Last Thursday evening about 6:15 PM ET I received an automated phone call on my personal cell from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) about ENDA, and if I wished they would automatically put me in touch with my congressperson to ask for his support. Everything went well until the connection was lost before the congressman's office was actually called. There was no call back from HRC.
A few hours later, I received an unrelated call from a congressional staffer who knew that my Congressman, Republican Leonard Lance NJ-7, was an original co-sponsor of ENDA, but there was a clear indication that Lance, as he did with the Mathew Shepard- James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes bill, would vote with the Republican Bloc on a "Motion to Recommit" (MTR) effectively killing the bill by sending it back to Committee! Supposedly, they would use the "trans" issue as a wedge to minimize transgender inclusion. There are obvious ironies here, but let's look at the facts:
LGBT "friendly" Republicans follow their "Conservative Leadership" First! Back on October 8, 2009, House Republicans led a "Motion to Recommit" attempting to "kill the bill" by sending it back to Committee. Roll call #769 at 3:17 PM barely defeated that move by a vote of 208 - 216 with only Democrats voting to keep the Hate Crimes Bill alive! That means all Republicans voted to kill it! Just seven ( 7) minutes later at 3:24 PM, 44 Republicans flip-flopped after they couldn't break the Democratic Majority, and jumped aboard to vote for the final passage in roll call #770 and the vote was 281- 146 for the first LGBT inclusive federal legislation!
(Here in NJ, the 3 Republicans who flipped and voted "yes" in the final vote to show their "moderate credentials" were Frelinghuysen, Lance, and LoBiondo. As an aside, Leonard Lance, one of the original sponsors who voted to kill the Hate Crimes Bill, joined the festivities at the White House after the bill signing.)
So that brings us to ENDA HR 3017, already watered down to appease the right wing, now faces a crucial and imminent markup and vote. I know I don't have to repeat how important this is... it is jobs ... in most states in the USA you can be fired just for being or being perceived as gay or transgender! So now, what is our ask? Now is the time to get smart and be aggressively focused! Let's expose our "fair-weather" friends. No more excuses!
Here is "my ask" to all the Republicans and wavering Democrats who may vote for ENDA ... Heck, let's ask everyone! Show them we've a little political sophistication!
My "general" ask:
"I'm asking Congressman Lance (or insert your Congressperson) to make sure all LGBT people are included in ENDA, including transgender people just like New Jersey law that has been embraced in our state includes transpeople. I won't accept anything less than support for a fully inclusive ENDA" (with thanks to Steven Goldstein for word-framing)
The technical ask:
1. " Please commit to voting YES on ENDA including supporting the bill and voting against any "Motion to Recommit" (MTR) that minimizes transgender inclusion." (You need my vote; I need yours, and I need you to commit to voting against any MTR negatively affecting transgender people.")
2. Staffer:" you let your boss, my Representative, know that I have made this call/sent this email."
What is extremely interesting is the personal case of Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, Vice-chair and the "only" Republican member of the Congressional LGBT Caucus. Last month it was revealed that she has a transgender son. In her home state of Florida, there are no statewide LGBT protections of any kind! Will she again vote with the unanimous Republican bloc to kill the bill or strip transgender protections and thus deny her own child Federal employment protections ? Or will she do the just and moral thing and put politics and partisan politics aside for "true family values"?
Or will she follow the lead of Log Cabin "darling" Mary Bono Mack, whose stepson, Chaz, has publically transitioned, heck, and Mack won't even sponsor ENDA!
OK folks, what would the NRA do? Let's not think too long ... Action Now! No more excuses!
Overlooked by Blue Jersey was a perhaps the first ever question in a poll regarding discrimination against transgender people by some insurance companies!
In a new Zogby poll commissioned by Garden State Equality,New Jersey voters say it is unfair for insurance companies to deny coverage for medical treatments vital to gender transition
To see all the questions and answers from the new Zogby Poll -
including on state and national politics and on marriage equality -
visit www.GardenStateEquality.org
Contact: Steven Goldstein, cell (917) 449-8918
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - In a Zogby poll of New Jersey released today, a clear majority of New Jersey voters believe insurance companies unfairly discriminate against transgender people by not covering the medical treatments vital to gender transition. 52.6 percent said this denial by insurance companies is unfair, while only 35.8 percent said it is fair.
