LGBTQ Leaders in Congress Promise Action... By Next Year? They'd Better!

Let's see if they're right this time...

Speaking to an international conference of gay politicians in San Francisco, U.S. Reps. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Jared Polis, D-Colo., said they expect a domestic partner benefits bill to come up for a vote by the end of the year and the employment bill to reach the floor early in 2010.
The lawmakers said they are also confident that the House will include in the annual military spending bill next year a provision to repeal the law that bans gays from serving in the U.S. military. All the measures face a harder time in the Senate following the death of longtime ally Sen. Edward Kennedy, but Baldwin and Polis said they remained optimistic.

“I’m hopeful we will see those three pieces of legislation make it all the way, or damn close,” said Baldwin, who is sponsoring the federal worker domestic partner bill.

Oh, and The White House is chiming in agreement...

Office of Personnel Management director John Berry, the Obama administration’s highest ranking gay appointee, told the conference that the president strongly supports the trio of gay rights measures.

Including transgender workers as part of the legislation to ban job discrimination and lifting the “don’t ask, don’t tell” ban on gay service members may especially meet opposition in Congress, Berry said. But he said that with a Democrat in the White House and Democratic majorities controlling the House and the Senate, victories were “within our grasp.”

“The tide of public opinion is in our favor. The forces of intolerance are on the run. We have a president who has been clear in his support for our community and in his commitment to our equality,” Berry said. “This is the best opportunity we will ever have as a community, and shame on us if we don’t succeed.”

And I guess they have no reason to lie. It's just that we've often heard this before. Just how many times so far this year have we heard these promises?

And what do we have to look at now? A hate crimes bill that's been 10 years overdue?

Now don't get me wrong, action on hate crimes is better than absolutely nothing. It's just that I was really hoping President Obama would do more to prove he was actually "a fierce advocate of equality". Same goes for Democratic leaders in Congress.

OK, OK, so they have their hands full right now. I get that health care is sucking the energy out of everything else right now (even for a bill that always seems on the edge of losing its entire relevance?) and everyone wants to focus on the economy once health care gets passed (even for another pointless TARP bailout?). But hey, what about all the LGBTQ families that are also struggling in this economy?

If anything, our community needs progress on our civil rights now more than ever before. We can't afford the economic inequality of being fired from our jobs, denied health care benefits, and denied all the economic benefits of civil marriage. I know Harry Reid has his hands full in the Senate right now, but I certainly hope he'll remember to take some time to help LGBTQ families in Nevada in our time of need. Same goes for Nancy Pelosi on the House side. If they want our full support in 2010 (and I'm certainly ready to bust my @ss for Reid next year!), they need to show us some real results ASAP.

DC Gets Marriage Equality!

YAY!

Today the D.C. Council voted in favor of marriage equality. In the first of two votes held at noon today in the John A. Wilson Building, the Council voted 11 – 2 to legalize same-sex marriage.

“What a splendid moment this is for all of us,” said Council member Jim Graham (D – Ward 1). “When one of us is denied a right, we are all denied the right.”

With 10 of the 13 council members sponsoring the bill, a favorable outcome was expected. This is the first step in a long road ahead. A second vote will come in two week, and then the bill has 10 days to be approved by Mayor Fenty (D), who has pledged to sign it. The District has limited home rule, meaning Congress has 30 legislative days to reverse any law the Council passes.

“Republicans say it is unlikely they could attract enough Democrats to overturn the law,” according to the Wall Street Journal.

...D.C. has the largest percentage of same-sex couples in the nation, where 1.5 percent of all households comprise same-sex couples. This is more than double the percentage of any other state, according to Our Families Count. A favorable vote, could give more than 3,600 couples the ability to marry.

It's about damned time for this to happen. Now we can finally get married at our nation's capital... And hopefully soon, we'll also see our federal government there actually recognize our marriages.

More Utah News: 69% Supermajority Support LGBT Anti-Discrimination Laws

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Yes, there's really a chance Utah might make an effort to move closer toward the 21st century and stop persecuting its LGBTQ citizens. Let's see if they can FINALLY make it happen next year.

