COLAGE News Blog

Share your COLAGE Vision for the New Administration Nov 25 08

Share your COLAGE Vision for the New Administration

President-elect Barack Obama and his transition team are already planning for the healing and health of this country in 2009. As COLAGE members and allies, we ask you to let them know your vision for change. President-elect Obama asks "Where should we start together?" Speak OUT and tell him!

First start by introducing yourself and your family. Identify yourself as a member of COLAGE. You can congratulate the Obama-Biden team on their victory and then give a few ideas or changes you would like to see in our country that make up your vision for the next four years in the United States.

Below are some sample messages you can incorporate into your vision OR speak from your heart about the issues you care about most:

* As you plan for the economic recovery of this nation, please keep in mind that LGBTQ people and their families are disproportionately affected due to wage disparity, a lack of non-discrimination employment protections, and homophobia/transphobia in the work place.

* Please support an inclusive ENDA bill to fight workplace discrimination.

* Every adult and child in the U.S. deserves to have access to quality health care. COLAGErs and their families often do not have health coverage if their access is limited due to not having marriage equality. We need to achieve universal healthcare and it must include coverage for the full range of reproductive, transgender care and family formation health services.

* Please rebuild an educational system that provides all of our country's youth with opportunities to learn and succeed.

*We call on you to repeal the DOMA act and create a federal system of marriage equality through which LGBTQ couples can protect themselves and their families.

* For the U.S. Supreme Court, I am counting on you to appoint justices who recognize and respect LGBTQ people's rights. Guarantee basic human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer people, and strengthen laws banning discrimination based on race, color, gender, age or disability.

* Work with Congress to pass a Safe Schools bill that protects students from harassment and discrimination on the basis of perceived, actual or association with diverse sexual orientations or gender identities. Develop an effective Title IX equal education enforcement system for every level of education.

* Include crimes based on gender, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity as hate crimes under federal law and mandate that law enforcement collect and report data on such crimes.

* Please honor your campaign promise to end the war in Iraq and begin bringing our troops home as soon as possible. Ensure that the Veteran's Administration has the capacity and expertise to assist the significant numbers of returning wounded, and address the special needs of military families with LGBTQ members.

* Please help bring an end to the scapegoating and targeting of immigrants in our country- both documented and undocumented immigrants. Help keep families together through support of the Permanent Partners Immigration Act and call on your administration to stop ICE raids.

After you send your message to the new administration via their website, Please email a copy of your message to Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director as we'll be collecting them to submit to many elected officials in the new administration. We look forward as a movement to working with the Obama-Biden administration on creating real change in the United States. Let's start articulating that vision for change together now!

Florida Action Alert and Update Nov 25 08

Posted on Tue, Nov. 25, 2008
Miami Herald
Florida ban on gay adoptions ruled unconstitutional

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman Tuesday declared Florida's 50-year-old ban on gay adoptions unconstitutional - a ruling state lawyers immediately said they would challenge.

The ruling sets the stage for Frank Gill, a gay man from North Miami, to adopt two foster children he has raised since 2004. In a 53-page ruling, Judge Lederman said, "It is clear that sexual orientation is not a predictor of a person's ability to parent."

Two lawyers from the Florida Attorney General's Office said they would file an appeal Tuesday.

Take Action!

Please call George Sheldon, Secretary of the Department of Children & Families and ask him NOT to file an appeal.

George H. Sheldon, Secretary
1317 Winewood Blvd.
Building 1, Room 202
Tallahassee, Florida
32399-0700
Phone: (850) 487-1111
Suncom: 277-1111
Fax: (850) 922-2993
Suncom: 292-2993

New COLAGE Chapter in Western MA Nov 20 08

SPREAD THE WORD!

Do you have one or more lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender parents?
Would you like to connect to other youth, adults or families with LGBTQ parents?

Then Join the new COLAGE Western MA Chapter for pizza and fun!
Saturday, December 6, from 5-7pm
at 25 Mountain Laurel Path in Florence, MA. (Pathways Cohousing).

We're starting a Western Mass. chapter of COLAGE a national movement of children, youth and adults with LGBTQ parents. We build community and work toward social justice through youth empowerment, leadership development, education and advocacy. Youth in grades 3 -12 and their parents are especially welcome to participate in activities. We'll also hear from local middle, high school and college aged COLAGErs about their experiences growing up with LGBTQ parents and how COLAGE has made a difference to them, even here in the 'happy valley'.