Excluding the 11.6 percent who said they are not sure, 60 percent of respondents who offered an opinion said the denial by insurance companies is unfair.
The poll of 803 likely New Jersey voters was taken from August 7 through August 11, 2008 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent. Though Garden State Equality commissioned the poll, Zogby collected the data independently.
The new poll may mark the first time that any poll has asked about the discrimination that a number of insurance companies perpetrate against transgender people.
Even though New Jersey is a worldwide leader in banning discrimination against transgender people - the state's Law Against Discrimination, hate crimes and anti-school bullying laws all encompass gender identity or expression - a number of insurance companies still refuse to cover medical treatments that doctors deem vital to gender transition. The American Medical Association has said such denials are discriminatory.
"It is outrageous that some insurance companies deny vital health coverage to transgender citizens even though our state outlaws it," said Barbra Casbar Siperstein, vice-chair of Garden State Equality and political director of the Gender Rights Advocacy Association of New Jersey. "Our state must act to ensure that all insurance companies follow the law."
Since Garden State Equality was founded in 2004, New Jersey has enacted transgender equality laws by some of the largest margins of victory ever for LGBT legislation. In 2006, the legislature amended the state's Law Against Discrimination to encompass gender identity or expression by a combined Assembly-Senate vote of 102 to 8. In 2008, the legislature enacted a law that amended the state's hate crimes law to include gender identity or expression - and that also strengthened the state's anti-school-bullying law - by a combined Assembly-Senate vote of 110 to 10.
"As proud as we are of our record, we will never be complacent in fighting every last shred of discrimination that transgender people face," said Steven Goldstein, chair of Garden State Equality. "Not all insurance companies discriminate against our beloved transgender sisters and brothers, but a number certainly do. And to them we say, beware. Your illegal and medically unconscionable discrimination will come to an end."
Here is the exact question in the Zogby Poll:
New Jersey law prohibits discrimination against transgender citizens - people who identify with a gender different from their birth gender. Nonetheless, a number of insurance companies refuse to cover medical treatments that doctors deem vital to gender transition. Do you consider this denial by insurance companies to be fair or unfair?
Fair 35.8%
Unfair 52.6%
Not sure 11.6%
Though there were few demographic and geographic differences in response to the question, Democratic voters and younger voters - as is typical in polling - responded most favorably to the LGBT community. 61.1 percent of Democrats said the insurance companies' discrimination is unfair, while only 26.9 percent of Democrats said it is fair. 62.1 percent of voters 18 to 29 years old said the insurance companies' discrimination is unfair, while 30.9 percent of voters 18 to 29 said it is fair.
Rob Andrews Leads Historic Hearings on Transgender Discrimination
Andrews' opening statement and Diane Shroer's statement with some red head in the background
Last Thursday I led a contingent of folks from Garden State Equality to attend the first ever Congressional hearings on transgender employment discrimination! The hearings were extremely insightful and for those that actually paid attention, the stories of blatant discrimination against loyal, patriotic and hard working quality professionals was simply mind boggling! For me it was especially satisfying since I played a small part in getting the parties together to enable this, and for the third time in my short political advocacy career, have a Congressman tell me he would take the lead on something and then do so - and do it very well! If for no other reason than holding these hearings, Sub Committee Chair, Congressman Rob Andrews would be deserving of great praise for saying he would and then for doing so!
But he did it so very well! What is impressive is that and he and his staff worked with terrific organizations, NCTE (National Center For Transgender Equality, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, ACLU, National Center for Lesbian Rights as well as state organizations such as Garden State Equality. The quality of our witnesses and the preparation given to the members of the Subcommittee reflected a high level of professionalism.
