COLAGE News Blog

Photos from Decision Day Events in CA May 27 09

Last night an enthusiastic group of COLAGE children, youth, adults, parents and allies took to the streets in San Francisco to protest the CA Supreme Court's Ruling on Proposition 8. We were the leaders of the March from City Hall to Yerba Buena Gardens and also were excited for COLAGErs Shira, Paulie and Alex who spoke at the rallies. Check out photos of the march by clicking HERE. If you have other photos from Decision Day events in your area, please email them to Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director at meredith@colage.org.

California Courts Uphold Prop 8; Join COLAGE in continued efforts for equality, visibility and justice May 26 09

As COLAGE staff and community members waiting in front of the California Supreme Court in San Francisco this morning, we reflected on the long roller coaster ride that the marriage equality movement has been in California. We nervously chatted with colleagues from across the movement and celebrated the diverse group of folks who had come out to support equality.

At 10 am, we learned that the California Court failed to overturn Proposition 8 but at the same time is upholding the 18,000+ marriages that occurred between June and November 2008.

By upholding Prop 8, the Court has diminished its legacy as a champion of equality. No minority group should have to defend its right to equality at the ballot. The Court's decision jeopardizes every minority group in California and across the country and the potential for further ballot initiatives that attack minority rights is a travesty.

COLAGE agrees with the dissenting opinion of Justice Moreno who said: This could not have been the intent of those who devised and enacted the initiative process. In my view, the aim of Proposition 8 and all similar initiative measures that seek to alter the California Constitution to deny a fundamental right to a group that has historically been subject to discrimination on the basis of a suspect classification, violates the essence of the equal protection clause of the California Constitution and fundamentally alters its scope and meaning. Such a change cannot be accomplished through the initiative process by a simple amendment to our Constitution enacted by a bare majority of the voters; it must be accomplished, if at all, by a constitutional revision to modify the equal protection clause to protect some, rather than all, similarly situated persons. I would therefore hold that Proposition 8 is not a lawful amendment of the California Constitution.

We are relieved the Court protected couples who married before November 5 and including those of COLAGE members and families. COLAGE believes that the reality of these thousands of couples and families will help educate that marriage equality is not a threat to anyone and that our families are stronger when they have the same rights and options as all Californian couples.

Now, the COLAGE community in California and beyond will use the court decision as an opportunity to continue to raise visibility of children, youth and adults with LGBTQ parents and our families. Tonight in cities across California we'll take to the streets. In San Francisco COLAGE will be leading the march, will you join us? http://www.dayofdecision.com/?tr=y&auid=4899558

This weekend, COLAGE will join thousands in Fresno, CA for Meet in the Middle, a statewide day of visibility and protest. We invite all of you to join us there. http://www.meetinthemiddle4equality.com

Beyond these actions, COLAGE encourages all of our members to continue to tell your stories. Whether you speak out to your classmates about how inequality impacts your family, or represent people with LGBTQ parents by speaking at a rally, your actions have the awesome power to transform public opinion and build more support for justice. If you want to learn more about using your personal story to make change through the COLAGE Speak OUT program, contact Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director at 415-861-5438 x102 or by email here.

Action Needed in Minnesota on Safe Schools Bill May 14 09

If ensuring the safety of your child at school was as easy as one 2-minute phone call, would you make that call? I would, and I know you would too.

The fate of the Safe Schools for All Bill will be decided in the next few days. A 2-minute phone call from you could decide whether it becomes law.

After months of your calls and emails, the Safe Schools for All Bill is nearly on Governor Pawlenty’s desk. But he has indicated that he may veto this important bill when it reaches his desk as soon as next week.

We need you to make one more call TODAY – to Governor Pawlenty, urging him to sign this bill into law.

Time is running out. The legislative session ends on Monday. Opponents of effective anti-bullying policies like the Minnesota Family Council are counting on your family being too busy with homework and bath time to call the Governor. But they underestimate what we’ll do to protect our kids.

