COLAGE News Blog

Take Action on Safe Schools in Minnesota Apr 30 09

If you are a youth or adult with LGBTQ parents or a parent or ally to our community, please contact your House representative today!

Now that the Minnesota Senate has voted to pass the Safe Schools for All bill (HF 1198/SF 971), which is endorsed by COLAGE, final action on this important legislation is expected soon in the House. Support our colleagues at OutFront Minnesota and Rainbow Families Minnesota who have been leading the efforts on this bill by sharing your stories today.

This bill would strengthen anti-violence protections for students in Minnesota's schools, including GLBT, disabled, immigrant, and other students. By sharing your personal story, you will help gain the votes we need to pass this piece of legislation. Contact your representative and talk about the ways that discrimination, bullying, and violence impact(ed) you or your fellow students in school and ask for your elected officials' support.

It's critical that those who believe schools should be safe places that encourage learning and discourage harassment and violence take one more step to help secure House passage of this important legislation!

If you have not already done so, please contact your representatives - share your stories - and urge them to support this bill! A list of Minnesota representatives is available by clicking here. Please also share your story with COLAGE, send a copy of your email to Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director. Thanks for helping create safer schools for ALL students in Minnesota!

Marriage Equality Advances in New England Apr 30 09

Today, the Senates of both Maine and New Hampshire have advanced legislation that would create marriage equality in their states.

The Maine Senate passed their bill by a vote of 21 to 14. The bill now goes to the House, which is expected to vote early next week. To see how your senator voted and to take continuing action on marriage equality in Maine, click HERE. Fae Silverman, an adult COLAGEr, attended the recent legislative hearings in Maine. She reflected on her own experience of her gay dad moving to the Netherlands because of the homophobia climate in the United States and how love and honesty were the most important things for a healthy family.

The New Hampshire Senate approved their bill which now must go back to the house so that they may approve the changes made by the Senate. It then moves on to the Governor. COLAGE Board of Directors member, Deanna Makinen, a youth with lesbian moms from Exeter, NH commented, "Gay marriage passing means a lot to me. It means that my family in the eyes of the New Hampshire government is as valid as a heterosexual headed family. Legalizing gay marriage is just the beginning to the equality movement in New Hampshire." Please, contact your senators to thank them for their yes votes, and remind your representatives to continue their support of the bill. To learn more and get involved in the ongoing work in New Hampshire, click HERE.

If you are a youth or adult with LGBTQ parents who lives in Maine or New Hampshire, please tell us how you feel about these advancements for equality! Email Meredith today!

Action Needed: Call your Senator Today Apr 22 09

COLAGE is happy to share this news and action alert from our colleagues at the National Coalition for LGBT Health.

Ask Your Senator to Sign On in Support of an LGBT Question on the National Health Interview Survey A few weeks ago, we asked for your support in calling your Representatives. Thanks to your efforts, 46 Representatives supported the addition of an LGBT question to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

Now Senator Whitehouse (D-RI) is leading the charge in the Senate to rally support for appropriating the $2 million necessary to add this question. The Senator has begun circulating a sign-on "Dear Colleague" letter in the Senate to show support for adding $2 million in increased funding to the budget for the National Center for Health Statistics, which will pay all costs associated with adding a question about sexual orientation and gender identity to NHIS. This survey helps set the federal government's priorities in funding health programs, so gathering data on LGBT demographics is vital for demonstrating the importance of LGBT health concerns and pushing for increased funding for services for the LGBT community.Contact your Senator today to ask them to sign onto the Whitehouse Letter in the Senate.

To contact your Senator, please call the Senate switchboard at (202) 224-3121, tell them your state, and ask to speak to your Senator. When you are connected to your Senator's office, ask for the staff member who works on Health and Human Services appropriations. Tell them that you are a constituent who supports appropriating an additional $2 million for the National Health Interview Survey and that you would like them to sign on. In order to sign on, they need to contact Jordanna Davis in Senator Whitehouse's office by close of business on Tuesday, April 28th.

Join COLAGE in Signing the Partners for Health Care Fairness Petition Apr 21 09

COLAGE is pleased to be collaborating with Lambda Legal as a Partner for Health Care Fairness. Join us in calling on the administration to ensure that equal access for LGBTQ people and their families and people with HIV is a cornerstone of new health policies by signing the petition here.

We at COLAGE understand the many ways that we and our families often face discrimination or barriers from the health care system. We are excited about the opportunity for real dialogue and action to create an accessible and fair health care system for all people in the United States. Sign this petition today.

Voices Raised - Kickoff and Survey Apr 15 09

Save the Date!
Join COLAGE at a party to celebrate the launch of
Voices Raised
May 3, 2009
3-5pm
Location: The Oakland Museum in the Learning Center
1000 Oak @ 10th Street, near Lake Merrit, in Oakland
COLAGERs of all ages, their families, friends and allies are welcome for community, food, an overview of the Voices Raised Project and more! Be sure to enter our raffle for a Free Family of 4 Pass to the Oakland Museum!

Voices Raised is a POC led project of COLAGE whose mission is to seek, celebrate and reflect the unique voices and experiences of children, youth and adults of color who have/had one or more LGBTQ parent/guardian(s) of color.