I hope you read Jason Springer's post which has the video in which Cong. Andrews slices and dices the Harvard educated lawyer for the religious radical right wing and exposes their argument as pure and simple ugly bias. Rob Andrews became a hero to many an equality loving person! I also very much appreciate that he made mention of me and Angie and Lily who were with GSE
Rob Andrews pressed Lavy on his claims that forcing religious employers to hire transgender workers would be like "forcing an Orthodox Jew to eat pork." Andrews asks whether an Orthodox Jew with a law firm could refuse to hire a Catholic. Lavy is forced to respond in the negative. Andrews then presents a series of similar scenarios - should a pacifist be allowed to discriminate against a Vietnam vet? - and Lavy just looks at him blankly, speechlessly. Andrews is killing him right now and eloquently making the point that the "religious conscience" argument does not hold up to scrutiny. I wish I could type faster or had video! Because this is DELICIOUS. The overflow room is rapt.
But that was only part of the story, and I think the rest of the story needs to be told.
Indeed I was filled with pride to be from NJ with 3 New Jersey Congressmen playing an active positive role at the hearings, especially since only 2 were on the subcommittee. Say what?
The morning started off with a quick meeting with Congressman Rush Holt and some of his senior staff. Rush, from the first time I met him, he has "gotten it" and he never ceases to impress me as well as accord respect.
We then had a formal and productive meeting with Congressman Andrews NJ-1 and his staff prior to the hearings and followed his staff to the committee hearing room. Seeing the long line of people outside queued up for seats we followed his staffer where we waited in the witness room with the witnesses and folks from the national advocacy organizations. (VIP treatment) That was an education seeing the folks behind the scenes that prepped the witnesses and provided education for the Congressmen.... and to see what organizations actually did the work and which took the credit! Special thanks to Becky Dansky the Task Force Federal Legislative Director for her great work with the committee and personal help in untwining my neck pendants so I could look good for the camera when it was focused on Colonel Shroer!
Labor and Education Sub committee Chair Rob Andrews was amazing and he is now a Vice Chair of the newly formed House LGBT Equality Caucus. That caucus was formed as a result of the public outcry to the botched management of the ENDA legislation that was watered down and mutilated (aka SPLENDA) against the will of all but one LGBT advocacy organization. One of the leaders against that SPLENDA was committee member Rush Holt NJ-12 was and continues to be a champion for full LGBT rights and is a member of the LGBT Equality Caucus. Rush Holt made a very positive statement, but had to leave early for his own subcommittee hearing. Rush was my first Congressional Hero... "Rush rocks!"
The surprise was Cong. Donald Payne, who was a member of the overall committee, but not Andrews subcommittee, who was there for the proceedings. He asked to speak and was positive and productive and made a passing reference to our GSE meeting last fall in his Newark office as we "educated him Jersey Style". I think I glowed! That was impressive and if we can get his leadership on this as a member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), it would help insure success in the next Congress.
One of the problems was that the CBC was not behind transgender inclusion, especially some members in the South. I made sure I introduced Angie to him as she is a constituent, and said to him that when we are in Denver, I would introduce him to Marisa Richmond, an African American transwoman who is a Clinton delegate from Tennessee. (Yeah, and she is a Harvard educated college professor and grassroots activist)
Although the reporter didn't mention me, I introduced her to Lily who told her story that proved to be a nice counterbalance to distorted article and I think helped Andrews.
It was good day! The next afternoon Congressman Rush Holt called me, apologized for leaving early, and we did a post mortem, we agreed the hearings went as well as possible. YAYY!
Senator Buono: "As a mother of four, I refuse to allow this sort of discrimination to go unaddressed."
Hot off the press release press: Buono/Weinberg bill to strengthen hatecrimes laws signed into law by Governor Corzine. This measure adds protections to transgender youth in NJ schools.
Says Barbara Buono, primary sponsor:
The signing of this legislation shows New Jersey's commitment to protecting its residents from the ignorance that fuels hate crimes, bullying and other similar actions.
In addition to gender and identity expression, national origin and disability are also included under the measure.
Added Loretta Weinberg, another primary sponsor of the new law:
Enacting this legislation shows that we in New Jersey refuse to tolerate discrimination and intolerance on any level.
