Matthew Shepard Act Faces Veto

It was little more than a Twitter Rumor earlier (or "tumor," or "twumor" if you will), but it appears that the US Senate has voted to end discussion on (63-28) the Matthew Shepard Act, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity/expression to federal hate crims states, to be attached to a Department of Defense authorization bill. There was unanimous consent to add it to a Department of Defense Authorization Bill as an amendment. The bill allows for a $1.75 billion program to fund the building of new F-22 jets, which Pres. Obama has opposed in the past.

That's right, folks, the Matthew Shepard Act is now attached not only to a defense bill, but one that Obama is not happy with amd has threatened to veto...

...which means we are, again, potentially fucked. From the Advocate:

"The President has long supported the hate crimes bill and gave his personal commitment to Judy Shepard that we will enact an inclusive bill,” said Shin Inouye [D-Hawai'i], referring to Shepard’s Oval Office visit with the president earlier this year. “Unfortunately, the President will have to veto the Defense Authorization bill if it includes wasteful spending for additional F-22s. The collective judgment of the Service Chiefs and Secretaries of the military departments is that the current program is sufficient to meet operational requirements. A Presidential veto would not indicate any change in President Obama’s commitment to seeing the hate crimes bill enacted."

*sigh* Does this mean we have to go through this again next year? Perhaps. We'll see.

For the record: I don't want the $1.75B spent on the F-22s, either. I think most defense spending is a complete waste, but it is one of the few things the federal government is constitutionally mandated to deal in... but we just spend too damned much on it, and wasteful wars. However, I might be willing to suck it up the spinning if the Matthew Shepard Act is attached.

Might be.

Matthew Shepard Act Up for Vote THIS WEEK?

The rumors are a-flyin' this week that the Matthew Shepard Act -- or, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HR1913 and S.909) -- will be voted on this week in the Senate. DailyKos is reporting it, the right wingers are up in arms about it, and it seems that Judy Shepard is in Washington, DC this week.

All signs point to yes, which means one thing:

It's time to make the phone calls to your Senators.

It's as simple as this: go to OpenCongress.org's Senator Page, click on your state, and make the phone call, or make the email. Takes about 45 seconds. DailyKos is saying that they have received well over 300,000 right wingers fighting against the bill that would add gender identity/expression and sexual orientation (oh, and disability -- did you know that one?) to federal hate crimes protections. It's so important to protect ourselves, and this is just one more tool added to the arsenal.

If it passes the Senate -- it has already passed the House -- President Obama has promised to sign it.

Obama's First 100 on LGBT Issues: D-

From Emma Ruby-Sachs at the Huffington Post:

But 70% of LGBT voters came out in support of Barack Obama because they expected that the support for equal rights expressed on the campaign trail would result in action for LGBT people once Obama was in office.

And when it comes to actual change in the lives of LGBT people, nothing has been done. Obama has failed to hand in any of his assignments.

The gay rights agenda is clear: pass the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act that adds LGBT Americans to the list of protected groups in existing hate crime legislation; pass the United American Families Act that permits committed LGBT couples to sponsor their foreign partners into the country; repeal the Defense of Marriage Act that denies federal benefits to same-sex couples even if they are married; pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that would protect employees from discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity; and repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell, a policy that forces many service members to forego relationships or live part of their lives in secret in order to avoid discharge from the military.

This is just the fight for legal equality. It says nothing of funding and support for programs that target at-risk youth (1 in 3 gay youths have attempted suicide), public awareness campaigns that promote tolerance and social services - specifically health services - that cater to the LGBT community.

Obama has permitted Secretary Gates to indicate that repealing DADT may never happen. He has merely pledged to sign ENDA and the hate crimes bill, but has done nothing to actively campaign for them. And repealing DOMA isn't even on the radar.

Nancy Pelosi tells us that Congress, and the President, have their hands full with, "health care, energy and the issues related to the economy." And it's true that LGBT people are also citizens who care about the same things most Americans care about: health care coverage, good jobs, a healthy planet.

But we expect the government to be able to multi-task.

We reject the notion that Obama's political power and political capital are all used up by getting this country in basic working order...