If you have any questions or comments, or to RSVP please contact voicesraised@colage.org or
by phone at 415-861-5437 ext. 103

No matter, where you live, take the Voices Raised Survey! This survey is intended for all children, youth and adults who identify as Asian-American, Bi-racial, Black/African-American, Latino/a, Mixed, Multi-racial, Native-American, Pacific Islander ,Multi-National, or people of color and who have/had an LGBTQ parent or guardian of color who identifies as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Two-Spirit and/or Same-Gender Loving (LGBTQ). Take the survey today by clicking HERE.

COLAGEr on Democracy Now Apr 8 09

Today's Democracy Now program features Evann Orleck-Jetter, the 12 year old daughter of lesbian moms who testified before the Vermont legislature in its hearings on the marriage bill which successfully passed yesterday. Many legislators later told Evann and her parents that her testimony had moved them to support the bill.

In her testimony Evann shared, "I'm twelve years old, and I live in Thetford Center. I have a wonderful family. I live with my little brother, my grandma and two moms who are with me all the time and support me in whatever I do. I love them very much, and I wish that having to stand up here right now in front of this committee wasn't an issue anymore."

You can read a copy of Evann's testimony as well as a transcript of her appearance on Democracy Now! here.

Vermont Joins the Ranks of States with Marriage Equality Apr 8 09

This morning Vermont became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. The Vermont House and Senate chose to override Governor Jim Douglas' veto with a 100-49 vote in the House and a 23-5 vote in the Senate.

Nine years ago, Vermont became the first state to offer civil unions. Today it made history again by being the first state to successfully use the Legislative process to enact marriage equality. (California's legislature previously approved marriage equality; however, that bill was vetoed by the Governor.)

Monica Canfield Lenfest, COLAGE Kids of Trans Coordinator and a native of Rutland, Vermont reflected, "I am so proud to be a Vermonter! It's exciting to see the progress of a state that passed the first civil unions bill and has now enacted full marriage equality even in the face of enormous backlash and an unsupportive governor. As a COLAGEr, too, I am glad that LGBTQ families in Vermont will soon have access to the protections of marriage as well as the validation that comes from the Vermont State Legislature's commitment to equality."

To read the full story, see this article from the NY Times.

Minnesota Action Alert - Safe Schools for All Apr 6 09

Tell Your Legislators to Support the Safe Schools for All Bill
Your help is essential to pass this very important bill!

In schools across Minnesota, students are harassed or bullied for having a disability, for being an immigrant, for being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender or having an LGBTQ parent, for being poor, or because of their physical appearance. Yet the vast majority of school district harassment policies do not prohibit harassment based on disability, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status or physical characteristics.

Current MN law requires school districts to have a policy that prohibits harassment based on race, sex, and religion. The Safe Schools for All Bill (SF 971/HF 1198) would expand the list of protected classes to include disability, national origin, sexual orientation and other Minnesota Human Rights Act protected classes, bringing the law in line with the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The bill would also require protections based on "physical characteristics." Over 35 organizations support this bill, including COLAGE, Education Minnesota, Search Institute, Arc of Minnesota, Minnesota PTA, Minnesota School Social Workers Association, Minnesota School Counselors Association, PACER Center, NAMI of Minnestoa, OutFront Minnesota, Family Equality Council, and several other human rights, disability, LGBTQ, and education organizations.

Floor votes on the Safe Schools for All Bill will be held soon. Legislators need to hear from you now!

Click here to find out who represents you.

Sample message for your Senator: Please vote in favor of SF 971, the "Safe Schools for All Bill," sponsored by Sen. Dibble. Too many Minnesota students are being bullied. All students should feel safe to learn in school. This bill addresses school bullying head-on. Please support this bill.

Sample message for your Representative: Please vote in favor of HF 1198, the "Safe Schools for All Bill," sponsored by Representative Davnie. Too many Minnesota students are being bullied. All students should feel safe to learn in school. This bill addresses school bullying head-on. Please support this bill.

When possible, personalize your email to explain why safe schools, or lack of safety in schools, impacts you as someone with LGBTQ parents.

If your Senator or Representative is a sponsor of the bill, don't forget to thank them for their support. If you are a youth or adult with LGBTQ parents who lives in Minnesota who might like to speak out to help pass this bill, please contact Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director at Meredith@colage.org.

Marriage Equality in Iowa! Apr 3 09

COLAGE is thrilled at the news that the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that a ban on same-sex marriages in the US state was unconstitutional. "The Iowa statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution," the justices said in a summary of their decision. The decision was unanimous, 7-0.

The case stems from a 2005 suit filed by Lambda Legal on behalf of six gay and lesbian couples three of whom have children.

Iowa now becomes the third US state to allow same-sex marriages after Connecticut and Massachusetts. The California Supreme Court made marriage accessible to all couples after a June 2008 decision although marriage equality was reversed after the passage of Proposition 8 in November.

"As a native of the Midwest and the daughter of a lesbian mother, I am so proud of the justices in Iowa for affirming the right of all couples who wish to get married to have that choice," commented Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director. "At COLAGE we know that youth and families are most able to thrive when their families receive the same rights and validation as all families. The Iowa decision will have a positive impact for children, youth and adults with LGBTQ parents not just in Iowa but across the country."

The Vermont legislature also voted in favor of legalizing marriage for same-sex couples last night, but supporters of equality will need to gather enough votes to override the Vermont governor's promise to veto the legislation.

To learn more about today's decision, visit http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30027685/.