Update: The room is full with some people having to stand. There's about 250-300 people attending the rally.
Update 2: More people are still arriving. The unions say "we stand up for the people who have always stood up for us."
Update 3: In attendance: HPAE, Local 164, laborers local 592, CWA, Firefighters union district 37, Garden State Equality, Phyllis Salloway-Kaye of Citizen Action
Update 4: Also attending: Amy Goldsmith of the NJ Environmental Federation, SEIU, UFCW, Mike Herson of the Sierra Club.
Join us Wednesday, January 17 at 4 pm in Paramus at a HUGE RALLY of union leaders and progressive activists to support Senator Loretta Weinberg, Assemblyman Gordon Johnson and Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle.
Wednesday, January 17 at 4 pm
IBEW 164 Union Hall Auditorium
205 Robin Road
Paramus, NJ 07652
4 pm: Loretta, Gordon and Valerie hold a pre-rally meeting with progressive activists -- they want to talk to us before the hoopla. A photographer will be present to take photos of each of us with the legislators.
5 pm: The rally itself. A who's who of labor and progressive activists across the state -- it's going to be amazing.
Here's why the event has historic significance: There aren't enough times when we progressives join with our incredible friends from the labor movement in political action. New Jersey, as you know, is per capita the most unionized state in America. And thanks in huge part to Blue Jersey, its bloggers and their other respective organizations, New Jersey right now is the hottest place for progressive activism in America.
Imagine all we can achieve when progressives and labor unite!
This event is also when we progressives, almost all of us staunch Democrats, stand up to a county party machine when it strays from the values of progressive, clean and open government that we cherish by not expressing sufficient support for incredible legislators like Loretta, Gordon and Valerie - reformers and champions of justice everyday in every way.
What an incredible signal we're sending with this event, one that will reverberate politically statewide.
So join us
Wednesday, January 17 at 4 pm
IBEW 164 Union Hall Auditorium
205 Robin Road
Paramus, NJ 07652
Please don't hesitate to be in touch if you have any questions. Best, Steven, cell (917) 449-8918, Goldstein@GardenStateEquality.org.
From time to time, we at GSE get e-mails like the one below, which came in yesterday. Of course the best response may be none. But if you wanted to respond, how would you do it?
Hi:
I am a Christian and I would like you all to consider changing your lifestyles and quit homosexuality.
You know, God did not give us the Bible to stash away in a drawer or in the attic to be forgotten. The Bible is our instruction manual for our everyday life. Please do not choose to continue ignoring the Bible. Every word is true, because God is truth and he says....."the truth shall set you free." Don't let the enemy keep on lying to you and all your members by telling you homosexuality is okay.
He made Adam and Eve and through them they were to multiply throughout the ages. Have you ever wondered what the world population would be if God had made Joyce and Candace? Or, Tom and Michael? It's obvious, the world population would be two very lonely women, or two very lonely men.
God loves all homosexuals and agonizes every day because they will not listen to Him. So, the time is now to turn and follow Jesus, because when we die......it's too late.
As we enter 2007, New Jersey's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community is celebrating one of the great periods of civil rights progress in American history -- even as many other states struggle to fend off LGBTI civil-rights rollbacks. Since 2004, 14 laws advancing the rights of the LGBTI community have been enacted at the statewide and county levels: A statewide domestic partnership law, a subsequent expansion of the law, still further expansions in 10 counties, a statewide transgender equality law, and most recently a statewide civil rights law that gives New Jersey the second strongest protections for same-sex couples in the nation.
No one would dispute that New Jersey is uniquely fertile ground for civil rights progress, no matter the efforts of our state's progressive organizations. By the same token, these organizations have been savvy enough to take advantage of the climate, making our march toward equality move that much faster. Blue Jersey, Lambda Legal, NJLGC, the ACLU, GRAANJ, New Jersey for Democracy, BlueWave, New Jersey Stonewall Democrats and the GLBT Rights Committee of the New Jersey Bar Association, all partnering with Garden State Equality and other organizations, have led the historic march.
