Just What Is "Rebranding"?

We're still playing/enduring "the waiting game" here. We're waiting for the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals to issue a decision in Sevcik v. Sandoval. And we're waiting to see if the US Supreme Court takes any marriage equality cases for next spring's session.



Yet while we've been waiting for the courts, we haven't had to wait for action in the political arena. Across the nation, momentum for LGBTQ civil rights continues. However, that momentum hasn't been across the board or completely across the spectrum.

In various hot Congressional races across the nation, G-O-TEA candidates continue to campaign on an anti-equality platform. And right here in Nevada, top G-O-TEA candidates like NV-04 hopeful Cresent Hardy (R) and Attorney General hopeful Adam Laxalt (R) continue to make "segregation laws" their premier "political issue".

Perhaps they and others see this as a mere "political issue". But for so many of us, it's not some political football. It's real life... And real love.



And in some cases, sadly, it's a matter of life & death.

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Even today, discrimination is still "the norm" in far too many corners of this nation. And certain G-O-TEA politicians want us to believe discrimination is OK... So long as it's "rebranded" as "religious freedom". But no matter what they want to call it, it's still wrongful discrimination.

They even want to prevent many of us from voting. Yes, you read that right. And yes, Secretary of State hopeful Barbara Cegavske (R) is on record supporting the very kind of voter suppression that could disenfranchise thousands of legal Nevada voters if enacted.



While we continue waiting for the courts' respective decisions, we're also waiting for G-O-TEA politicians to get real about their party's "rebranding". News flash: "Rebranding" means nothing if it's just a repackaging of the same old H8.

The Real Issue

Goodbye, "rebranding". And hello, stone cold silence. We've actually known for some time that Republican rebranding" was going nowhere fast. As soon as it was manufactured, that facade began to fall apart.

Sure, G-O-TEA party "leaders" still occasionally deploy "soft language". However, that's only meant to deflect from the hard reality of their "political issue".

So how do they really feel? Listen to their base. Here's world renowned G-O-TEA s--t stirrer Laura Ingraham attacking the Whittington and Jackson families, as well as all other American families who strive to do what's best for their children.



Wait, aren't Republicans the party of "family values"? No, not really. They're just the party of doing whatever it takes to continue placating their deranged 21st Century Know Nothing base while tricking just enough non-extreme voters to win some more elections. Hell, they're not even above playing into their base's apocalyptic fantasies of Ebola delivering them from the plague of "teh gayzzz".



We know G-O-TEA Culture Warriors love to play the victim. Yet while they engage in melodramtic temper tantrums, real LGBTQ Americans continue to face real bigotry, real discrimination, and real danger. If they won't listen to us, they should listen to Laverne Cox.



And if G-O-TEA politicians like Cresent Hardy and Adam Laxalt still have trouble understanding "segregation laws', they need to go to Arizona and see Monica Jones. She was essentially convicted of "walking while trans*", as the full time Arizona State University student walked into the car of an undercover Phoenix police officer... And a bogus "prostitution" conviction.

Aren't Republicans supposed to be the party of "free enterprise", "limited government", and "individual liberties"? Then why don't they pay attention to the many business leaders who have endorsed marriage equality? Why don't they notice the economic benefits of workplace equality and marriage equality? Oh, and why don't they just drop the scare tactics they're using to butt into people's lives?

Sure, G-O-TEA politicians don't want to talk about "social issues" now. That's simply because their campaign consultants told them they'll lose their elections if they do so. However, they still haven't stopped pandering to their Culture Warrior base. They still haven't changed their position on civil rights. Nope, they've only changed some rhetoric here and there.

This is the real issue. Let's not forget that.

Can Love Conquer All?

Can dreams come true? Can we break through the glass ceiling? Can love conquer hate?

Perhaps so. In recent years, we've experienced real breakthroughs. Marriage equality continues to win key legal battles and more public support. President Obama recently signed an executive order forbidding federal contractors from engaging in anti-LGBTQ discrimination. And transgender Americans are encounterinf new opportunities along with key civil rights victories.

Earlier this week, artist & activist Laverne Cox reflected on the progress both she and the community at large.



The Virginia and Utah marriage cases are now heading to the US Supreme Court. Bisexual acceptance is on the rise. And even the sports world is progressing.



So why does it feel like we're stuck in a state of inequality? Why is it still OK to dismiss matters of civil rights as "political issues"? Why is it OK to champion "segregation laws"? Why are we still under attack?

Marichuy Gamino is a DREAMer who was thrown into a detention center. She's been kept in a male facility even though she's a transwoman. And now, ICE and the corporation that runs this Arizona detention center refuse to release Marichuy Gamino from this facility, even after she was sexually assaulted there.

Juan Ceballos was allegedly shot by a coworker who didn't want to work alongside a bisexual man any longer. Florida transwoman Yaz'min Shancez was burned to death. Casey Stegall was fired from the Children's Home of Lubbock (Texas) because he's gay.

Can DREAMs come true? Can we break through the glass ceiling? Can love truly conquer all? Perhaps so... But there's obviously still a lot more for us to do. We first must recognize that there's still so much more to do.