Class Participation (30%): B+
Class Assignments (70%): F
Overall Grade: D -

Something to think about for your morning. 

On the flip side, if Obama does sign the Matthew Shepard Act, he will be the first President -- I believe -- to sign a pro-LGBT bill that has nothing to do with HIV/AIDS. Am I right?

Thanks to Journey with Janelle.

Rep. Virginia Foxx in a Homophobic YouTube Moment

Meet Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) who spoke today during the debate over the Matthew Shepard Act -- the federal hate crimes bill that passed the US House of Representatives 249-175-11 (yea-nay-no vote or abstained).

Ms. Foxx had her very own special YouTube moment during the debate when she said the following:

“I also would like to point out that there was a bill -- the hate crimes bill that's called the Matthew Shepard bill is named after a very unfortunate incident that happened where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn't because he was gay."

She added: "This -- the bill was named for him, hate crimes bill was named for him, but it's really a hoax that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills."

This was said, btw, whilst Judy Shepard was in the room. Real nice.

To their credit, this is what the Democratic response was:

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), who supports the hate crimes bill, stared in disbelief before answering a question about the statement.

"It's just sad the Republican caucus has been reduced such a fringe," she said. "It's sad they would go out of their way to prevent people from getting justice."

And, so, I started to wonder, where the hell would she get an idea like this? Thank god for all of us, Ms. Foxx twitters, a fact which, btw, has not escaped the LGBT activists on the web, and a fact that she may come to regret in the morning... regardless, her tweet sends us to the speech of one Don Feder, from the Jewish World Review, who enlightens us on the wonderment that is the anti-hate crime point of view:

Take the 1998 homicide of Matthew Shepard. Was Shepard murdered because he was a homosexual? Possibly. But it's equally plausible that he died because his murderers wanted drug money, and Shepard (weighing in at 105 pounds) was an easy mark. According to a 2004 report by ABC's "20/20," that's what many close to the case believe.

Well, I'm glad that's off our chest. Although, it sends a chilling tone about future robberies... apparently, it's common practice for robbers to pick up gay men in bars, drive them around, beat them, and then tie them to a fence post a la the crucifixion. Remember, kids: carry a gun or this, too, could happen to you in a simply mugging (I have a sneaking suspicion Ms. Foxx is also a fan of the NRA, unconfirmed, so she would like the sentiment).

Of course, that side would have to ignore the queer panic defense...

So, Ms. Foxx, today I give you a special present:

For being just so-gosh-darn-special. But, you know, at least this little YouTube clip will put you up there with the likes of, oh, I don't know, Marilyn Musgrove, Sally Kern, and Jean Schmidt. And we all know how wonderful those women are.

As for the remainder of Don Feder's article, I'll say this: the majority of it is a mass of slippery slope, "end of the First Amendment" argument that we've become used to. I'm sure I've said this before, but, if not, it bears repeating: freedom of speech does not include freedom to rape, assault, or kill. And, yes, we do consider intent in murders... self defense, what?

Thanks to Glenn Thrush at Politico for the quotes.

We're Here! We're Queer! And we know how to email!

Lots and lots of opportunities these days for you to make your voice heard on a whole host of issues around the country, even if they don't apply to you directly!*

*In the end, everything applies to everyone.

The National Health Interview Survey is a division of the National Center for Health Statistics, based out of the CDC. It is the public health census, essentially, that monitors health related behaviors and conditions. The National Coalition for LGBT Health is pressing (via email, their website is not updated to reflect this) to add questions about sexual orientation and gender identity to the NHIS, and has met with some success ... garnering the support of 46 additional representatives and the personal interest of Rep. Whitehouse (D-RI), who is pressing for a $2million allotment in the budget to make this happen. Their recommendation is that you call the Senate switchboard (202-224-3121), ask for your Senator, and then request (once you get their office) the staff person in charge of Health and Human Services appropriations. Tell them that you are a constituent who supports appropriating an additional $2 million for the National Health Interview Survey and that you would like them to sign on. In order to sign on, they need to contact Jordanna Davis in Senator White house’s office by close of business on Tuesday, April 28th. (Means you guys have to contact your Senators on Monday).

