abersparky in vegas

I need to go out to the store and pick up this issue… can’t wait to read the article.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Gov. Sarah Palin announced Friday that she will step down as Alaska’s chief executive by the end of the month. She will not seek election to a second gubernatorial term in 2010.

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And now we’ve got… http://www.obamasplanforgayrights.com/ … where’s that “Fierce Advocate” we were promised? :-\

President Barack Obama meets with senior advisors in the Roosevelt Room.

President Barack Obama meets with senior advisors in the Roosevelt Room.

On April 29th, the House passed the Matthew Shepard Act (H.R. 1913) which expands the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. Even through opposition from quacks like Congresswoman Virgina Foxx, who said that Matthew Shepard’s murder had nothing to do with him being gay, the bill has been now passed on to the Senate.

While catching up on my blog readings, I found this link via Towleroad. Hopefully this will shed some light on those who oppose equal rights for GLBT US Citizens and who deserves our support in upcoming elections.

Vote result: How your congressperson voted on the federal hate crimes bill that passed the House yesterday.

I am finally proud to be an American.  I’m watching the coverage via CNN.com’s Live feed which has teamed up with Facebook to provide live coverage online.  What a historic event.  My eyes were definitely tearing up when he said those final words of the oath: “…so help me God.”

If you haven’t already seen, The White House website (www.whitehouse.gov) has been updated right as President Obama began his Inaugural Speech:

A friend called attention to the Civil Rights section of the new site and I am glad it’s written that Obama supports LGBT rights!  Below is the excerpt from that page:

Support for the LGBT Community

“While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It’s about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect.”– Barack Obama, June 1, 2007

• Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, President Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.
• Fight Workplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees’ domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. The President also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
• Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.
• Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.
• Repeal Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell: President Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. The President will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.
• Expand Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.
• Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, President Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. The President will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. The President also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. President Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma — too often tied to homophobia — that continues to surround HIV/AIDS.
• Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. President Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.

Today is a great day for this nation… we still have a long way to go – but at least, for once, we’re taking a step in the right direction.  A step I hope to be followed by many many more.

It’s about time they realized it!

This year SNL has been rolling non-stop with the political comedy… this alone draws me to become more and more involved with the elections. My favorite part of Thursday’s SNL Weekend Update that really hits the issue of underpaid teachers with comedy:

“I liked how they talked about education, because I think teachers are underpaid. But you know whose not underpaid? Plumbers. Plumbers are doing just fine. They are recession-proof. You might not buy a new car when the economy is down, but if your toilet is backed up, you’re calling a plumber.
…
You know what I like, I like how in two debates John McCain has compared Obama to Herbert Hoover. Awe Snap! Way to connect with the youth of the country with a Hoover reference! You got him good. But you know what, why stop there? Hey, hey young people! What about William Ayers? That guy is a regular Emma Goldman. You know… the anarchist who incited violence in the early 1900’s.

Oh, you don’t know? That’s because your teachers get paid worse than plumbers!”

There are a ton of ads out there now for Prop 8 which seeks to ban gay-marriage in California. Supporters of Prop 8 are trying to amend the California Constitution to add discrimination into what should be equal rights for all Americans. No on Prop 8 provides the truth and I urge everyone to make sure they vote NO on this and all discrimination towards same-sex marriage.