The Shadows

Please pardon the lighting in our photos and videos below. The lighting wasn't great at the theater. It felt like we were all caught in the shadows.

In a way, it was actually quite fitting. We had all just seen "Documented". Last night, PLAN hosted a screening at Town Square of Jose Antonio Vargas' autobiographical documentary.

When he was 12, Jose Antonio Vargas was flown to America. He moved in with his grandparents. He was excelling in school. He was integrating into American society.

But when he attempted to obtain a driver's license 4 years later, he discovered a terrible secret. It just happens to be the same secret 11 million other Americans have had to grapple with. It's a secret we prefer to keep in the shadows, even though it's perhaps one of the nation's worst kept secrets.





Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. He's worked for such prestigious institutions as The Washington Post and Huffington Post. Yet because he's undocumented, politicians like Mitt Romney want him to "self-deport" and "wait in line" for 18 years or longer for something that would likely never come to pass.

After the screening, local immigrants shared their stories. Blanca is about to earn her second bachelor's degree at UNLV, and she's about to start law school. Rafi is already an accomplished organizer, and he's about to earn his bachelor's in psychology at UNLV. Both have lived in Nevada since they were babies. Yet because they came here undocumented, politicians like Rep. Joe Heck (R-Flip-flop) claim they're being "bullied into amnesty" as Americans like Blanca & Rafi simply ask for a chance to succeed in the place they call home.



G-O-TEA politicians like Steve King (R-Crazy) have engaged in demagoguery in their effort to kill comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). They've succeeded in convincing House Speaker John Boehner (R-Coward) to suffocate the bipartisan CIR legislation that the Senate passed nearly a year ago. However, they haven't succeeded in scaring all immigrants back into the shadows. These Americans are sick & tired of the craven games being played on Capitol Hill, and they're simply asking for a chance to stay out of the shadows for good.



A number of G-O-TEA politicians like to talk about "family values". Yet while they talk about "family values", they continue voting to break up millions of American families. They continue threatening American families who simply want to come out of the shadows and live normal lives.

Jared wants a normal life for his family. He just wants to stay with his mother. Why should we force them into the shadows just to try to avoid being torn apart?



11 million Americans have had to endure living in the shadows just survive. Even as they've gone onto build successful careers and strong families, they've had to stay in the shadows to avoid revealing a dangerous secret. Must we continue trying to keep this secret that's already spilled? Must we continue shoving people into the shadows to avoid confronting our own truth? Or is it time to dispense of the shadows, let go of the secret, and finally let these 11 million Americans come into the light?

27.

27. That now looks to be the magic number. House Democratic leaders need 27 more signatures on their HR 15 discharge petition. Once they reach 218, they can secure a floor vote for comprehensive immigration reform (CIR).

27. That's the number that can make a huge difference for families like Astrid Silva's and Bryan Rivera's.



27. If Rep. Joe Heck (R-????) and 26 other House Republicans simply sign the petition for something they've already claimed to support, CIR can finally pass the House. And since most House members have already said they support CIR in theory, it shouldn't be so hard to put it into practice.

So why has it been so hard? Well, why has it been so hard for the "Republican establishment" to muzzle the likes of Rand Paul? Why has it been so hard for the "establishment" to steer the 21st Century Know Nothings away from the siren songs of Laura Ingraham? Why has it been so hard for House Republican "leaders" to stand up for their own "principles for immigration reform"?

Short answer: They don't want to meet the same fate that's run right into Jeb Bush's 2016 campaign plans.



Longer answer: It's easier for G-O-TEA politicians to pander to the Culture Warrior Id than it is for them to publicly challenge this id. So they either keep quiet on CIR, or they flat out reject any real option for CIR. They'd rather placate their "TEA" powered base and hoodwink all the rest of us with "Republican rebranding" than make any real effort to become more compatible with 21st century America.

This is why CIR has been left to die in the House by Republican "leaders" in that chamber. They're too afraid of their own base.

Yet with that being said, this doesn't mean CIR must die. This doesn't mean that individual House Republicans have no choice but leave CIR to die on the "TEA" poisoned vine.

All HR 15 needs is 27 more House members to sign that discharge petition. And the 30 or so House Republicans who have been asked to sign the discharge petition should look at it this way: 27 may ultimately be the number that determines the future national viability of their Republican Party. Do they really want to be one of the 27 who stands in way of not only keeping American families together, but also keeping the Republican Party as an integral force in America's political system?