That said, when the New Jersey Supreme Court handed down its decision on October 25th, many of us privately acknowledged how difficult it would be to win marriage equality within 180 days. Legislative leaders didn't want history to happen so soon, unfortunately. But as the weeks unfolded, it became clear we could win marriage equality legislation within the next two years or less. Every legislative leader in the Assembly and state Senate wound up endorsing marriage for same-sex couples. At the committee hearings and during floor debate on civil unions, key leaders said marriage equality was a matter of when, not if. Support for marriage equality legislation quadrupled within a few weeks, an unheard-of pace.
Activists, including the Blue Jersey community and the aforementioned civil rights organizations, helped to make all that possible. Because activists fought the good fight -- no, the great fight -- during the immediate post-Supreme Court period, the timing for marriage equality in New Jersey has hastened dramatically. Two years or less from now is no pipe dream.
As we activists fought for marriage equality after the Supreme Court decision, we tried to be both visionary and practical. On the one hand, we shouted from the rooftops that civil unions are separate, unequal, discriminatory and do not work in the real world. We'll continue to shout that -- it's simply true. On the other hand, behind the scenes we entered negotiations with legislative leaders and their staff to make the civil unions bill as strong as possible. The timing for negotiations was tricky: By talking with power brokers about how to improve the civil unions bill, we didn't want to send a signal that civil unions were acceptable. But once Thanksgiving passed and civil unions hearings were on the schedule, we initiated negotiations with legislators and dove into them with vigor. This, even as we continued our relentless public campaign that generated more than 300,000 e-mails, postcards and phone calls to legislators exhorting them to pass real marriage equality.
Every time we turned up the heat for marriage equality, though we knew the odds were against us, we found our hand in civil unions negotiations was strengthened. Far from pushing power brokers away from the figurative bargaining table, the grassroots campaign made them more receptive.
For starters, legislators accepted Garden State Equality's proposal to include in the law a government commission that will examine how civil unions in New Jersey fall short of marriage equality in providing equality to same-sex couples. It's unprecedented in the national marriage-equality movement: We got built into the law a mechanism that codifies a continuation of our movement for marriage equality. Even better, the commission will issue public reports every six months, far more often than government commissions usually report.
All told, we proposed 20 changes and additions to the civil unions bill. Nineteen of the 20 changes and additions made it into law, including the all-important elimination of language that directly or indirectly defines or describes marriage as between a man and a woman. New Jersey thus became the first state in the country to enact a civil unions law, unlike Vermont and Connecticut, without any quid pro quo ban on marriage equality. That's another boon to our campaign for achieving marriage equality in the next two years or less.
Thus the civil unions bill went from putrid, as we publicly described the early version, to evolving into the best civil unions law in the country, even including an engine for achieving marriage equality soon. We were practical enough, once we got the best bill possible, to nuance our public position. By the time of the legislative committee hearings, we did not oppose the civil unions bill outright, despite being pressed to do so from several quarters. During the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, pro-marriage-equality Senator Bob Martin publicly asked me whether he should vote against the civil unions bill. I responded that the civil unions bill was a significant step forward.
So what was the 20th change to the bill, the one we didn't get? We wanted same-sex couples to be called spouses throughout the bill. We didn't quite achieve that. But we changed the language from the cold, impersonal "parties to a civil union" to "civil union couples." And here's a little secret: "Spouses" is sprinkled in the bill, too.
From our vantage point, activism is about holding a carrot in one hand, and a stick in the other. About generating passion in the streets and about being practical in the lobbies. We don't believe it is mutually exclusive to take a hard-line strategy to engage thousands of New Jerseyans to pressure legislators for 100 percent equality, on the one hand, while negotiating to get the best possible legislation we can, on the other hand. All are the tools of an activist. As some of our distinguished colleagues in activism exhorted us to be practical, that's exactly what was happening behind the scenes.
Practicality, of course, means not merely making demands of our public officials, but also giving back to them. In both the 2005 and 2006 elections, Garden State Equality produced a comprehensive get-out-the-vote operation for progressive candidates across the state, almost all Democrats. Our volunteers staffed 20 campaign field offices in every part of New Jersey. We have also contributed thousands of dollars to pro-equality candidates, again almost all Democrats, including through two Garden State Equality statewide galas for the express purpose of supporting our legislative friends. We know the importance of saying thank you beyond just saying it.