The Bountiful PD Has a Transgender Officer... And Offers Some Hope for More LGBT Supportive Police

I found a great story in today's Salt Lake Tribune, one I wish I could read in the paper more often.

As a child, Kerry Bell dreamed of growing up to become a policeman -- both a police officer and a man.
Becoming a cop was relatively simple -- Bell joined the Bountiful Police Department 14 years ago. Becoming a man took more time.
Born female, Bell came out as transgender about a year and a half ago and started a transition to a new life as a man. He always had felt male, but did not think switching genders was a viable option until he saw transgender people gaining wider acceptance, along with advances in medical technology.
Surprisingly, the 42-year-old -- working in what many perceive as a super-macho culture -- says he did not fret about telling the police chief or his co-workers to start referring to him as "he," not "she."
"I wasn't worried about coming out at work," says Bell, who has had hormone treatments and surgeries. "I've worked for Bountiful for 14 years. I know everybody I work with."
Although some employees have trouble remembering to use masculine pronouns, Bountiful Police Chief Tom Ross says, "everyone's done a great job of accepting Kerry and staying focused on why we're here in the first place."
Bell, a corporal and SWAT member, is a "well-rounded police officer," Ross adds. "We're glad that he works here."

As we've talked about before, transgender people still face horrible burdens of discrimination. It's worse here in Nevada where our state anti-discrimination laws don't cover gender identity, and even worse in Utah where their state has no anti-LGBT-inclusive discrimination laws whatsoever. So it's really encouraging to see more LGBT police officers come out in Utah and serve proudly.

And honestly, it's good to see more police departments forge good relationships with the community for a change.

That many LGBT officers now serve openly at several Utah law-enforcement agencies speaks volumes to how far society has progressed, says Salt Lake City Capt. Kyle Jones, a founding member of the [LGBT Public Safety Committee].
"Twenty years ago, they wouldn't have been [welcome]," says Jones, who was inspired to get involved with the LGBT community after his son came out as gay. "The current crop of officers, by and large, don't give it a second thought."
Jones, along with other committee members, recruits potential new officers at the annual Utah Pride Festival for the Salt Lake City Police Department.
"Our department has tried for years to recruit from the populations that we represent," Jones says. "Anywhere from 8 to 12 percent of [Salt Lake City] is thought to be LGBT so we should have 8 to 12 percent of our cops who are LGBT."

Long before Stonewall, our LGBT community has had a rocky relationship with the cops at best. One need not look further than the recent Fort Worth bar raids and Newport Beach Police homophobia scandal to see that tensions still exist and many queer folk still think they have good reason not to trust the cops.

Hopefully with more LGBT police officers joining the ranks and police departments becoming more accepting of this, the often antagonistic relationship between the police and the community can change. It needs to if our community is to trust the police to be our public servants and keep us safe as well.

Be Thankful for Pro-Equality Leaders in Congress

(Also at Stonewall)

While we have to sometimes deal with some lousy ConservaDems who don't always stand up for equality, let's be thankful this week for those brave progressives in Congress who do. Just FYI...

Dear Andrew, There's been a lot of frustration about the pace of progress over the last few months. Here at Stonewall, we definitely share that frustration. When it comes to equal rights, there's no excuse for delay, and we have high expectations for this Congress. With strong Democratic majorities in both Houses of Congress and a President ready and willing to sign pro-equality legislation, this is a moment that must not be squandered. It's important to hold our elected officials accountable -- we need to continue to push, continue to pressure -- but it's also important to express our appreciation. During this Thanksgiving holiday, we're grateful for the pro-equality Democrats that have taken a strong lead in Congress to get things done for our community. Can you take a minute to sign our Thanksgiving Card to the pro-equality leaders in Congress? Democrats like Representative Patrick Murphy, who has taken a stand to fight for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and Representative John Conyers, who led the charge for passage of the Matthew Shepard Act, deserve our thanks. Click here to sign our Thanksgiving Card to express your appreciation to Representatives Murphy, Conyers, and many more. The more support we show for these Members of Congress, the easier it will be for other Members to join them in their support for our community, our families, our equal rights. Have a wonderful holiday. Sincerely, Michael Mitchell P.S. Thanksgiving is a time for expressing our appreciation. But not everyone's worthy of our thanks. Check out our Thanksgiving "Turkeys" -- the Republicans who have worked hardest against our equality in recent weeks -- at www.stonewalldemocrats.org/thanksgivingturkeys