27. That's all HR 15 needs for a House floor vote. So why won't House Republicans just release 27 members from their caucus in order to save not just CIR, but also their own party?

Tenemos un Sueño (DREAM).

This week, we're remembering the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and the historic March on Washington where he delivered it. Much has been accomplished since then. And there's still more to do now.

And it spans far beyond what some media pundits traditionally consider "civil rights". Case in point: comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). Millions of American families have been torn apart, millions of workers have been exploited, and many communities have been full of strife. And it's all due to (the lack of) nine digits.



So is there a chance to finally change this for good? Maybe. Nearly two weeks ago, Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) met and prayed with immigrant rights activists. And while he had some encouraging words at his town hall last week, he wouldn't commit to backing those words with concrete action.

And why is that? Oh, he and other House Republicans still fear their 21st Century Know Nothing base. Never mind that a growing number of Republicans are urging their own party to shape up and pass CIR. Far too many in the G-O-TEA are too busy fawning over racist rodeo clowns and pandering to their base to do anything serious on immigration reform.

But as we've discussed before, it doesn't have to be this way. Republicans like Rep. Heck can do something truly bipartisan and get a real CIR bill to the House floor. There are real people suffering under the status quo. No one will actually suffer if CIR is brought to the House floor.

Fifty years ago, Dr. King had a DREAM. And now, the DREAMers and other immigrant rights activists continue to remind us of this. Will Congress be able to drop the petty politicking for long enough to realize this?

One Heck of a Meeting

Today, we're seeing another office visit. Once again, Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) was greeted by DREAM Big Vegas. And this time, they came ready to pray.

And that wasn't all. There was another twist. This time, Rep. Joe Heck came down to pray and speak with the activists.





Denice, Victoria, Chris, and Juan all shared their own personal stories with Rep. Heck. Denice's husband can no longer visit his family in Mexico. Neither can Victoria, as she was separated from her mother when she was only eight.

Chris and Juan then explained to Rep. Heck how DACA has allowed them to actually work and live their lives without (as much) fear. Maybe this is why he's been changing his tune on the DREAM Act?








(Stay tuned here for video coming soon.)

Astrid was not even expecting this. It was a pleasant surprise that Rep. Heck came out to speak with the activists. At least there was dialogue today.

Perhaps it can continue...

Can't Ignore Them Forever

As Congress is about to break for August Recess, the fate of comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) is very much in doubt. Even though the Senate passed S 744 in June, House G-O-TEA "leaders" are letting Rep. Steve King (R-Crazytown) and Groundswell call the shots on killing CIR. Congress is about to go to August Recess, and the House hasn't passed any companion CIR legislation. Instead, the House voted in June to deport DREAMers.

This is why immigrant rights activists from across the nation descended upon Capitol Hill this week. And not only that, but 40 of those activists were arrested yesterday. Those arrested included PLAN State Director Bob Fulkerson and PLAN Board Chair Theresa Navarro.

As Navarro was arrested by Capitol police she said, "I'm here because I work with families every day who are hiding in the shadows...and their children are scared to even go to school because they're afraid their parents might be deported." [...]

America deserves a vote on immigration reform with a path to citizenship. Right now, if House leaders scheduled a vote on reform with a new roadmap to citizenship, a bipartisan majority of members in the House would vote for it. Part of democracy is letting the majority will express itself--not just Rep King's hysterically anti-immigrant caucus. It’s up to House Republican leaders – Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader Cantor, and Majority Whip McCarthy – to do just that. [...]

Our movement is strong and getting stronger everyday. The support for reform comes from across the country and across the political spectrum. Our movement is comprised of immigrant, ethnic, labor, business, youth, and of course progressive groups. We will not stop until immigration reform is enacted. We believe that America works best when the “them” become “us” so that we are stronger.

We've seen plenty of letters written and delivered. We've had plenty of office visits. We've even heard plenty of pleasing sounding rhetoric. Yet now, just as Congress is about to go recess, House G-O-TEA "leaders" want to make sure Rep. Joe Heck and the rest of their members don't vote on CIR.

So now, activists are speaking up and getting loud. They won't let the House G-O-TEA get away with ignoring them and ignoring the will of the American people. They can't ignore the rest of the country forever.