To be sure, people and organizations have different strategies, all of which have met with great success. Not only did legions of activists work successfully together to produce the country's strongest civil unions law, and not only is New Jersey is the best position in America to achieve marriage equality through legislation, but other strategies have worked equallly well. The relentless crusades for Laurel Hester and "Cher," in which Blue Jersey was our cherished coleader, respectively led to 10 counties strengthening their LGBTI rights laws and to the legislature passing a transgender equality law. In the weeks before "Cher-nobyl," legislators had told us the transgender bill was dead in the water for the time being.
In December, the bill passed the legislature by 69 to 5 in the Senate and 32 to 3 in the Assembly, the largest margins in American history by which a state legislature has passed a transgender equality law. As Cher herself would sing, Believe.
Throughout civil rights history, for that matter, activists have won civil rights progress when they had the chutzpah to ask for more, not less. New Jersey did not enact a domestic partnership law in 2004 because activists sought merely domestic partnership. It was because activists insisted on marriage equality.
New Jersey did not expand the domestic partnership law in January 2006 because activists sought merely that expansion. It was because activists insisted on marriage equality.
New Jersey did not enact a civil unions law in December 2006 because activists sought merely a civil unions law. It was because activists insisted on marriage equality.
And New Jersey did not enact the strongest possible civil unions law, one just short of marriage, because activists sought merely the strongest possible civil unions law. It was because activists insisted on marriage equality.
Now watch New Jersey's progressive activists, LGBTI and straight alike, win marriage equality within the next two years or less.
As Franklin Delano Roosevelt told Winston Churchill, it's fun to be in the same decade with you.
I almost never listen to New Jersey 101.5, but when a friend called and told me that Dennis Malloy of "Dennis and Judy" was discussing Corzine's signing of the transgender civil rights bill into law yesterday, I couldn't resist tuning in.
After about five minutes of hearing this right-wing boob expound on how "Comrade Corzine" was preventing business owners from freely discriminating against anyone they don't like, being the loudmouth transgender radio host I am, I just couldn't stand it anymore and picked up the phone...
NEW JERSEY STONEWALL DEMOCRATS
P.O. Box 8221
New Market Station
Piscataway, NJ 08855
Media Contacts:
Barbra "Babs" Casbar, President Cell:732.887.8189
babsc@njstonewalldemocrats.org
Robert "Bob" Bresenhan, Jr. V. P. Legislative & Political Affairs
Cell: 908.327.2040 bob.bresenhan@njstonewalldemocrats.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
New Jersey Overwhelmingly Enacts Protections for Transgenders-Slam Dunk for Equality!
TRENTON- On Thursday, December 14, 2006, the New Jersey Legislature added "gender identity or expression" as a protected category under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. Assembly Bill A930 passed 69-5-6 and Senate Bill S2407 33-3 in an unprecedented margin for a statewide transgender non-discrimination law!
Barbra Casbar, president of the NJ Stonewall Democrats stated: "The combined ratio of this bipartisan supported legislation (102-8) was more than 12 to1! This was a slam dunk for equality! We anticipate Governor Corzine to sign the bill before the end of the year. "
New Jersey's new law prohibits discriminatory practices in employment, housing and public accommodations based on "gender identity or expression"- the legislative language that covers transgender people. NJ Stonewall was pleased to partner with GRAANJ and Garden State Equality in several venues to promote the legislation.
NJ Stonewall Board Member Denise Brunner noted, "New Jersey needs this new law desperately! Some people face harassment and discrimination on the job, and they are the lucky ones with some of our citizens facing hundreds of job rejections each, simply because they are transgender." Denise is a deputy vice-chair of the NJ Democratic State Committee and as such is probably the highest ranking transgender within any U.S. state party!