Transgender Day of Remembrance Tomorrow

If you're in Reno, please join this vigil tomorrow. If you're in Vegas, join the vigil at MCC Las Vegas tomorrow night at 7:00 PM. Otherwise, please take some time out of your busy day tomorrow to remember the many painful losses this year... And remember to take action and demand equality for all of our families and all in our community.

KKKhris Buttars Is Keeping It Klassy in Utah

Even when he considers supporting some LGBT civil rights, he still has to spit in LGBT Utahns' faces. Disgusting.



I guess it's better for us to have Buttars' support on some things than for him to oppose everything, but it's still bone-chilling for him to spew out such bile. It's even worse to see H8-mongers like the Eagle Forum creeps trash-talk like this.



Yep, our queer friends and family next door in Utah are still being brutally discriminated against and it doesn't look likely yet that they'll even get what we have now in Nevada. Sad. I guess this is what our state would look like if it were actually run by Richard Ziser.

BREAKING: Dina Titus to Cosponsor ENDA!

I guess it didn't take us too long to get an answer from my Congresswoman. THOMAS isn't yet noting it (it usually takes a while for the info to get on the web site), but Dina Titus' DC office has assured me that Dina is now a cosponsor of ENDA.

If this proves to be true, this is a major step forward for equality at work. As I said yesterday:

... [I]n order for this bill to break through the delays and gain enough momentum for final passage, HR 3017 needs more cosponsors.

And today, it looks like ENDA will be getting one more cosponsor. As soon as this shows up on THOMAS, let's start thanking Dina for doing the right thing and make sure that we flood the phone lines instead of the H8ful bigots.

Lambda Legal Sues to Reinstate DP Benefits for Arizona State Employees

Check out what's happening across the Colorado from us.

Lambda Legal filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Tucson today to block a move to strip gay and lesbian state employees of domestic partner benefits.

"This is an issue of equal pay for equal work," said Tara Borelli, staff attorney for Lambda Legal. "By stripping away these vital benefits from loyal state employees, the state isn't just paying them less for the same work than their heterosexual colleagues - it's pulling away a vital lifeline that all workers need. This is simply cruel and saves the state next to nothing."

Lambda Legal represents 10 state employees - including from the Arizona Highway Patrol, the State Department of Game and Fish and state universities - who rely on health benefits from their employers to keep their families safe.

Arizona's domestic partner benefits for gay and lesbian public employees were adopted in the fall of 2008 under the leadership of former Governor Janet Napolitano, who left in January 2009 to become Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. This summer Arizona legislators approved a budget bill with a provision revoking the benefits while retaining the comparable health benefits for heterosexual public workers. Current Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed it.

If Lambda is taking this up, then there's a good chance that "Brouhaha Brewer" and the GOoPers in the AZ Legislature violated the law by throwing LGBT public employees under the bus and stripping away their DP benefits while leaving hetero marriage benefits in place. Let's hope Collins v. Brewer succeeds in federal court and sets a much-needed historic precedent in protecting DP benefits at work.

NV-03: Dina Needs to Speak Up on ENDA

Yesterday, news broke that the House Education & Labor Committee has postponed mark-up of ENDA. This means December will be the earliest time we'll see a House floor vote on ENDA, and there's a chance it may not even be until February.

So why should we care so much about ENDA?

For starters, let's talk about our Silver State. While Nevada prohibits workplace discrimination by sexual orientation, our state offers no protections for transgender workers. So if you're trans, you're always at risk of being fired just for being who you are.

And even worse, 29 states offer no anti-discrimination protection on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. And yes, our next-door neighbors Idaho, Utah, and Arizona happen to be 3 of those 29 states.