*****

JoinTheImpact.com and the HRC is asking you to contact your Represenatives to support the passing of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HR 1913 -- the Matthew Shepard Act). The vote could come as early as this week after the Judiciary Committee gave it to the full house with a passage there of 15-12. JTI put out an email asking for national call-in days on April 27th, 28th, and 29th (before 5pm EST). From the email:

Most likely, one of the Members interns will answer and ask where you're calling from and why. You're calling to urge the Representative to vote for the Matthew Shepard Act (H.R. 1913). Most calls end right there. But if you like, you can add:

· Hate crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are on the rise. One out of every six hate crimes is because of the victim's sexual orientation.

· Hate crimes have more than one victim. They are intended to create an atmosphere of fear and terrorize entire communities.

· The Matthew Shepard Act targets only violent acts – not speech. It does not tell any clergy member what he or she can or can't preach.

· Mention that Rep. 's vote on this bill will affect your future support.

Make sure you contact JoinTheImpact to let them know that you've done it -- if you click on the HRC link above, they will track via their website.

*****

The HRC is asking NH folks to contact the New Hampshire legislature -- not for marriage anymore -- but for something probably a little more important: gender protections. That's right, kids, the state was nearly the next one to legalize equal marriage, but they do not yet protect people based on their gender identity and expression... but neither does Massachusetts, shockingly. The bill is HB 415 and would add gender in anti-discrimination and hate crimes statutes already in place. (The link above mentions also HB 436, the now defunct bill that would have extended marriage protections for same-sex couples.)

*****

Maine's equal marriage bill will shortly be voted on by the joint Judiciary Committee, and Equality Maine is asking residents to email their representatives to get this bill to a vote (and then vote it through the entire legislature). Gov. Baldacci, at this point, may event vote it up, as well. I think for non-Mainers, it may be valid to email as well, especially if you bring up that marriage, in other states, has led to an increase in tourism.

*****

Tennessee, also, will be taking up a hate crimes bill that adds gender to the protected groups -- HB0335, one of the two bills pushed by the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition in this legislative session. The bill is being sponsored by Jeanne Richardson (D-Memphis), and I can't seem to find any indication as to whether it will pass or not. Regardless, it's an opportunity for people from Tennessee to make their voices heard. On a related note, does Ohio have a TransPAC?

*****

And, finally, Texas has an anti-bullying law, entitled "Corinne's Law" that will be hitting the floor of their legislature this week. Texans are urged to contact their representatives and let them know their support. The law will expand current statutes by including electronic harassment, as well as harassment that does not occur on school property.

You know, this took an awful long time.

Contact Your Representative about the Matthew Shepard Act!

If that doesn't work for whatever reason, click here to view the PSA by Judy Shepard entitled "Ten Years"

The HRC is urging you to contact your US Senators and Representatives to support HR 1913 -- the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (the "Matthew Shepard Act"). Our local guy, Steve Driehaus, is one of the original 42 co-sponsors in the house and he is being hounded by the right telling him not to vote. It's important you call or email him today!

To contact Steve Driehaus specifically, his phone is (202) 225-2216 and you can send him an email here.

LGBT HISTORY: 10 years ago today...

Matthew Shephard was found tied to a fence post outside of Laramie, Wyoming, reminding the world just how bad violence against gay persons can be. 

He would died a few days later. On my birthday, actually. It was my 16th. I remember it being a big deal in my head, but not in anyone else's.

BLOGGING: "Just Another Dead Queer" -- Rainbow Cincinnati post!

New post over at Rainbow Cincinnati. Here's a preview, click here for the remainder.

Matthew Shephard and Lawrence King are dead queers with good publicists.

Not to undermine their deaths, but there are hundreds of people who have paid the ultimate price for being out, and the lack of coverage of their stories gives me pause.

I mourn every time I hear about another death. It's not often, as the lack of a central source of this kind of information leaves me only with the mainstream media. Even the blogosphere is silent on many people who die.

It's times, though, when I hear about Sean Kennedy, who was run down outside of a bar by a man who later referred to Kennedy in a phone call as a "fucking faggot," that upset me the most.

Not because Mr. Kennedy is dead, but because I never heard about it.

And make sure you click through the site... there's a lot there... by clicking on the image below.