COLAGE News Blog

Safe Schools Bill- Minnesota Action Alert Feb 26 09

Safe Schools for All" Bill Introduced in Minnesota Senate
Bill includes express protections for children of LGBT parents!

Today, Minnesota State Senators Dibble, Wiger, Rummel and Saxhaug introduced S.F. No. 971, the "Safe Schools for All" bill developed by our friends at Rainbow Families, the Midwest Office of Family Equality Council and OutFront Minnesota. This important bill will strengthen existing bullying and harassment laws with express protection for children of LGBT parents and provide clearer implementation and enforcement mechanisms. It has received the endorsement of Education Minnesota, the state's powerful teachers union.

Right now, it's important that you do three things to ensure safe schools for all families in Minnesota:

1. CONTACT: Call your legislators and ask them to support the bill. Tell them, "I support S.F. 971 because I believe schools should be safe for all students and families." You can enter your address to find out who your legislators are and get their contact information here. (If the senators listed above represent you, please contact them to say thank you. It goes a long way!)

2. FORWARD: Tell your friends and family about this bill. Call them up and/or forward this email along. Encourage them to contact their legislators with the same message above.

3. SPEAK OUT: If you are a youth or adult with LGBTQ parents who lives in Minnesota, let COLAGE know if you are interested in speaking out to help pass this bill. Your stories of bullying, harassment and discrimination in schools will help educate your elected officials and the public.

Read the bill as introduced this morning. To learn more about the bill and find out more opportunities to be involved, visit the website of Rainbow Families, the Midwest Office of Family Equality Council.

News and Action Alert: Hawaii House Bill 444 Passes the House Judiciary Committee Feb 19 09

On February 5th, a unanimous vote passed House Bill 444, "A Bill For An Act Relating To Civil Unions" out of the House Judiciary Commitee in Hawaii.

COLAGE Speak OUT Member, Laurie Cicotello represented COLAGE by testifying at the Committee hearing. A short excerpt of her testimony follows:

On February 1, 2009, my parents proudly celebrated their 40th anniversary - in a legal, now same-sex marriage. Back in 1969, at Sacred Hearts Catholic Church in Milwaukee, my folks committed in front of God, their family and friends to "Let No One Rend Asunder" their wedding vows. More than 25 years ago, my parent, Dainna, completed the transition from male to female. She and my mom, Mary, decided to stay together and remain married during this intensely personal and emotional change.

Over the years, various people from all walks of life have had no problem telling me they feel my parent's marriage is null and void. I have been told that children are better off raised in "traditional families." I was much better off being raised in a nontraditional family and have a great deal more compassion for all family structures.

To that end, I join my parents and countless other 'ohana across the country in fighting for equality and justice within the law. As my parents travel the country, we are never sure which states will still recognize their marriage and their commitment to "Let No One Rend Asunder" their vows.

Take Action: The bill will next head for a full floor vote. Please contact the State Representative for your District and tell them to support HB 444. You can find your elected officials online here. If you are a youth or adult with LGBTQ parents living in Hawaii, and might like to join COLAGE members such as Laurie in speaking out on this issue, please contact COLAGE Program Director, Meredith Fenton.

COLAGE in the Chicago Tribune Feb 18 09

Today's Chicago Tribune features this article "Gay parents rights issue divides U.S., not families" which features COLAGE Speak OUT members Dr. Orson Morrison and Tina Fakhrid-Deen.

Action Alert: Stop Anti-LGBT Legislation in Kentucky Feb 17 09

COLAGE is angered to learn that State Senator Gary Tapp has introduced legislation in Kentucky which would prevent unmarried couples (both LGBT and straight) from becoming foster or adoptive parents. COLAGE knows that what makes individuals and couples qualified foster and adoptive parents is their ability to provide love, stablity and support to children, NOT their marriage status, sexual orientation nor gender identity.

Join COLAGE and the Kentucky Fairness Alliance to tell Senate Leadership that it is unjust to use Kentucky's children to promote legislation and policy that is, in fact, financially irresponsible and socially harmful.

If you are a youth or adult who has or had LGBTQ parents who is from and/or living in Kentucky, and you might be interested in speaking out against this legislation, please contact COLAGE.