This is why we should care so much about ENDA... And this is why Rep. Dina Titus (D-Henderson) needs to care as well. She's promised before to vote for it, but she hasn't yet signed on as a cosponsor. And in order for this bill to break through the delays and gain enough momentum for final passage, HR 3017 needs more cosponsors.

This is why Dina needs to hear from us. Please send her an email, call her office, and/or write to her. If you'll be attending Stonewall's Write-in on December 7, we'll have everything ready for you to write Dina and we'll deliver the letter to her district office for you.

Way too many people live at risk every day of losing their job, losing their livelihood, becoming societal outcasts just for being who they are. We can't allow any more of it, and we have the power to get ENDA passed.

Eat Sammy's Pizza. Support Your Local LGBT Community Center. It's a Win-Win!

What have you done lately to support our community? Well, The Center and Sammy's have just the yummy solution! I hope to be seeing you on Thursday. If you'll be at the Green Valley Sammy's, stop by my table and say hi! ;-)

And Conservatives Argue Against "Law Suit Abuse"?

So what the hell do you call this??!!

District Judge David Wall this morning denied a request by some Green Valley High School parents seeking to stop this weekend's performance of "The Laramie Project" and the musical "Rent" early next year.

Both plays have homosexual characters and deal with the theme of tolerance.

The judge ruled that the plays were voluntary for participants and audiences, and that "it's a matter of choice."

"We're ecstatic," said student Amanda Smith, 16, who plays a lead role in "Rent."

Smith said the theater students felt relieved that the plays could go on. She said they feel like they're doing something important.

A handful of parents and students showed up for the court hearing.

So a few "concerned parents" don't like this play... And they waste our tax dollars by filing a law suit to stop it??!! Again, it just goes to show the hypocrisy of the radical right. They whine and moan and scream and complain about "activist judges", then they go to court and demand that judges become "activists" and ignore the law when they don't like it.

Jeez, these plays couldn't come to Henderson at a more appropriate time...

New York, New York?

It's really up to them after all.

New York's Legislature is meeting in extraordinary session to confront a $3.2 billion deficit and possibly hold a landmark vote to provide final legislative approval of same-sex marriage.

However, there were no agreements Monday that were certain to be part of Tuesday's session. [...]

The Senate may also take up a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. Even if the issue comes to a vote, it remains unclear whether 32 senators would give it the support needed.

Adam Bink explains further at Open Left:

Here's the deal. Gov. Paterson has called another special session and asked that marriage equality be put on the agenda. The session starts today. The Assembly has previously passed such legislation and Gov. Paterson will sign the bill. New York does not allow for ballot referenda to enact or overturn laws, so there is very little chance this will be repealed like in Maine and California.

The problem is, the State Senators themselves decide what is on the agenda, not Paterson, and what I'm hearing from a number of sources is that pressure needs to be put on the conference leader, Sen. John Sampson, from State Senators. There are a lot of "Yes" vote Democrats who do not necessarily want to see a vote. Tom Duane, the openly gay Senate sponsor, has said for months that he has the votes, and the problem is getting the leadership to take it up. The reason this needs to happen is if it gets put off until 2010, an election year for State Senators, it is even more likely to not come up for a vote. And in 2011, we might have an anti-equality Republican governor on our hands. So this needs to happen now.

So, if you live in New York State and wouldn't mind helping me and lots of other couples get married, I would sure appreciate it. Empire State Pride Agenda has a neat tool that connects you with your State Senator (you literally don't even have to dial). Fill it out here. Ask that he or she (a) ask Sen. Sampson for a vote on marriage equality (b) to vote in favor.

So if you know folks in The Empire State (and I know you do, since Las Vegas is the 7th NYC borough; everything in Florida south of the Palm Beach County line is the 6th), please ask them to help Empire State Pride Agenda in whipping the 32 State Senate votes necessary to win civil marriagge equality! They won't even have to make the call themselves, as ESPA has everything covered.

