Maybe It Truly Does Get Better?

Long Beach is the seventh most populous city in California. It's a city that's near & dear to us because it's adjacent to our original homeland "Behind the Orange Curtain". And pretty soon, Long Beach will have a new Mayor.

His name is Robert Garcia. He came to America with his parents from Peru when he was five. He's an adjunct professor at USC, and he's already been serving as Vice Mayor on the Long Beach City Council.

Robert Garcia will be Long Beach's youngest Mayor. He will be Long Beach's first Latin@ Mayor. Oh, and he will also be Long Beach's first openly gay Mayor.



Once upon a time, prominent and proud LGBTQ elected leaders were unimaginable. Now, they're all across the nation. And yes, that even includes Nevada. Assembly Member Andrew Martin (D-Enterprise) is running for Nevada State Controller. Assembly Member James Healey (D-Enterprise) is running for reelection. And State Senators David Parks (D-Paradise), Pat Spearman (D-North Las Vegas), and Kelvin Atkinson (D-North Las Vegas) will be returning to the Nevada Legislature (as they were all elected in 2012).

Once upon a time, the closet was the only acceptable place for LGBTQ Americans. Marriage equality was "radical". "The Gay Plague" was "just punishment". And pride parades were revolutionary acts.



Oh, how times have changed. Now, high school principals come out to their students. Out soccer, football, and basketball players are welcomed into the league. And Time Magazine is beginning to show our entire community the respect we deserve.

And of course, Long Beach will soon have an out Mayor. And Nevada will likely have several out legislators in Carson City next year. Maybe we'll even soon have our first out statewide elected official?

As we documented earlier this week, there are still more challenges ahead of us. We don't yet have full equality. We still have further to go.

But at least now, we're on our way. At least now, we know that it truly does get better. And that's something we can all celebrate with pride this month.

The Journey Continues.

Yesterday, we saw history made. Even though the US Supreme Court did not "go full throttle" to endorse nationwide LGBTQ equality, civil rights did advance in a big way with the scrapping of DOMA Section 3 and invalidation of California's Prop 8 marriage ban. And even though the rulings don't directly (legally) affect most Nevada families, Southern Nevada's LGBTQ community nonetheless found reason to celebrate the historic occasion at The Center.





And there were a number of special guests stopping by to celebrate with the community. Several Nevada legislators spoke, including State Senator Justin Jones (D-Enterprise). He came with his brother-in-law, and reminded the audience of the many reasons why today's rulings and the ongoing effort for SJR 13 matter.



And that wasn't all. Several other legislators spoke, including the sole Assembly Republican to cross the aisle to support SJR 13. And not only that, but Assembly Member Michele Fiore (R-Las Vegas) took to the stage with her mother! Now that's what I call real family values.



We saw many poignant moments at The Center yesterday. It was particularly moving to see longtime community advocates take the stage to take in what had just occurred. After all, they remember the (not so) long ago days when queer folk had to fight like hell just for the right to exist.





Long before Assembly Member James Healey (D-Enterprise) and State Senator David Parks (D-Paradise) were elected to serve in Carson City, they were fighting for equality. Obviously, they've never stopped doing so. And they certainly had something to say about it yesterday.





And so did Senator Pat Spearman (D-North Las Vegas), as she's also been working on this for some time.



As we discussed yesterday, this was a long time coming. Yet with that being said, we still have a long way to go to reach full equality in Nevada and nationwide.

There were many reasons to celebrate yesterday. Overall, the nation inched ever so closer in the direction of full equality. And for LGBTQ families in California, the long and harrowing nightmare of Prop 8 finally began coming to a close.

I should know. After Prop 8 first passed, I fell into incredibly deep depression. It took days for me to leave the house again. But ultimately, I had to pick myself up and realize what needed to be done next.

In many ways, what happened yesterday felt like closure to me. Finally, that horrifying nightmare was over. Finally, I felt more human again. Finally, I felt more equal again.