This state and this nation stand to benefit from passage of CIR. Yet because the G-O-TEA faction cares more about ideological "purity" than doing what's best for this nation, we're stuck in this rut. However, we won't be stuck here forever. They can't ignore reality forever.

The DREAM & The Id

Every so often, I'm asked why I'm so hard on the 21st Century Know Nothings. Why am I always "calling names" and "being mean"? If you really want to know why, it's not difficult to figure out.

Here, I'll let 21st Century Know Nothing folk hero Steve King (R-Iowa) explain.

“There are kids that were brought into this country by their parents unknowing they were breaking the law. And they will say to me and others who defend the rule of law, ‘We have to do something about the 11 million. Some of them are valedictorians.’ Well, my answer to that is…it’s true in some cases, but they aren’t all valedictorians. They weren’t all brought in by their parents. For every one who’s a valedictorian, there’s another 100 out there who weigh 130 pounds and they’ve got calves the size of cantaloupes because they’re hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert. Those people would be legalized with the same act.”

King also said during the interview that there were people in his state who were advocating for immigration reform because they depended upon cheap, illegal labor. “What they really, of course, mean is amnesty,” he said, “and then they will tell me, ‘I need someone to gather my eggs,’ or ‘I need someone to harvest the hogs, I need somebody to milk my cows.’”

He continued, “These are arguments that get weighed in with all of this, but there are many businesses in the state and in the country that were developed and evolved into the business they are today because of the anticipation of having cheap, illegal labor standing there ready to take those jobs.”

This is not the first time King has shown public disdain for undocumented immigrants. Last month, he tweeted about “brazen self professed illegal aliens” at his Washington, D.C., office and, earlier this year, advocated for an electrified fence along the border between the U.S. and Mexico.

And of course, Rep. King also has a penchant for comparing immigrants to dogs. So there's that.

Occasionally, Congressional G-O-TEA "leaders" try to spin this away and find silly excuses for this extreme rhetoric. They fail to actually make it go away because they match this extreme rhetoric with extreme legislation (like the recent amendment to deport DREAMers that passed the house on a mostly party line vote).

But now, all of a sudden, we're supposed to believe them and their "KIDS Act". Earlier today, PLAN called BS on this nightmare for DREAMers and their families.

“We have a serious crisis with our broken immigration system, and instead of addressing it in a comprehensive manner, Congressman Joe Heck and his colleagues are offering a crumb to some DREAMers and deportation for the rest,” said Astrid Silva, immigration organizer with the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada and co-founder of DREAM Big Vegas, an organization of and for undocumented youth known as DREAMers.

Congressman Joe Heck and members of Congress proposing the so-called “KIDS” Act are some of the same politicians who killed the DREAM Act in 2010, opposed deferred action for DREAMers to prevent them from deportation in 2012, and then voted to defund that initiative. [...]

On Monday, United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the nation, came out against this thinly-veiled attempt by House leaders to give their party political cover on the issue of immigration without presenting any serious solutions. PLAN agrees with United We Dream and rejects any proposal that puts millions of Latinos, Asians, and immigrants into a permanent underclass or excludes them from a pathway to citizenship.

Silva said, “House Republicans like Congressman Heck have a choice before them: deliver a real solution on immigration and start to rebuild their political brand with the fastest growing demographic in the country, or step further and further away from mainstream America and the Latino and immigrant community with extreme proposals that fall short of a real, long-term solution. Voters want immigration reform with a path to citizenship. It would be a positive step forward for the economy and our country."

As usual, Rep. Joe Heck (R-Superficial) wants to look "moderate" while voting "tea party". So of course, he's jumping onto this bill to try to have it both ways.

And of course, he hasn't said a peep on Rep. Steve King's outlandish new comments. Because of course, what Rep. King says speaks to the 21st Century Know Nothing id. And he & other G-O-TEA politicians long ago decided to pander to that 21st Century Know Nothing id instead of challenging it.

Of course, House Republicans don't like to hear this. Why must immigrant rights activists "call names" and "be mean"? Never mind that they're not the ones calling immigrants "dogs" and refusing to pass legislation that already passed the Senate on a bipartisan vote last month. And they've yet to repudiate Steve King and his latest round of bigoted insani-TEA.

Could this be due to their fear of admitting they don't have the ego or super-ego to reign in their "TEA" tinged id?

