invitation to the Anniversary of Marriages event that will bring together faith leaders, same sex couple and their allies and honor the one year anniversary of the same sex couples who married last year when marriage was legal in California.

Some of us were assigned to the phones and after a quick orientation we increased the number of volunteers for the PRIDE canvassing by 10% in only a few hours!

We were awed by the enthusiasm and hardworking team of a fellow equal rights organization! Our new friend and Equality California staff member, Milton, was so impressed with our skills that he promised to be an honorary FMF intern and join us at our office for the day.

We look forward to working with Equality California in the future and encourage all our feminist counterparts to get involved in local fights for marriage equality!!

-Sierra Dwyer and Julia DeLuca, FMF Choices Campus Leadership Interns

New York State Marriage Equality

As reported in the Feminist Daily Newswire yesterday, the New York State Assembly passed a bill legalizing same sex marriage in the state. The Empire State Pride Agenda has put together a compelling ad to try to place pressure on the state Senate to pass the bill.



If you're a feminist living or going to school in New York, or if you know folks that are, find out who your state senator is and let them know how you feel on the issue of equal marriage!

Feminist Friday Wrap-up: Love

Hello feminists! It's finally spring in Washington, and you know what that means. Love is in the air! Which is to say, we always love feminism!

Anyway, today's word is love. We applaud New York Gov. Patterson, who introduced a bill Thursday legalizing same-sex marriage in the state.

The Washington state legislature passed a bill Wednesday broadening the rights and benefits to which same-sex couples are entitled. The Washington governor has said she will sign the bill. Equality for same-sex couples is slowly becoming a reality, but much work remains to ensure we don't lose ground.

We hope a Colorado jury will deliver a just ruling in the murder trial of a young trans woman. The state is prosecuting her killer under a hate-crime statute, and it is the first case in which a state will argue trans violence is covered under its hate-crime law. Colorado is one of 11 states and the District of Columbia with hate crime laws that include gender identity.

We condemn the Taliban execution of a young Afghan couple that attempted to elope. The young woman's parents attempted to force her into an arranged marriage, but she fled to a neighboring village with her partner prior to the marriage. The couple's parents found them and reported them to the Taliban.

Love gets ugly when local and federal governments dispense benefits and punishment based on a narrow-minded view of love and marriage. Americans cherish the idea of equal opportunity, and we can hold our government accountable to this ideal.

Keep working with your public servants and campus community to create a safe, equitable, peaceful society. Have a good weekend, lovers!

<3,
FMF campus team

Feminist Friday!

It's the end of the week! Are you pumped? We wanted to share some updates from the week, in case you hadn't yet heard.

Some positive events:

Get on board with our National Crisis Pregnancy Center Protest Day this Monday, 4/13! Tell your campuses and communities these are not comprehensive medical clinics, yet they receive millions of dollars in state and government funds.

We were excited the Vermont legislature overrode the governor's veto Tuesday and approved a same-sex marriage bill. The Iowa Supreme Court's recent reversal of a state law prohibiting same=sex marriage was also a great victory.

Consequently, the District of Columbia City Council voted Tuesday to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. Congress approves all DC laws, so U.S. legislators may once again address same-sex marriage on a national level.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his administration will review the recent law he signed that allows Shiite men greater control over their wives. The decision was in part a response to the international outcry after the government published the new law.

Despite these advances, it's been a bad week for feminist health care.

The Women's Choice Clinic in Oakland is closing. This feminist clinic was an important provider of repro health care and family planning services for Bay Area women, and did a lot of outreach to minority and queer communities. This article lists ways you can get involved to assist the clinic.

The New York Abortion Access Fund is going broke, with less than $5000 in the bank. Learn more here and help NYAAF provide abortion services for low-income women.

The fight for women's lives goes on, and we need your help to make equality a reality. Thanks for all your hard work and have a good weekend!