COLAGE News Blog

COLAGE at the Equality Forum Apr 23 08

Growing Up with LGBTQ Parents: A National and Local Perspective
Saturday, May 3rd
12:30 PM
Temple University City Center, Room 321

Co-sponspored by COLAGE and Mountain Meadow Summer Camp, this session presents the opportunity to learn about the experiences of youth and adults with LGBTQ parents from both the national and local perspectives. Learn the ways that youth with LGBTQ parents are making change in their schools, communities and families, get an update about the climate in schools and politics for LGBTQ families, and hear directly from youth about their lives.

For more information visit: http://www.equalityforum.com/2008/collaborative.cfm

Louisiana Safe Schools Action Alert Apr 23 08

Do you want to make schools safe for all students in Louisiana?
Get involved with the state-wide anti-bullying bill.

The Louisiana Anti-Bullying bill made it out of committee today in a very strong vote of 11-4. This is the closest we have ever been to passage of this important legislation that will instruct all schools to employ a very strong Anti-Bullying policy that is inclusive of ALL Children and especially enumerates protection for actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity. Because youth with LGBTQ parents who face bullying in schools are often targeted because they too are perceived to be gay, this bill would mandate that schools protect COLAGErs.

Now the bill must pass the full House. URGE all House Members to not only VOTE for this bill but to sign on as a Co-Author. Contact your representative today as this bill goes up for the
full house Vote as early as MONDAY OR TUESDAY of next week.

Here are the particulars:
HB 674 - Anti-Bullying Bill or "Safe Schools Bill" - Authored by Representative Walt Leger

To find out your Representatives visit this website.
Urge them to vote for this bill to create a more safe learning environment for all students.

Arizona Action Alert Apr 21 08

COLAGE encourages our members and allies in Arizona to help fight a divisive anti-LGBT marriage bill.

The House Judiciary Committee voted this afternoon to make a technical correction to the language of the proposed marriage amendment, clearing the way for the entire House to vote as early as tomorrow! It is expected that House leadership will swiftly move SCR 1042, as amended, through the Rules Committee, Caucus, and Committee of the Whole to bring it to a final vote on the House floor on Tuesday.

Please call your two State Representatives now at 602-926-4221 or 1-800-352-8404 to urge them to vote no on SCR 1042, as amended. Urge them to keep this divisive amendment off the ballot.
You can lookup your 2 State Representatives online .

You can take additional action online with Equality Arizona.

Tennessee Action Alerts- Unmarried Couples Adoption Ban Apr 17 08

The Senate Judiciary Committee adjourned for the week before taking up SB3910 by Paul Stanley (R-Germantown). This bill would ban unmarried, cohabiting couples from adopting children. COLAGE is opposed to this discriminatory bill which is a clear attack on the parenting rights of LGBTQ individuals and other unmarried people.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will reconvene on Tuesday, April 22, at 3:30, in Legislative Plaza, Room 12.

If you have not contacted members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to vote No on SB3910, they are:

Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet), Chair
Doug Jackson (D-Dickson), Vice-Chair
Jamie Woodson (R-Knoxville), Secretary
Diane Black (R-Gallatin)
Jim Kyle (D-Memphis)
Beverly Marrero (D-Memphis)
Mark Norris (R-Collierville)
Paul Stanley (R-Germantown)--sponsor of SB3910
John Wilder (D-Mason)

Your action is important to let your elected officials know that this bill is unnecessary and mean-spirited. Contact your Senators today!

California Action Alert- Stop AntiGay Ballot Measure Apr 15 08

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said last week that he would oppose the ballot measure to prohibit marriage for same-sex couples. He committed to "always be there to fight against" such an amendment and he acknowledged that the amendment was "a waste of time."

Will you join our fight against this amendment or sit on the sidelines?

We have just days left to deny our opponents the final 100,000 signatures they need to qualify it for the November 2008 ballot in California.

Now is the time. Now is the place. Please join Equality For All’s Rapid Response teams!

Proponents of this amendment will do anything to get this measure on the ballot -- even break the law. We have reports of people forging signatures, telling people the petition is in support of marriage equality and other illegal tactics.

More volunteers are needed to help us overcome this outrageous assault on democracy.

Equality For All (COLAGE is a member of the coalition supporting Equality For All) had 800 people on the streets this weekend talking to tens of thousands of Californians, asking them not to sign the petitions. If you were one of them—thank you! We need you again and we need 10 of your friends to join you.

We need 1,000 volunteer this week if we have any chance of keeping this amendment off the ballot.

Sign up for our Rapid Response teams right now and tell your family and friends to do the same.

While California is very supportive of LGBT equality, by no means can we assume a constitutional amendment banning marriage for same-sex couples would be defeated. To have a fighting chance, we will need tens of millions of dollars for a statewide campaign. With just a small amount of your time now, we can avoid the risk of erasing years of progress and save millions of dollars.

COLAGE Action Alert for Tennessee Apr 7 08

COLAGE calls on youth and adults with LGBTQ parents and their allies in Tennessee to get involved in Tennessee Equality Projects Week of Action to stop a harmful Adoption Ban bill.

Germantown Republican Senator Paul Stanley's bill banning unmarried couples from adopting will be heard this week in Senate Judiciary Committee. Judiciary Committee will be convening two times this week—Tuesday, 3:30 PM, CDT and Wednesday, 8:00 AM, CDT, allowing for more time to hear an extensive calendar. The committee will convene both days in Legislative Plaza Room 12. If you have the time, you may consider stopping by the Plaza to watch the bill’s debate. The legislation—SB 3910—is scheduled as the 34th bill on the calendar, and may well be put off until Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, though the bill has a negative fiscal impact to the state of an estimated of $4.5 million a year, Stanley still wants to present the bill for consideration by his fellow committee members. If this detrimental legislation does pass out of Senate Judiciary Committee, it will be sent to Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee because of its high fiscal impact.

Your help is needed to stop this bill. Click here to send a note to Senate Judiciary Committee members expressing your concern about SB 3910.

If you are a youth or adult with LGBTQ parents in TN and want to be more involved in efforts to stop the adoption ban, please contact Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director.

Speak OUT opportunity in New Jersey Apr 2 08

COLAGE is looking for Speak OUT members to represent youth with LGBT parents at this upcoming commission meeting. If you are interested and able to attend, please contact Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director.

The New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission, empowered to recommend whether New Jersey should upgrade its current civil union law to real marriage equality, is seeking youth and young adults with LGBT parents to testify at the Commission's next meeting, on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 2:30 pm at 140 East Front Street in Trenton.

At this meeting, the Commission will focus on the beneficial psychological impact that marriage equality would have on children of LGBT parents. When New Jersey enacts a marriage equality law, the youth and young adults being raised by same-sex couples who would have the same label for their parents – married – rather than the separate, stigmatizing and difficult-to-understand label of civil union. Kids in LGBT families would grow up knowing that their parents are married, or certainly have the freedom to marry, like all other kids.

The Commission welcomes both youth and young adults and/or their LGBT parents to testify. It would do the cause a world of good. The Commission’s vice chair is Steven Goldstein, who also heads the statewide LGBT advocacy organization Garden State Equality, and he’d be happy to work with families willing to testify. Please contact Steven directly at Goldstein@GardenStateEquality.org or cell (917) 449-8918.