However, this journey is still far from over. There's still more to be done here in Nevada, and all the speakers at The Center yesterday reinforced that message. Relief and jubilation were quite palpable in that very hot parking lot, but so was the drive to continue the journey to full equality.

Some on that stage yesterday had to fight a number of political obstacles to advance LGBTQ civil rights in Carson City. Many in the crowd have had to overcome intense bigotry and discrimination to reach The Center and its very hot parking lot. There's been plenty of progress over the years, and yesterday marked another promising milestone of progress. Yet today, the journey continues. This story isn't finished just yet for us.

A New, Fabulous Beginning

Today has been quite the day. Right on the heels of the Minnesota House of Representatives passing marriage equality legislation, the Nevada Assembly took on SJR 13. And already, its committee hearing rivals the Senate committee meeting in its historic value.

And yet again tonight, I'm thinking of wise words from my favorite philosopher.



Original SJR 13 Assembly sponsor Elliot Anderson (D-Paradise) kicked it off with a real zinger.

PLANevada: "More important than rights, is love" -- Assm Anderson #SJR13 #nvleg

Out Assembly Member James Healey (D-Enterprise) was also on hand to give an impressive encore

MackWarrenTV: @james4assembly"We have a right to change our minds-that's the beauty of this country" Healy's pushing for repeal of gay marriage ban #SJR13

Yet so far, the biggest surprise tonight has been... Another out of the closet moment. And yes, this one was another big surprise. Here's the bomb Assembly Member Michelle Fiore (R-Las Vegas) dropped on the Assembly Legislative Operations & Elections Committee yesterday.

MackWarrenTV: @VoteFiore "My mom is gay." Fiore wants to give her mother the gift of marriage in return for her upbringing. #SJR13 #nvleg

Was any one expecting this? It wasn't even until last night when I heard someone suggest Assembly Member Fiore was a "potential swing vote" on SJR 13. It turns out that she's not a swing vote... She's already planning to vote for marriage equality. And she wants to give her mom something special in time for Mother's Day.

And then, there was this. When was the last time labor and management showed this much solidarity?

bobfulkerson: Great to see @ydc226, MGM Resorts, and Caesars Entertainment speaking out in favor of Marriage Equality. @SEIU1107 also in support! #NVLeg

I can't help but think of what Bob Coffin said at Stonewall last night. We've reached the tipping point. Conservatives, business minded folks, labor activists, immigrant rights activists, faith leaders, progressive leaders, queer families, straight allies, and many more all recognize it. This is the beginning... Of something absolutely fabulous.

Oh, and speaking of absolutely fabulous.

PPSouthernNV: RT @PLANevada: Shout out to @DREAMBigVegas for being here w/their parents to support #SJR13 #TimeIsNow #nvleg

Indeed, this is the beginning.

His Testimony, Her Gavel, Their Decision, Our Families

So Easter is tomorrow. This is our big family holiday of the spring. It has us all thinking about family.

This past week has been especially important for LGBTQ families. In Washington, all eyes were on the US Supreme Court as the DOMA and Prop 8 cases faced oral arguments. And in Carson City, SJR 13 finally had its hearing in the Nevada Legislature.





As mentioned Tuesday, there was an abundance of powerful testimony during the hearing in the Senate Legislative Operations & Elections Committee. One who certainly couldn't be ignored was Assembly Member James Healey (D-Enterprise). Healey not only discussed the merits of the bill, but his own family experience and his own life's journey as an out gay man in Nevada.

You just have to see and listen to this to believe it. So watch it below.







By the end of James Healey's testimony, many in the room were on the edge of their seats. And this, along with Senator Ben Kieckhefer's (R-Reno) surprising and incredibly strong endorsement of SJR 13 and marriage equality, set the tone for the rest of the day. And what a day Tuesday was!