Action Alert: No More Money for Abstinence Only Education Feb 11 09

Tell President Obama: No More Money for Ineffective Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs; Fund Comprehensive Sex Education

As President Obama begins work on his Fiscal Year 2010 budget, your voice is urgently needed to ask him to stop funding abstinence-only-until marriage programs. This first budget is an opportunity to take an important step toward ending these harmful and ineffective programs. The federal government has allocated more than $1.3 billion for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs and it must stop. It is unacceptable that each year 176 million of taxpayer dollars are wasted on these ineffective and dangerous programs which do not represent the full picture of sexual orientation, gender identity, safe sex practices and scientific information.

In order to make responsible, healthy decisions, young people need medically accurate, age-appropriate information about sex and sexuality. For youth with LGBTQ parents and our allies, sex education must recognize all forms of relationships and that marriage is not an option or a desire for many of our families. Framing abstinence in a "until marriage" framework is heterosexist as well as ineffective for today's society. President Obama has stated that he is in favor of medically accurate, age-appropriate sex education. Use your voice to ask him to commit to taking action.

In the next few weeks, the President will submit his first budget to Congress, and it must eliminate funding for abstinence-only programs. In addition, we are asking that President Obama include at least $50 million in his budget directed to fund comprehensive sex education.

Take action with COLAGE and SEICUS here.

Action Alert: Invite your Representatives to Support the Uniting All Families Act Feb 9 09

Rep. Jerrold Nadler plans to reintroduce the Uniting American Families Act on Feb. 13. This bill would benefit thousands of binational couples who are not legally able to sponsor their partners through traditional immigration policies through which marriage is a way to keep couples and families together.

You can make the bill a success by inviting your Representative to support the bill from Day One. Reintroducing the bill with as many cosponsors as possible will show powerful momentum for the rights of gay and lesbian binational couples!

Please call your Representative and ask them to be an original cosponsor of the Uniting American Families Act of 2009. (UAFT)

1. Find out who your U.S. House Representative is. Go to this site , enter your address, and you will be provided the name of your U.S. Representative.

2. Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask to be connected to your U.S. Representative.

3. Speak with you representative's staff:
Here is a sample request you can make:
I am calling to ask Representative ________________ to be an original cosponsor of the Uniting American Families Act of 2009. To cosponsor, he/she must contact Rep. Jerrold Nadler who is the lead sponsor. The U.S. government discriminates against binational couples who are not able to be married by not allowing them to sponsor their foreign-born life partners for immigration. Because of this, many couples face the terrible choice of separating from the personthey love or leaving the United States. As Americans, we should not have to choose between family and country. Please ask Rep. _________________ to cosponsor the Uniting American Families Act of 2009 by reaching out to Rep. Nadler before February 12.

To learn more about UAFT or other issues impacting LGBTQ immigrants and their families, visit this site.

Join COLAGE in Celebrating Freedom to Marry Week Feb 5 09

COLAGE is preparing for national Freedom to Marry Week and we would love for your help too! Every year for the past 11 years around Valentines Day, our movement takes a week for the opportunity to have a national conversation about why marriage equality matters for everyone. This year's theme, 7 Conservations in 7 Days, promotes the single most important action everyone can take towards achieving marriage equality nationwide. Having conversations, even those which may be uncomfortable, with friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, and anyone who will listen is what this week is all about! Please join COLAGE in celebrating Freedom to Marry Week this year and help us continue the effort to win marriage equality.

Take the Pledge With COLAGE and Commit to 7 Actions for 7 Days!
Here are some ideas but feel free to come up with your own too-

February 8th - Email for Equality, sign the marriage resolution and e-mail it to friends and family members. Support your state's equality organization and sign and circulate their petitions too!

February 9th - Get Married! Donate your Facebook relationship status in honor of Marriage Equality by saying that you are married. When your friends and colleagues ask you about your status, use the opportunity to talk about marriage equality and how the fact that you or your parents can or can not get married impacts you and other COLAGErs.

February 10th - Face Equality, Have a face to face conversation with as many people as you can about what marriage equality means to you. Talk to your neighbors, teachers, the person who serves you coffee in the morning.... everyone!

February 11th - Blog Equality. If you have a blog, post something regarding marriage equality. Write about how having an LGBTQ parents in a society without full marriage equality impacts you. You can post something on your facebook or myspace or other social networking page if you don't have an official blog. Send us a link to your blog post.

February 12th - Text 4 Equality, It takes just seconds to send out text messages so take a moment to do just that! Send out a mass text to contacts in your phone proclaiming the need for marriage equality.