There is no charge for this event, though donations are gratefully accepted.
RSVPs appreciated to this email.

Teens, join us to see the film 'Tru Loved', at Northampton High immediately afterwards (7:30), a movie about a high school girl with gay parents.

For more information email us or come to the event!

COLAGE Marks the Annual Trans Day of Remembrances Nov 19 08

This year, COLAGE's Kids of Trans Program gained national attention with the release of its ground-breaking Kids of Trans Resource Guide. We celebrate the impact this guide has made within so many families and communities.

As we celebrate the accomplishments of 2008, we take this opportunity to reflect on the impact of transphobia and gender-based violence on our communities.

Thursday, November 20, 2008 marks the 10th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance. Today, we honor the victims of transphobia, those who have died due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. At vigils across the country, people will read the names of those who died this year. Some were murdered and others took their own lives. They were our siblings, our colleagues, our friends, and some of them were our parents.

All people deserve to live in a world free from discrimination, where we are respected and loved. Many transgender people and their families are fortunate enough to live well. However, not everyone has access to support, security, or even shelter. Those of us with the least access are left most vulnerable to discrimination and violence. These are the names we remember this Thursday.

In response to the tragedies we remember, let us harness a compassionate rage to confront not only the pain of losing members of our communities and families, but also to examine the ways that we can work for social justice. Let us envision a world where all families have access to everything they need and people live lives free from violence of any kind.

Click here to find a Trans Day of Remembrance event near you.

Youth and Adults with LGBTQ Parents Speak OUT against Proposition 8 Nov 10 08

Youth and Adults with LGBTQ Parents Speak OUT against Proposition 8

COLAGE denounces the passage of Proposition 8 in California. This proposition eliminated fundamental rights, rights that our families need and deserve, and that fact is detestable. By eliminating the marriage rights of gay and lesbian couples in California, Proposition 8 will have a deep impact on children, youth and adults with LGBTQ parents and all of California.

In recent days, we have heard from youth and adult COLAGErs from across the state- sharing their sadness, their fears, and their rage that our society still embraces intolerance and stereotypes about us and our families. Sharing our disappointment and frustration is one step towards healing.

However, we also call on our community to move forward together. This is not the end of a struggle for justice; it is the beginning. All of us at COLAGE have been inspired to work with our members and allies over the past months. Together we have spoken to our friends and family about marriage equality. Together we have educated our communities about discrimination and homophobia. Together we have phone banked, raised money for No on 8 ads, and rallied. And together we will continue to share our stories, educate our communities, build a vibrant movement, and impact change.

Voices from COLAGE about Proposition 8

The following are responses to Proposition 8 from youth and adult Californian COLAGErs. We share them to illuminate the range of reactions and experiences connected to this struggle.

Erin Feisler from Castro Valley, CA lives with her lesbian mother, her mother's wife, and her boyfriend. I grew up with my lesbian mother and am a straight person who helped organize rallies and events to fight Proposition 8. I could never imagine telling anyone who they can and can't marry. People who used their vote to try and put a negative stigma on gay and lesbian people and families were selfish. I wish all children were taught about acceptance and love, no matter what their personal beliefs may be.

Camilo Ortiz is the adoptive son of two lesbian moms who lives in Orange County. At a rally in San Bernadino about Proposition 8 he took a stand as a straight Chicano man: Why do I deserve more rights as a heterosexual man than my mothers? I think I have turned out terrific from my family-if being a son who values fairness and open-mindedness is somehow bad for society, then I am not sure this is a society I want to be a part of.

Morgan Early, a recent graduate of UCLA who grew up in the South Bay with her lesbian mom and gay fathers, shared this message about what she wished Californians and the country new about our community: I want to teach them that healthy families require love, and gay couples are just as wonderful as parents as straight parents. The common denominator is the word "parents." I see every day how my mom and dad are parents first, and they just happen to be gay. I also hope to show people that just because a family structure is unfamiliar doesn't mean that it is something to fear. This election is all about unity and diversity and getting past those disabling fears. The Yes on 8 group, unfortunately, appealed to fears that weren't even founded on the truth, and unfortunately it worked. I truly believe that the majority of Yes voters would change their minds if they knew the truth about the Proposition, and the truth about our families. The most important thing to us is living in a society where our families are safe from teasing, harassment, and prejudice. I believe that eventually we will come together to recognize how fundamental and universal this safety is.