Later in that hearing, prominent anti-equality trolls Richard Ziser and Janine Hansen tried to spin away everything that had just occurred... As well as the huge shift in public support for marriage equality in recent years. When Ziser went too far in playing fast & loose with facts & figures, Senator & Committee Chair Pat Spearman (D-North Las Vegas) delivered a stunning rebuke. In a measured response that helped preserve decorum, she just asked him to provide real evidence for his lofty claims.





Yet in just doing that, it was another ground breaking moment. Who thought the day would ever come when an out lesbian African-American State Senator would check Richard Ziser?! It finally happened on Tuesday. And Nevada history HERstory was made.



At some point, we'll all be thinking about family this weekend. On Tuesday, Nevada's LGBTQ families finally had a chance to tell the Nevada Legislature about their experiences and explain why civil marriage equality is so important. It's certainly an experience that I will never forget.

SJR 13 Introduced to Repeal Question 2 Marriage Ban

As of late, we've mainly been discussing how marriage equality may come to Nevada soon via a favorable result in the Sevcik v. Sandoval law suit now pending in the Ninth Circuit (Federal) Court of Appeals in San Francisco. Perhaps we won't even have to wait that long. Depending on how the US Supreme Court resolves Perry v. Hollingsworth (the California Prop 8 law suit), marriage equality may come to Nevada as soon as this summer.

Yet even as we await final verdicts on the Perry and Sevcik cases, some in Carson City are not. Rather, they're bringing forward SJR 13, a constitutional amendment to repeal the Question 2 marriage ban. This process will take a while, but it's another possible route to equality that's ready just in case "The Supremes" issue a Perry ruling that doesn't knock out the Question 2 marriage ban this year.

SJR13 was introduced Monday by Democratic Sen. Tick Segerblom of Las Vegas.

In 2000 and 2002. Nevada voters approved the “Protection of Marriage Act” defining marriage as between a man and woman. But some recent polls show sentiment in Nevada for same sex marriage has changed, with many voters supporting it.

The resolution introduced Monday would have to be approved by lawmakers this year and again in 2015 before going to voters in 2016 for ratification.

If the provision is repealed, lawmakers could then legalize same sex marriage through statute in 2017.

So SJR 13 must be passed by the Nevada Legislature this session, then again during the 78th session in 2015. Then if passed both times, voters will weigh in 2016. Then if voters pass it, #NVLeg can then pass marriage equality by simple statute in the 79th session in 2017. So this is a multi-step process that spans 3 #NVLeg session and 2 elections, 1 of which may very well have this on the ballot, but ultimately it leads to popular approval of marriage equality.

Tick Segerblom has been hinting at this since last May, and it's now finally here. Out LGBTQ Senators David Parks (D-Paradise) and Pat Spearman (D-North Las Vegas) are co-sponsoring SJR 13, along with allies (Senate Majority Leader) Mo Denis (D-North Las Vegas), Ruben Kihuen (D-Las Vegas), Joyce Woodhouse (D-Henderson), and Mark Manendo (D-Paradise). Meanwhile, Eliot Anderson (D-Paradise) is leading the charge for SJR 13 in the Assembly along with out LGBTQ Assembly Members James Healey (D-Enterprise) & Andrew Martin (D-Enterprise), as well as allies James Ohrenschall (D-Sunrise Manor), Paul Aizley (D-Paradise), Joe Hogan (D-Las Vegas), and Heidi Swank (D-Paradise).

Wait, do you notice something above? Interesting. All the SJR 13 sponsors have (D) next to their names. Where are the Republicans? They must be "coming out" soon... But I guess it will take some effort to make this bill bipartisan. After all, this is the perfect opportunity for #NVLeg Republicans to highlight their "moderation".

And SJR 13 provides a new opportunity for Nevada to undo the damage of Question 2. We know our economy stands to benefit from full civil marriage equality. And the LGBTQ families of Nevada have certainly been waiting some time for full legal equality. The time has come. It's now just a matter of how and when it arrives.