A Brighter Future

Jeff & Hillary Whittington have a six year old son. Their son, Ryland Whittington, is enjoying a happy childhood. One of the reasons why Ryland Whittington is enjoying a happy childhood is because his parents decided to listen to him when he gave them a critical message.



Isn't this what ultimately matters? Doesn't Ryland deserve a happy and fruitful childhood? Must he endure the kind of pain, hardship, suffering, and sometimes even abuse that defined the childhoods of so many of us who had to hide in the closet when we were young?

Even after growing up, far too many transgender Americans still experience immense hardship. They're at risk of being shut out of the locker room, questioned over their actual identity, denied shelter, thrown out of the classroom, beaten on a train, and even murdered. This isn't rhetoric. This is reality.

Perhaps all of this is a joke to Rush Limbaugh, but not to the trans* community. Perhaps he and some others want to keep "debating language". But for the rest of us, this isn't a debate. This isn't "rhetoric". This is real life.



Why should we force anyone to suffer? Why must we subject certain people to wrongful discrimination simply because of who they are? Why should anyone have to hide one's true self?

Zoe and Ofelia have had to tackle these questions because this is their life. Zoe is a 7th grader who attends a Los Angeles County public school, and Ofelia is her mother. Zoe had been struggling because she felt no one else truly understood her. But when her mom provided her with love & support, and when the State of California took action to ensure safe schools for all, Zoe had the space she needed to flourish.



Now this is what we call family values. And if Cresent Hardy (or anyone else, for that matter) still has questions about "segregation laws", perhaps he should speak with Zoe & Ofelia and the Whittingtons. We're sure they can educate him on value of true acceptance and the meaning of equality.

And really, we can all learn something from them. After all, don't we want to give more kids the chance to enjoy a happy childhood? Shouldn't we give all our kids a brighter future?

Transition

Once again, violence was on full display. But at least this time, no guns were used. Rather, the perpetrators simply used their fists & feet to attack two women on an Atlanta subway train.

What made this even worse was that no one even bothered to help these women under attack. Everyone else was busy recording video and/or cheering on the assailants. Apparently because these women happened to be trans women, the other MARTA passengers saw this as some sort of luridly entertaining "circus".

Hate crimes against transgender Americans still occur... All too frequently. Don't believe us? Believe the official crime reports. And believe what just happened in Atlanta.

At least here in Nevada, our Legislature has taken action on matters like hate crimes and workplace discrimination. However, other parts of the nation still lack even basic consideration of transgender people's civil rights. And even to this day, we still witness epic slander, fearmongering, and hate speech used to condone discrimination, and sometimes even violence, against the trans* community.



As LGBTQ Pride Month begins today, we have a chance to examine how far we've come... And how much further we still must go to achieve full equality.

At least we have seen some progress in recent days. G-O-TEA politicians in Maryland have just failed to collect enough signatures to place a referendum on trans* civil rights on the November ballot. The US Department of Health & Human Services recently announced it overturned Medicare's ban on covering medically necessary transition related surgical procedures. And Time Magazine will feature Laverne Cox on its June 9 cover along with an extensive article on the state of trans* civil rights today.



Much progress has been made in recent days. But again, there's still so much more to do. ENDA is still not nationwide yet. License to Discriminate "Segregation Laws" are still being considered throughout the nation. Trans* Americans are still banned from open military service. And hate crimes like the brutal MARTA attack still occur all too frequently.

In recent years, we've seen a tremendous transition on LGBTQ civil rights throughout America. Marriage equality is approaching the tipping point of becoming a nationwide reality. And overall, gay & lesbian Americans are increasingly being accepted into the cultural mainstream. Still, let's remember that L & G aren't the only letters that form our community. Our nation's great transition on civil rights has come along, but it's not complete just yet.

Family Values

Every so often, we hear politicians crow about their "morality" and "family values". What do they actually mean? And what does it actually mean to millions of American families?

We couldn't help but brainstorm these questions while supposed "defenders of family values" across the nation fought for "family values" like banning second parent adoption, en shrinking workplace discrimination, driving transgender people to suicide, and denying loving couples the freedom to marry. Wait, these aren't "family values"? So why are G-O-TEA politicians falling over each other to fight for policies that espouse anything but "family values"?

Last month, we couldn't help but mock Governor Brian Sandoval's (R-Why?) decision to green-light a brief to the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals regarding Sevcik v. Sandoval. What isn't a laughing matter, however, is the disgusting content inside that brief. Not only does it oppose marriage equality as a guaranteed civil right, but it also compares LGBTQ families to criminals.

How can bigotry ever be considered a "family value"? What's so valuable about wrongful discrimination? And why should we ever value hate?

If we as a society truly care about "family values", then we should actually value families. It's really as simple as that.



We should never forget the ultimate family value: Love. Love is what ultimately matters when it comes to family values. And yes, at the end of the day, love is all we need.

So next time you hear some politician proclaim "family values", ask him or her if that actually means valuing families. After all, families aren't built on discrimination. They depend on love.