We will NEVER win the Rights we Deserve, because of one thing and only one thing. WE DO NOT HAVE THE PASSION needed to FIGHT for them. Back in the 60's, 70's and even the early 80's we were passionate and worked hard to change things. Maybe it was because of the Civil Rights movement or the Womens Movement, or a combination of everything that was happening, but I do know that there was a drive in people to make things better that does not exist today. There are many organizations out there who claim to be working towards change, but seldom is there any ideas on how to accpmplish these goals. Mostly all that you get is solitions for MONEY. These organizations are businesses and the people who work for them are employees. Many of them seem to think they are experts and know how to motative people. Well GUESS WHAT, THEY DON'T!
Many millions have been given to them and we are no better off than we were 6 months, a year, 5 years, or more. It takes the people who REALLY want a better world to get the changes we need and deserve.

If this sounds like I'm angry, I AM! The last couple of generations have become so lazy and only want other people to do the work for them. Boo Hoo!

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If so, I have a petition for you to sign and send to your Congress-Critters. It can be found at http://gayrights.change.org/actions/view/stop_rewarding_organizations_that_discriminate .

This petition requests that our government discontinues the rewarding of the Catholic Church with government contracts, which in several cases these TAX PAYER funds are then funneled into Prop 8 and Question 1 battles.

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Thank you for doing your part. I was born in Manchester NH. I now live in Fort lauderdale Florida ( I have been moving around from city to city all my life ) but I do follow up on progress back home and love knowing Gay Americans in NH.. are going strong..
(Applauding you)

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Hi:
I just wanted to introduce myself and say thanks for your efforts in the struggle for equality. I am inviting couples from all over the country to join me for a marriage equality celebration in NH on Jan. 1st, when the laws in New Hampshire change to allow same-sex marriage. We will perform legal ceremonies for the couples planning to tie the knot and have a reception with dinner and dancing to follow. We are also going to do a Meet and Greet party and New Year's Eve party on the 30th and 31st of Dec. Hope you can join us. Spread the word. We want as many couples who are ready to marry to make Jan. 1st their date. We'll broadcast live on the internet so the world can see that people will not be discouraged by what happened in California and Maine. Love will prevail. Let's all celebrate in unison and start 2010 off properly, with equal rights for all.

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The forces of hatred and oppression have scored another victory. One year after California's Prop 8, 53% of Maine voters voted in favor of Proposition 1, repealing the recently passed law allowing gay marriage there.

In Washington State where voters responded to Proposition 71, dubbed the "Everything but Marriage" law, ballots are still being counte,, however things are looking a little better. The law would grant same-sex couples the same rights as married couples, just not the word "marriage.". So far, voters are approving Referendum 71 by a margin of 52.4 percent to 47.6 percent.

There were a few other bright spots in elections around the country. Kalamazoo voters decided by almost a 2-to-1 margin to retain Gay Rights non-discrimination protections, stunning opponents who forced the ballot measure.

In Detroit, openly gay former news reporter Charles Pugh will lead that city's city council.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina elected Mark Kleinschmidt, the city's first openly gay mayor.

In Houston, openly gay city controller Annise Parker will face attorney Gene Locke in a run-off election for mayor. In a broad field of candidates, Parker and Locke were the two top vote-getters, with Parker receiving 30%to Locke's 25%.

Still, the loss in Maine stings. It's time to change our political stratgies and divest ourselves of the illusion that Barack Obama is our friend. Friends don't stand silently on the sidelines with their hands in their pockets while civil rights are stripped away. Nor should the Democratic Party, as a whole, be let off the hook.

It's time to consider the lessons of history. Without H. Rapp Brown and Stokely Carmichael, Malcolm X and Angela Davis, nobody would have given Martin Luthor King the time of day. Where would the fight against AIDS be without ACT-UP?

It's time to consider open civil disobedience.

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Am I just navigating incorrectly or has this site not posted updated material in a while?
Will we organize to rally against the passing of the Maine vote as we did for California?

Hello??

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http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/11/group_launches_drive_for_same-.html

Gay rights activists on Monday will launch a campaign to persuade Oregonians they should reverse their vote of five years ago and support same-sex marriage.

Basic Rights Oregon, the state's largest gay rights group, aims to put on the Oregon ballot as early as 2012 an initiative asking voters to lift the constitutional ban on gay and lesbian marriage that passed in 2004.

The goal is "to allow same-sex couples to legally marry in this state," said Jeana Frazzini, executive director of Basic Rights Oregon "There is no substitute for the respect and dignity that comes with marriage."

But Basic Rights can expect fierce resistance from the Oregon Family Council, the church-backed group that successfully ran the Measure 36 campaign in 2004 to ban same-sex marriage in the state constitution, said Tim Nashif, the council's political director.

"We're going to fight it, and we'll fight it just as hard now as we did in 2004," he said. "I don't think Oregonians are going to overturn Measure 36," which defines marriage as a bond between only a man and a woman.

Oregon gay activists have been buoyed by victories in the Legislature and the legalization of same-sex marriage in six states – Massachusetts, Iowa, Maine, Vermont, Connecticut and New Hampshire.

The 2007 Legislature passed laws to protect gay Oregonians from discrimination in housing, work and public places and to establish domestic partnerships that give same-sex couples most of the state protections and responsibilities of marriage. Oregon has registered 3,196 of the state's 12,700 gay and lesbian couples for domestic partnerships.

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http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/year.in.review/your.picks/index.html
Of course Prop 8 and Sam Sex Marriage is listed as an option. Pick that as one of the (if not THEE) top 10 important stories of 2008.
Ciao,
SwankyJohn / San Diego, CA

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The LGBT community has done a tremendous job of organizing and fighting for equal rights over the years. And with much notable success, especially compared to 40 years ago when you couldn't even have a gay bar! From today's vantage point you wonder, how could that even be possible!

But Barney Frank is right: the next step is putting the heat to our politicians in 435 congressional districts and 50 states. Obama is not the problem, he has way too much on his plate already. The problem is our United States Congress. That's where the power is.

In general, politicians care only about votes. And five or ten percent of the total voting population is not a majority.

I believe the LGBT community needs to build the mother of all gay/straight alliances. And in recognition of where the necessary votes really are, let's call it a straight/gay alliance.

I believe today about fifty percent of straight Americans would agree that everyone should have equal rights. And it's getting better every day as more and more old Christian and Mormon bigots die or turn senile, and more and more young people turn 18 and can vote.

That's why I'd like you to take a look at the "Equal Rights For All Americans" petition campaign at UniversalFreeChurch.org. It's an effective mechanism that makes it easy to influence your congressional representatives and contact your friends anywhere in the country to do the same thing. Unless you have a better solution, please join in and let's make this happen.

Also, please read the pre-written email appeal at the website. You can cut and paste that email and send it to everyone you know that might be supportive of this effort. (don't forget your straight friends).

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post more later.

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