Signs & Letters

Last week, I noticed something quite fascinating. While we here have known Astrid Silva and her amazing work for some time, the LA Times finally noticed what she's been up to here in Nevada. And they noticed her interesting "pen pal".

A lover of old movies and the way notes were passed during an earlier era, Silva thought the majority leader, being older, might feel the same way. She wrote her first letter. Then another. And another."I ... have never even stolen a piece of gum from a 7-11, yet I feel as though my forehead says 'FELON.' I long for the day when that stigma will be gone and I can make my parents sacrifices worth it and be an asset to MY country."

As Silva became known around party headquarters, she was asked to introduce the senator at a public event. She was making her way off the stage when he told the audience she was one of his favorite Dreamers. She stopped cold. Reid had just unintentionally outed her as being here illegally.

Her mother became worried that the family would face trouble with the authorities. Her dad took another view. "You have to face it at some point. Just go forward," he told her.

Silva gathered her friends and they formed a Dreamers group, Dream Big Vegas. Every chance she found to put a note into Reid's hand on his visits home, she did.
She realizes how odd she must have seemed to the senator she started calling "abuelito," grandpa.

Astrid and her continuing letters inspired Senator Harry Reid (D-Searchlight) to deliver this moving speech on the Senate floor late last month.



And that's not all. Over the course of time, Senator Reid listened to even more immigrants' stories. And he realized just how serious of a problem this is. He realized the consequences of forcing these people to live life in the shadows of society.



Senator Reid and many of the other US Senators who have been working hard on comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) have been doing so because they've realized the real, human toll of inaction. They know who will pay the price of Congress' failure to act. They know the families who will suffer if CIR falls apart (again) soon.

Yet despite all this, Rep. Joe Heck (R-??!!) doesn't seem to care. The US Senate already passed S 744. Keep this in mind as Rep. Joe Heck attempts to whitewash the House G-O-TEA plan to kill the bill (S 744) by letting the Senate CIR bill languish as the House G-O-TEA clan cherry-picks draconian (and expensive) "border security" provisions to play with.

Just as the Senate completed its long process of passing CIR, the House G-O-TEA gang don't seem to care about any kind of rational governance. Instead, they're looking for a pretty face to cover their ghoulish agenda. As others worry about the human implications of CIR policy, they're only finessing the politics of continual obstruction.



So what will it take for Rep. Heck and other House Republicans to notice their politics is toxic beyond the realm of the G-O-TEA? Last month's Harper poll found that 71% of Nevadans support the principles of S 744. On top of this, a new PPP poll specifically shows that 40% of NV-03 voters are less likely to vote for Rep. Heck if he stands against CIR. Oh, and the latest national Gallup poll shows more Americans favor the Democrats' CIR agenda than what most Republicans are advocating.

Republicans ignore the signs at their own political peril. It remains to be seen if Rep. Heck will have to learn this lesson the hard way. He can only keep living in the past for so much longer before reality bites.

It's just tragic that he and too many other House Republicans fail to notice the letters of Astrid and so many other Americans who are hurt by the failed status quo of our immigration system. They are ultimately the ones who matter most here. And their letters can't be ignored forever, either.

Excusas, Excusas...

This spring, we've been keeping close tabs on Congress to see what happens on comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). We've seen a budding bipartisan consensus develop on this issue. Yet at the same time, we've also seen a growing "tea party" campaign to kill the bill.

Long story short: It's complicated. Fortunately, Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Courage) and community organizer superstar Astrid Silva went on "Ralston Reports" to sort it out.



They will both be part of today's May Day rally in Downtown Las Vegas, along with Senator Harry Reid (D-Searchlight, B****) himself. So far, hopes have been high for CIR. But again, the G-O-TEA is quickly causing problems.

But in Washington, uncertainty hangs over the immigration debate. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who helped craft a bipartisan bill on comprehensive reform, said the Gang of Eight proposal "probably can't pass the House." Appearing on a conservative radio show, the senator added that his bill "will have to be adjusted," which may come as a surprise to some of his colleagues, who've been cautiously optimistic about the legislation's chances.

Complicating matters further, Roll Call reports that a House working group tackling immigration policy "is mulling a proposal that involves 'self-deportation' as part of a strategy to make a comprehensive overhaul acceptable to conservatives." [...]