February 13th - Letters for Equality, We invite you to write a letter (it can be brief) about why family and marriage equality is important to you and your family. Feel free to send in a picture or draw a picture of your family too. We will hand carry your work to the California State Capitol to be put on display and delivered by some of us from the COLAGE office on California Lobby Day! Email your letter today. You can also send your letter to elected officials in your own state to make sure they know that their constituents are impacted by this issue.

February 14th -Craft Equality. In celebration of Valentines Day, make creative valentines that spread a message of love and marriage equality. You can also design a button about your family and/or marriage equality and wear it proudly from today on.

To learn more or get help with any of our Freedom to Marry Day activities, contact COLAGE or call 415-861-5437.

Action Alert: New Hampshire Marriage Hearing Begins Today Feb 5 09

COLAGE is looking for youth and adults with LGBTQ parents in New Hampshire, our friends and allies to take action on HB436 today.

The public hearing for HB 436, the bill that would create marriage equality in NH, will take place Thursday, Feb. 5, 1 PM in room 206 of the Legislative Office Building (behind the Statehouse).

Please contact members of the Judiciary Committee. Representatives are willing to support this legislation, but they need to hear from you! A list of the representatives is available here.

The opposition is already mobilizing against us! This is a very vocal minority. They will have 100% attendance at the hearing giving the perception that they represent more people than they do.

Contact the House Judiciary Committee and let them know that you expect New Hampshire to enact marriage equality into the Constitution. Let them know that you support HB436 and marriage equality.

HB436 defines gender identity and expression and adds it to the list of classes of people protected from discrimination. The legislation reads as follows, "Marriage is the legally recognized union of 2 people. Any person who otherwise meets the eligibility requirements of this chapter may marry any other eligible person regardless of gender."

If you are a COLAGEr who lives in New Hampshire who is interested in doing public speaking or media work to support this bill, please contact Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director.

To learn more about this bill and other legislation impacting the lives of New Hampshire residents, visit the NH Freedom To Marry Coalition website.

Action Alert: Don't Ask- Don't Tell Feb 4 09

Don't Ask Don't Tell - a COLAGEr perspective
By Paulie S, COLAGE Community Organizing Intern

I am a proud daughter of a lesbian mother. I also am a proud daughter of a military mother! "How can this be?" many would ask since the US doesn't allow gays in the military. In actuality, the reality of LGBTQ people serving in the military is very complicated, due mainly to the existence of the Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) Policy. Prior to the passage of DADT in 1993, homosexuality in the military was banned by regulation. During his first campaign for president, Bill Clinton vowed to lift the ban by executive order. President Clinton's attempt to allow open service failed; it resulted in the passage of the DADT law meaning that lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals could only serve as long as they weren't out about their sexual orientation.

So my mom lived two closeted lives, one within her family and the other within the military. Before my parents legally separated, even after my mom came out to my father and me, she lived in secret the rest of her military career. Currently my mom works for the Military but as a civilian since she retired, and though she has devoted over 25 years of service to the US Military she still can not come out at work. The law is such that it not only affects those who are in the military but those who work as civilians for the military.

As my mother's daughter, I too had to closet my mother's true identity. I couldn't identify as having a Lesbian mother even when I had become more comfortable with doing so since people knew my mother was in the military. All it would have taken was one slip by one person and my mother could be subjected to loosing her career and everything that goes along with it.
This meant that even during our latest visit when meeting her coworkers when asked what I do I was forced to make up a fake job. I couldn't even say that I worked for COLAGE. It's difficult enough as a COLAGEr at times to come out about our parents to certain people. However, for me it's even more difficult to have to stay quiet about it.

Based on my personal experiences with DADT and knowing the way it impacts thousands of other COLAGEr youth and adults, I call on President Obama and his administration to lift the DADT policy. While it's clear that great challenges exist for the President and his team, news reports have indicated that a repeal of the ban is very possible in these first 100 days of his presidency. Taking this step to end discrimination in the military and assuage the impact of homophobia on LGBT service members and their families.

Take Action Now:
1. Sign the petition created by the Service members Legal Defense Network.
2. Contact your elected officials. With the new Congress and new administration, there is great potential to repeal DADT. Explain the impact this policy has on military members and their kids and families.
3. Learn about recent reports that DADT will be repealed in 2009 or 2010.
4. If you are a youth or adult who has an LGBTQ parent who is or was in the military and you have been impacted by DADT, please contact Paulie to learn how you can speak out against this policy or share your experiences to help other COLAGErs.