Show the Governor how important safe schools are to your family – call him TODAY and forward this message to everyone you know! Your call could make the difference!

Call the Governor Today!
Here's a sample message:

I’m calling to urge Governor Pawlenty to sign the Safe Schools for All Bill (SF 971/FH 1198) into law when it comes to his desk. Many students are left unprotected by current school harassment policies. This bill would clarify existing law to make sure all kids are kept safe at school so they can learn.

Governor's contact information:
Telephone: (651) 296-3391
Toll Free: (800) 657-3717

For more information, contact Stephanie at Rainbow Families Minnesota by email here.

All in God's Family: Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender family-inclusive faith curriculum launched, fills gap May 11 09

Leading organizations partner to make faith communities more welcoming of LGBT people

All in God's Family: Creating Allies for Our LGBT Families is a joint project of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Institute for Welcoming Resources, COLAGE and Family Equality Council. Debuted this week, this multimedia curriculum will go a long way in providing the necessary tools to make faith communities affirming of LGBT people and their families.

All in God's Family includes concrete tools to educate faith leaders, including a step-by-step guide to supporting LGBT families of faith and tools for facilitating group learning, community dialogue, Bible study and community action planning to highlight LGBT families in our communities. Additionally, the curriculum includes Families Like Mine, a book about adults with LGBT parents written by Abigail Garner, whose father is gay; and two COLAGE visibility resources - the youth-produced documentary In My Shoes: Stories of Youth with LGBT Parents and a CD containing the phototext exhibit "That's So Gay: Portraits of Youth with LGBT Parents."

"For youth and adults with LGBTQ parents, finding a faith community where your family is respected and reflected can be a challenge," says Meredith Fenton, COLAGE program director. "COLAGE is pleased to be a partner on All in God's Family: Creating Allies for our LGBT Families and invites your faith community to use these tools to move beyond acceptance to full inclusion and celebration of LGBTQ families."

All in God's Family: Creating Allies for Our LGBT Families can be acquired for a suggested donation of $50.00. As a special promotion, the first 50 congregations to request the curriculum will receive it for free. All in God's Family: Creating Allies for Our LGBT Families can be acquired at www.WelcomingResources.org.

Marriage Equality in Maine! May 6 09

This morning, Governor John E. Baldacci today signed into law LD 1020, An Act to End Discrimination in Civil Marriage and Affirm Religious Freedom. With this action, Maine has become the fifth state to enact marriage equality, joining Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont.

COLAGE applauds the leadership of Equality Maine for their mobilization around this bill and all the COLAGErs, couples and allies whose stories and activism helped pass the bill.

Support the Federal Safe Schools Improvement Act May 5 09

COLAGE is excited to announce that the Federal Safe Schools Improvement Act was introduced in Washington DC today. This bill would expand protections for all students requiring that schools and districts create safe environments for all students, no matter their actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or association with one or more of these characteristics. We want to thank GLSEN for their leadership on this bill and invite you to help pass it!

"As we have seen, time and again, one of the places where COLAGE members face discrimination, isolation and prejudice is at school," commented Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director. "We are excited that the Safe Schools Improvement Act has been introduced as one way of promoting safer school environments for all students and look forward to working with our members and the larger Safe Schools movement to pass this important piece of legislation."

To move the bill forward, we need to sign up more co-sponsors. 34 Representative have already signed on but many more need to be encouraged to sign on. To find your Representative, click HERE. Please call your representative, TODAY, and ask if the Representative has signed on, and if not, urge the Representative to co-sponsor. They can contact Celeste Drake in Representative Linda Sanchez's office if they wish to co-sponsor.

Please join COLAGE in taking action to ensure that we are creating school environments that are safe for ALL students. To learn more about the experiences of students with LGBTQ parents, read the Involved, Invisible, Ignored report GLSEN released with COLAGE and Family Equality Council that you can find HERE. If you are a student with LGBTQ parents who would like to share your story, please contact Meredith Fenton by email.