By all accounts, House Republicans hope to win the immigration debate by stretching it out as long as possible. If the Senate passes a comprehensive, bipartisan bill, the lower chamber won't just kill it immediately, but rather, will prolong the process. GOP officials think they can keep this going for months -- holding a series of hearings, sending it to a variety of committees, considering elements of the proposal piecemeal, etc.

But party leaders are acutely aware of the dangers of delays -- the more time elapses, the more Republican lawmakers and activists are able to say offensive things that defeats the purpose of the underlying work.

This is not speculative; we already have ample evidence. One House Republican recently argued that al Qaeda is training its members to go to Mexico, immigrate to the U.S., and "act like Hispanic [sic] when they are radical Islamists." Another House Republican recently used the word "wetback," and had no idea why anyone would consider his choice of words problematic.

No, really. They're going there. And on top of that, they've found a new objection. And of course, it involves "TEH GAYZZZ!!!!!!111111!!!!!!!1111111!"

Oh, joy.

Sen. Jeff Flake [R-Arizona] — a Republican member ofthe Gang of Eight who also is on the Judiciary Committee — put the issue front and centerin a statement provided to BuzzFeed. "There's a reason that thislanguage wasn't included in the Gang of Eight's bill — it's a deal breaker for most Republicans. Finding consensus on immigration legislation is tough enough without opening the bill up to social issues," Flake said in the statement.

Ifthe provision ends up being added into the bill, Republicans could be given an attempt to remove the provision on the floor, but it almost definitely would fail. At that point, the question would be whether Senate Republicans otherwise inclined to vote for the bill would be willing to give up those political gains in order to eliminate the potential for a gay-rights gain in the immigration reform bill.

Even if included in the Senate bill, the measure likely would not find its way into any House version ofimmigration reform, which would either lead to a conference committee ora situation similar to that faced by the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization, when House Republicans balked at a more inclusive Senate version in the last session of Congress but relented and passed the Senate version earlier this year.

But [Senator Richard] Blumenthal [D-Connecticut] dismissed that notion that the same-sex provisions could end up being a deal breaker. "There's no justification for that result. My hope is that Republicans who may be talking about this provision being a deal breaker will reconsider," Blumenthal said.

Various Republicans are now huffing and puffing over Senator Patrick Leahy's (D-Vermont) decision to introduce the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) as an amendment to the Gang of 8 CIR bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee. "Why put TEH GAYZZZ in our immigration bill?! Ewww, gay cooties!!!"

Never mind that a Republican former Member of Congress has pleaded for UAFA's inclusion in CIR legislation. And never mind that Senator Leahy already has a Republican co-sponsor in Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine)! No, because a few other Senate Republicans catch the vapors whenever the words "gay", "lesbian", "transgender", and/or "bisexual" are uttered, entire families must suffer continued unnecessary hardship. Oh yes, this makes plenty of sense. (/snark)

Let's face it: Several Republicans who had been showing openness to CIR are now looking for excuses to join the "tea party" "KILL THE BILL!!!" campaign. So they're talking about "TER'RIS!" And they're screaming over "TEH GAYZZZ!!!" And they'll probably soon nitpick over the cost... Despite the fact that their border security demands are the reason for the very costs of the bill!

I've said this before. And I'll say it again now. Watch Senator Dean Heller (R-46%). Watch him very closely. As goes Heller, likely so goes the fate of CIR this Congress. Will he (again) find an excuse to join the "tea party"? Or will he finally do the right thing?

Joe Heck Plays Ball on CIR

Last week, we took a closer look at Republicans struggling to find common ground and common purpose on immigration reform. Last night, Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) tried to carefully "thread the needle" on comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) at his Henderson town hall. He acknowledged receiving plenty of lobby pressure by the extreme anti-immigrant Numbers USA. And perhaps in tipping his hat to them, he proclaimed his continuing opposition to the great threat of "amnesty" that absolutely no one on Capitol Hill is proposing.

So far, the only major difference between the "Gang of 8" plan that Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) is touting and President Obama's CIR plan that he rolled out here in Southern Nevada late last month is that Obama's plan has more specifics. Perhaps that's why Heck refused to endorse either of the twin CIR proposals last night. However, he also didn't rule out CIR.





And perhaps in the biggest stunner of the night, Heck said he can support the earned citizenship proposal at the heart of both Obama's plan and the "Gang of 8" plan.