Sarah Gogin is a student at Loyola Marymount University, who got to celebrate her fathers’ wedding in August. This fall she has tirelessly spoken out against Proposition 8 as a member of the COLAGE Speak OUT program. Learning that Prop 8 had passed saddened me. I felt as if the country had turned its back on its people. I felt that the country cared more about chickens than about the rights of human beings. I felt that if only the country had the chance to meet my family then maybe they would change their minds. I wish Californians knew that my family is like any other family. My dads are amazing individuals who happen to have been in love for over 22 years. They are a genuine, honest, and wonderful couple as well as fathers. Even though Prop 8 has passed, we shouldn't give up. We shouldn't stop trying to teach others about our families and we shouldn't stop sharing our stories. In the words of our new president, "we have a lot of work to do."


Shannon Bowman Sarkasian of Campbell, CA also shared her reaction to the passage of Prop 8: I felt heart-broken. I still do. The Yes on 8 campaign was run on lies, fear, and bigotry. It disturbs me that the old familiar "think of the children" hysteria was used—and that people bought it. There is nothing anyone can say that will make me believe my family isn't wonderful and amazing. Prop. 8 doesn't just hurt our families - it hurts California as a whole.


Morgan Falkenrath Green, a young adult who was born through donor insemination and raised by her lesbian mother and transgender father, shares this message with the COLAGE community in the aftermath of Proposition 8: We know our families and our experiences as the children of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender parents better than any person who is unfamiliar with queer families does. We must make it clear to every unfamiliar person who will listen that it is no longer permissible to assume that our families are deficient, that we would prefer to belong to other families, or that we approve of prohibiting same-sex marriage in hopes of discouraging people like our parents from creating families like ours. I actually feel well developed, privileged, proud and extremely grateful for my family.


A Request of our community from COLAGE

COLAGE calls on our members and allies to stand up against the scapegoating of voters of color in the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Some have publicly stated that the African American vote tipped the scales against marriage equality in California. African Americans represent only 6% of the CA population, while Anglo Americans represent 47% of the state population. This means that the majority of people who voted for Proposition 8 are white. Let's reject racist scapegoating. Affirming racism while standing up against homophobia is never productive and lashing out against those who voted for Proposition 8 will not help educate or raise awareness to move our society forward.

Though we share our communities' anger and sadness over this vote, looking for someone to blame is not the solution. We want to applaud the leadership of our comrades at the California NAACP, the Jordan Rustin Coalition, And Marriage For All, and countless other African-American led groups that campaigned tirelessly against Proposition 8. At the same time, we call on our entire community to build multi-racial movements that combat not just homophobia and transphobia but all forms of oppression.

While I, like so many COLAGErs, queers, and allies of color, am disappointed and offended by the majority vote in favor of Prop 8, I would like this moment to stand as a reminder that we and our communities do exist not only at election time but all year long, commented Lauren Wheeler, an African American adult COLAGEr from Oakland. It is only through serious work to diversify the gay rights movement and to reach out to and build coalitions with people of color and white folks outside of our cities and like-minded political communities that real change will come--and stick. If nothing else, the wide reach of the Obama campaign should have taught us that.

The biggest demographic factor of Proposition 8 was actually age with 63 percent of voters under 30 opposing the ban and 59 percent of those 65 and older supporting it. This and the great strides we have made since 2000 when a homophobia, anti-marriage amendment passed in CA by a much larger margin, speak to the sure eventuality of full marriage equality for LGBTQ Californians. COLAGE remains committed to educating this and the next generation of young voters so that future elections will claim more victories for important social justice issues.

To set up media interviews with youth and adults with LGBTQ parents, please contact Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director at 415-861-5437 or by email.

Post Election Thoughts from COLAGE Nov 5 08

All of us at COLAGE are awed to be living during this historic election with its even more historic outcome. Change is possible and the outcome of the presidential race illuminated that for us. We optimistically anticipate the possibilities that a Democratic Congress and President have for the LGBTQ and progressive communities. With an LGBTQ friendly White House, COLAGErs, our families, and allies will have potential for big gains in enacting legislation that celebrates and protects equality.