I'm sure you're still as bummed out as I am over Maine "trick rolling" us, but here's our chance to get some sweet revenge. The anti-equality wingnuts have tried hard all year to stall and stall and stall away the marriage bill in New York, even though it's very likely we may actually have the votes for passage. But now that Governor Paterson is putting his foot down and demanding a Senate vote, it's now or never to get it done and score the biggest victory yet for LGBT equality.

So please tell your New Yorker friends & family to call their Senators and get the job done! It's up to you, New York, New York!

Washington: It Ain't Over 'Til the Fat Cat Plays Piano... Oh Wait, She IS!

Hehe, it's over! ;-)



And remember: Don't be tardy for the party!





No really, it's over. Stick a fork in it. The good guys won. Hooray for Washington!

Prop H8: Cali Voters Don't Want to Vote on Marriage Next Year, But WILL Vote for Equality This Time

So I guess they're reluctantly coming around? Hey, I'll still take it!

A small majority of California voters supports the right of gay couples to marry, but a much larger portion of voters opposes efforts to place the issue back on the ballot next year, a new Los Angeles Times/USC poll has found.

Views on same-sex marriage were sharply polarized based on political party, with 66% of Democrats thinking it should be legal and 71% of Republicans in opposition. Nonpartisan voters were less enthusiastic than Democrats but still backed it, 59%-34%.

Overall, 51% of California voters favored marriage rights for same-sex couples and 43% were opposed. Strikingly, however, almost 60% of Californians did not want to revisit the issue in 2010, just one election cycle after it last hit the ballot.

So what if they don't want to vote next year! If we have a majority for marriage equality in California, I hope our friends in The Golden State just go for it! After this week's brutal disappointment in Maine, it'd be nice to FINALLY see a state break this 31-0 losing streak and show the rest of the country that growing support for full LGBT equality is real.

So hopefully, this really is a glimmer of hope that California will come around and actually be the first state after all to affirm marriage equality by popular vote. I hope they succeed. :-)

Victory in Washington (So Far) & Hope for Nevada

Well, at least not all the news from last night was bad. Washington looks to be expanding domestic partner rights. If this holds up (and so far the returns and the locations of the remaining uncounted ballots are pointing this way), Washington will be the very first state to approve of relationship recognition rights by popular vote.

In Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a bill in May granting same sex domestic partners all the rights of married couples. That same month conservative interests announced they would attempt to overturn the new law and enough signatures were collected enough to place R-71 on the November ballot.

Gay rights supporters were not ready to declare victory Tuesday night.

"We are hopeful, but we are not stupid. We know better than to think we've got this in the can," said said Jody Lane of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "They may be recounting 'til January, for God's sake."

Before the first batch of results came in at 8:15 p.m., supporters laughed as a clip of Stephen Colbert jokingly endorsing Washington's domestic partnership law played on a projector at the Pravda Studios party.

With a bigger crowd by 9:05 p.m., they were still having fun -- but no one was celebrating. "We are really very guardedly optimistic, remembering that a very very large percentage of King County ballots have not been counted," campaign manager Josh Friedes told the crowd.

So far, so good. Washington is on the right path... And here's why it's so important and why we should care about it.

First, the opposition made this about "gay marriage" even though people were actually voting on DPs. They called themselves "Protect Marriage Washington" and warned about how approving R-71 would "put Washington on the path to let teh gayz merry!" Ironically, this proxy war over marriage equality will encourage pro-equality activists to one day go for full civil marriage equality in Washington.

Secondly if the anti-equality forces couldn't muster an off-year election in Washington, what makes them think they can pull a win in Nevada next year with Harry Reid, Rory Reid, and a number of other high-profile races on the ballot? Nevada Democrats have now proven to have a superior turn-out machine than the Republicans, so I doubt voters in a regular general election will be in the appetite to hate on LGBT families just for the sake of hating on them.

And finally, this is truly historic. Again, R-71 in Washington is the first time EVER that voters in any state approved legal relationship recognition. And again, if they can't win in an off-year election like this it gives me hope that 2010 and 2012 won't be so scary for us after all.