Numbers USA wasn't the only group that's been lobbying Heck on immigration. DREAM Big Vegas has been pushing Heck and Senator Dean Heller to support CIR. They've been succeeding with Heller, they found a surprise with Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Carson City), and it now looks like Heck is next. With Heck's CIR announcement last night, there's now the possibility of the entire Nevada Congressional Delegation uniting to support a CIR bill. (All 3 Democrats, Reid, Titus, & Horsford, strongly support CIR.)

Clearly, the changing demographic reality of Nevada and the nation are finally weighing on all of Nevada's Congressional Republicans. In addition, both business and labor in this state and nationally have been calling for CIR for some time as it makes economic sense. It sounds like Joe Heck is now listening.

Yet at the same time, some "tea party" backed Republicans have offered their own anti-CIR plan. And a few top G-O-TEA politicians are even admitting that they just don't want to support anything that Obama supports. So it may still not be easy to get Heck fully on board with CIR, but at least there's now a real possibility.

Keep in Mind: We're Talking About Real People.

Much has been said as of late on the renewed interest in comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) in the 113th Congress. We've heard plenty from politicians on all sides of the issue, but we haven't always heard enough from those most affected by current immigration policy. That changed last night at the Henderson Democratic Club, when Dream Big Vegas' Astrid Silva explained the current debate in Congress... From the perspective of someone who's survived the current immigration system.



While some G-O-TEA Congresscritters keep demanding a permanent underclass or unrealistic mass deportations, others seem to be signaling a willingness to deal on cut some sort of CIR deal. Have any of them actually talked with immigrants about their first-hand experience? That's what I was thinking about as Astrid was speaking.



Last night, Astrid elaborated on what are emerging as the big flash points in Congress' CIR debate: a pathway to citizenship for the 11,000,000 undocumented immigrants in America today, and what to do with binational LGBTQ families. So far, President Obama and Senator Harry Reid have expressed strong support for both. However, some Republicans have been threatening to kill the nascent CIR consensus over one or both policy proposals. Last night, Astrid gave a face and a voice to these immigrants who have so often been dehumanized on Capitol Hill.



This is something important to remember as the CIR debate continues. What will we do to bring these people out of the legal shadows? What will we do to keep families together? What will we do to stop the exploitation of underprivileged workers?

These are not just bargaining chips for Members of Congress. These are real people. And it's important to remember this as we're talking about immigration reform.

Marriage Equality in Nevada? The Fight(s) Ahead.

One of the most surprising developments of 2012 was the swift progress on enacting marriage equality nationwide. One of the pro-marriage developments has actually been happening here in Nevada as Sevcik v. Sandoval is making its way through the federal courts. Yet even as this is happening, some in Carson City don't want to wait for the results of this and other marriage law suits.

Senator Tick Segerblom (D-Las Vegas) will be introducing a constitutional amendment to repeal Question 2. And this was also addressed at PLAN's and ProgressNow's Progressive State of the State event last night. PLAN Action's Astrid Silva endorsed the push for marriage equality... In Spanish.





In addition, Sheila Leslie endorsed the renewed push for marriage equality in English during her speech.



Right now, thousands of Nevada families are being discriminated against. They face greater economic and legal burdens every day. And they face these burdens simply because of who they are & who they love.

There's been a major sea change in public sentiment towards LGBTQ equality both nationally and specifically here in Nevada. Yet despite this, there may still be obstacles to repealing Question 2 and enacting marriage equality by legislation and referendum. Will the bill get enough votes? Will there be law suits blocking it? And if it survives the law suits, will it be able to survive a new public vote in 2016?

Fortunately for equality activists here in Nevada, there's now a road map for success. With marriage enacted by referenda in Maryland, Maine, and Washington (State), and with a marriage ban defeated in Minnesota, last fall, a Nevada marriage campaign can learn from their success and build upon it. Still, it won't be easy. And believe it or not, the biggest challenge here may actually just be getting onto the 2016 ballot. (See above on law suits.)

So there will likely be a two-front effort for marriage equality here in Nevada. The Sevcik law suit (to the Question 2 marriage ban) will continue to chug its way through the courts. And closer to home, Question 2 repeal will be addressed in the 77th session of the Nevada Legislature. Finally, Nevada is becoming proactive in treating our LGBTQ citizens with the equality, the dignity, and the respect that we deserve.