COLAGE celebrates the awesome power of the fact that a person of color is the next President of the United States. We shared many conversations in recent days about the wonderfulness of the truth that for hundreds of youth of color that we work with, childhood dreams of being President, or at the least of seeing powerful role models that are males of color, are now more real then they were yesterday.

One of the things that has inspired us during this campaign is the power of young voices speaking out and organizing. We applaud President Elect Obama's longstanding commitment to engaging with and raising up the voices of young people and know that youth empowerment and youth organizing is a key to future change.

We stand in solidarity with President Elect Obama who, like us COLAGErs, comes from a non-traditional family. We look forward to working with his administration to increase the visibility and rights of the LGBTQ communities.

At the same time, our hearts go out to our members and the larger communities in Florida, Arizona and Arkansas who live in places where marriage and foster parent rights were taken away yesterday. We applaud the efforts of our members and allies who have dedicated their time to truth, education and awareness in all of these states.

In California, where COLAGE is based we are particularly saddened by the likely passage of Proposition 8. Our staff and members have put in tireless hours to raise awareness about the need for equal rights and respect under the law. The number of Californians who voted for Proposition 8 was a blow to all of us and anyone who believes in fairness and equality.

The morning before the election, COLAGE heard from a parent in our community. Her 7 year old son had approached her, upset, in a concerned voice said, "Mama, I hope Prop 8 doesn’t win." She agreed with him, and then he said, "Because if it does, you and Mommy will be split up and our family won't be together."

While we at COLAGE all identify with the fear and sadness that Emmett expressed, we want to tell him and all the other COLAGErs around the country that nothing and no one can take away or split up your family. We know the truth; Love makes a family. Our families deserve equal respect and rights. No matter how long it takes, COLAGE will be here to do that work.

It will be profoundly wrong to eliminate rights if Proposition 8 indeed passes, and all Americans are harmed when any of us is treated differently under the law. Still, millions of Californians voted to support the right of same-sex couples to marry. The continuing movement in public opinion toward support of the freedom to marry and equality for all underscores that it is only a matter of time before Californians undo this misstep. Meanwhile other states will move forward to marriage equality in the months and years ahead, sooner than some think, and the broad chorus of voices, gay and non-gay, who spoke up for the freedom to marry and equality for all will continue to swell.

Together, we put together the largest volunteer and grassroots network of any campaign other than a presidential campaign. Together, we spoke to our families, our friends, our neighbors and co-workers. Together, we reached outside of our community to build coalitions that will strengthen us all. Together, we raised more money for this fight, in a shorter time, than anyone believed possible. Thank you.

At the same time, COLAGE stands in solidarity with and in celebration of the thousands of gay, lesbian, and queer couples who have chosen the rights and responsibilities of marriage in recent months. Among them are many COLAGE families including our own Executive Director, Beth Teper and her wife Anna Wolitzky. Additionally we honor the thousands of individuals and families who have dedicated their time, money and resources to this campaign.

We also have learned that the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a writ petition before the California Supreme Court today urging the court to invalidate Proposition 8 if it passes. The petition charges that Proposition 8 is invalid because the initiative process was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution's core commitment to equality for everyone by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group - lesbian and gay Californians. Proposition 8 also improperly attempts to prevent the courts from exercising their essential constitutional role of protecting the equal protection rights of minorities. According to the California Constitution, such radical changes to the organizing principles of state government cannot be made by simple majority vote through the initiative process, but instead must, at a minimum, go through the state legislature first. The lawsuit was filed today in the California Supreme Court on behalf of Equality California and 6 same-sex couples who did not marry before Tuesday's election but would like to be able to marry now. COLAGE will keep our constituents updated as we learn more about this potential court case.

In the coming days and weeks, we would love to hear from you about your thoughts and dreams following Election Day 2008. Share your vision for the change that is possible. And share your disappointment that homophobia and transphobia, fear and misinformation, remain factors when faced with ballot initiatives about our rights. It is our honor to work with all of you in creating this vibrant movement of children, youth and adults with LGBTQ parents.

Watch the final video for No on 8 Nov 3 08

You can still donate to help keep this ad on the air through tonight and tomorrow! Thanks!