And really, I need hope now. The Maine results still scare me. I guess they were just too religious right there... And Obama (again) was hurting us there. Whatever went wrong, hopefully one day it will be made right in Maine.

But at least today, Washington is making baby steps toward equality... And we can breathe a little more easily about Nevada coming along as well.

We Queers Have Been "Trick Rolled"... AGAIN!

The Sun has a good article today on the revived phenomenon of "trick rolling", or prostitutes who promise their "Johns" a good night... Only to drug them unconscious and steal everything they have.

How many people file police reports, after all, when their prostitutes disappoint?

Enough, at least, for Metro vice detectives to determine the problem is getting worse, and assign two detectives to trick roll investigations exclusively. They’ve gotten roughly one case every day this year. In 2007 it was more like one a week.

That increase could have something to do with the economy. Fewer tourists with less money means supply exceeds demand. Prices drop and competition ratchets up for prostitutes, many of whom police say must meet nightly quotas set by pimps. Metro Sgt. Donald Hoier, though, says the problem picked up before the economy fell, simply because Clark County was saturated with sex workers and outlets for illicit entertainment.

When everybody scrambles for the same pool of money, bad seeds take short cuts.

Well, it feels like the Maine's LGBT community was "trick rolled" last night in a way. We thought there was a chance to win marriage equality, but the voters ultimately knocked us out and stole away all our rights. Does this mean I'm calling Maine voters hookers? Or us queer folk "Johns"?

I don't know. I guess I just need some dark humor right now.

It just feels so frustrating. I thought this could be our "penance" for allowing Prop H8 to pass in California. I really thought this could be a new beginning... Yet it feels like the same ol' sad story all over again.

Why do so many heteros get so much sick "joy" out of seeing us hurt? Why is discrimination like this celebrated? Why does it always feel like three steps forward, then two steps back?

I have nightmares of Californication right now. It feels so dark and scary right now...


Annie Lennox - Dark Road (Official Music Video) - More free videos are here

But maybe there's some light at the end of the tunnel that isn't another speeding train. I'm still trying to figure that out. It's another day of pain today, but maybe there will be one day soon when LGBT families will no longer be brutally attacked like this. America can be so cruel and disgusting so often, but somehow we still hold onto hope that one day "liberty and justice for all" will become reality.

Maine: Please Help Defeat H8/Q1 Tomorrow!

If he can do it, why can't you?

Pam has the scary news on the PPP poll showing Yes on 1 ahead 51-47. But even if PPP is wrong and Nate Silver is right about Question 1, it will nonetheless be a close election tomorrow that may ultimately be decided by a handful of votes. If we lose, it will be another devastating defeat for LGBT equality that will continue to hold back progress. But if we win tomorrow, it will truly mean a new beginning as civil rights finally starts to win elections!

So what do you want? Another heartbreaking defeat? Or an encouraging victory?

So please, please, please help defeat Question 1 in Maine! Help make one last ad buy... And/or help make GOTV calls.

I know it seems unfair, but all these Maine families need the permission of their fellow citizens tomorrow to achieve equality.



Let's not screw it up for them. Get on the phone, get on the ActBlue, and don't stop until the polls close tomorrow! I'm quite under the weather today, but it won't stop me from making calls today and tomorrow. So what's your excuse? Let's win this!

Washington: It's Crunch Time to Protect Domestic Partnerships!

Remember that other election happening next Tuesday? You know, the one in Washington? The one where domestic partnerships are up for a popular vote?

Yes, you heard me right. Domestic partnerships are now at risk in Washington. There's only one week left until Election Day, and the time is now to get working to protect Washington's LGBT families!





These are some of the ads now on the air in Washington thanks to our support. And fortunately, they're up just at the right time. The KING 5 poll shows Referendum 71 narrowly ahead 50-43, even though the University of Washington poll shows a stronger 56-39 lead for Approve 71. And even if the actual numbers are more like UW's, we can't just rest on those laurels in an unpredictable low turnout election. And especially if the numbers are more like KING's, then this may be a close election where every vote counts!

Think about it. For many thousands of senior couples and LGBT families, their basic rights and responsibilities are on the line. Their lives will be made far more difficult if R-71 is rejected and domestic partner rights are stripped away. All families deserve equal protection under the law, and Washington families will get something closer to equal protection if R-71 is approved.

Don't these families deserve protection?



Obviously, the anti-equality forces don't. Focus on the Family and NOM are now dumping money into Washington to deceive voters into rejecting R-71. They whine and scream over all of the usual objections to marriage equality... But in this case, it isn't even marriage equality!

Sound familiar? It should! Here in Nevada, our very own "Luv Guv" Gibbons used these same tired and blatantly false "arguments" to try to block final passage of SB 283, Nevada's domestic partnership law. Fortunately he didn't succeed this year, but perpetual homophobe campaigner Richard Ziser is already planning to try again next year. Believe me, what happens in Washington this year will have a profound impact on what happens in Nevada next year and in other states considering similar DP/civil union legislation.

This is why I must ask you one more time to remember all the families in Washington at risk. Please donate what you can to approve R-71 and/or volunteer to call for equality. Our action will really make the difference.

These are the last days for Washingtonians to mail in their ballots. Again, turnout will be critical in determining the fate of domestic partnerships. Let's get R-71 approved in Washington so that families there are protected and all of us in Nevada and elsewhere need not worry about any more radical religious right attacks on our families.

Maine (& Nevada): Why Marriage Matters

OK, so the Yes on H8/Yes on 1 anti-equality forces are now saying they "don't oppose civil rights". Uh-huh. So they just want "equality by another name"?

Not really. After all, why did these same religious right forces fight SB 283 here in Nevada that isn't even marriage?



And by the way, Maine Domestic Partnerships are not even comprehensive like ours in Nevada. They're very limited to only a few medical decisions and property rights. Is this type of third-class (since it isn't even second-class) citizenship what Yes on 1 calls "equality"?

OK, so let's assume some of these Yes on 1 folks are serious about "changing" Maine's domestic partnership law to look more like Nevada's. I did my homework on SB 283, the domestic partner law that's now being practiced here in The Silver State. I did my homework and I know what's in the bill and what isn't. Let me give you the gist of SB 283.

[State Senator and SB 283 author] David Parks wasn't joking when he said that this is NOT marriage. While SB 283 provides for domestic partnerships (DPs) that are supposed to treat "domestic partnered" couples just like married spouses, let's remember that this theory doesn't always work out in practice. So while we celebrate the first major advance in civil rights in Nevada in decades, let's keep working toward the final goal of true civil marriage equality. [...]

But again, we must stress that DPs under SB 283 are not marriage and will not be treated by the federal government as such. Even if you and your partner file for a DP this fall, you will still not be able to file a joint federal tax return. You won't be able to receive any spousal benefits from the military or the VA. You won't be able to sponsor your partner for US citizenship or permanent residency if he/she is a foreign national. Unfortunately, DOMA still applies here as it does across the nation. This is why it's crucial that not only Nevada law change to give our families full equality, but that federal law change as well.

When it comes to federal law, marriage is marriage is marriage. And even if DOMA is repealed soon and same-sex marriages will be recognized by the federal government, comprehensive DPs and civil unions will still not be recognized by the feds and treated as "marriages". So all of us in Nevada will still be left in the cold and so will Mainers if Question 1 passes.

And even worse, comprehensive DPs and civil unions are not even treated equally when it comes to state law. That was the experience in Vermont until marriage equality was legalized there. That's what New Jersey is dealing with in regards to their civil unions. That's what California, Oregon, and Nevada are now facing with DPs. No matter how well intentioned the "separate but equal laws" are, separate is simply never equal.

Marriage equality is important because it gives LGBT families the same equal rights and responsibilities under the law as straight families. And even more so, civil marriage equality gives our families the same respect and dignity they deserve.

And again, I doubt the anti-equality folks will even allow DPs. After all, Richard Ziser is attacking us here in Nevada once again. DPs are under attack in Washington state this year. This is just another excuse for the anti-equality religious right to make LGBT families in Maine and elsewhere suffer. Don't believe them.