"We applaud all the sponsors, and take great pride in noting that over 30 Democrats took sponsorship roles, representing every demographic category and constituency and note that each brought to bear a portion of the successful outcome. In addition to our primary sponsors, we recognize Judiciary Chair Senator John Adler D-6, Assembly Speaker Pro-Tempore Wilfredo Caraballo, D-29, Senator Loretta Weinberg D-37, Majority Leader Senator Bernard Kenny D-33 and NJ Democratic Committee Chair Assemblyman Joe Cryan D-20 for exercising leadership roles in crucial times to ensure the timely success of the measure. NJ Stonewall Democrats thank Senate President Codey and Speaker Roberts and their staff." added Ms. Casbar.
New Jersey Stonewall Democrats, an affiliate of the National Stonewall Democrats, are New Jersey's only grassroots Democratic LGBTI organization. NJSD is committed to electing fair minded Democratic candidates to public office by maximizing Democratic voter support and turnout in our communities. # # #
Join Garden State Equality on Thursday, December 14th in Trenton for the celebration of the final passage of New Jersey's transgender equality bill and also for the celebration of an extraordinary political dynamic:
As the civil unions bill passes both houses on Thursday, key legislators have publicly acknowledged that the new law is merely an interim step toward 100% marriage equality -- and that they expect the legislature to revisit the issue. This, as support for marriage equality legislation has grown from six to 20 legislators since the October 25th Supreme Court decision.
We have the momentum! Thursday begins the next phase of Garden State Equality's marriage equality campaign.
The Assembly session begins at 1:00 pm Thursday. The vote on civil unions will come anytime thereafter. The Assembly will also pass the transgender equality bill -- the Senate passed the bill last week. We'll all be sitting at the gallery in the Assembly.
The Senate session begins at 2:00 pm Thursday. The vote on civil unions will come anytime thereafter. We'll all be sitting at the gallery in the Senate.
When all the votes are done, join Garden State Equality and the Gender Rights Advocacy Association of New Jersey at the Trenton Marriott, a block from the State House, to celebrate passage of the transgender equality law -- and how much closer we are to 100% marriage equality in New Jersey.
Contact: Steven Goldstein, chair of Garden State Equality, cell (917) 449-8918
It's Wednesday, December 6th, day two of Garden State Equality's "10 Days of Nonstop Activism for Marriage Equality." We ask you take three actions today.
FIRST, THE BIG MOMENT HAS ARRIVED -- HEARINGS IN TRENTON ARE TOMORROW (THURSDAY) MORNING. CAN YOU MAKE PLANS TODAY TO JOIN US IN TRENTON AT 9:00 AM TOMORROW (THURSDAY) AT GSE'S TRENTON OFFICE, 110 WEST STATE STREET, ACROSS FROM THE STATE HOUSE?
The Assembly Judiciary Committee will hold hearings Thursday morning, December 7th in Trenton on the discriminatory and mistake-riddled civil unions bill that goes out of its way not to acknowledge gay couples as spouses. The Assembly gave us this impossibly short notice to minimize the presence of the pro-marriage-equality community.
We'll meet Thursday at 9:00 am in front of Garden State Equality's Trenton office at 11o West State Street. We'll serve coffee and continental breakfast. We'll brief you on site.
We ask you to take off Thursday morning, if at all possible, to attend and express your opposition to the discriminatory civil unions bill. We also ask you to consider testifying. We have a particular need for testimony from clergy, same-sex couples and parents/families. You do not need to RSVP to attend or testify -- just show up.
SECOND, TODAY WEDNESDAY, PLEASE CALL THE FOLLOWING "BIG THREE" OFFICIALS TO TELL THEM: "Support marriage equality. Oppose civil unions because they don't work in the real world and they discriminate against gay families." TODAY PLEASE CALL:
GOVERNOR JON CORZINE at 609-292-6000
SENATE PRESIDENT DICK CODEY at 973-731-6770
ASSEMBLY SPEAKER JOE ROBERTS at 856-742-7600
THIRD, take a moment to watch the magnificent new commercial for marriage equality produced by our friends at BlueJersey.com, the state's leading progressive blog. This is the first commercial in America to show the difference between marriage equality and discriminatory civil unions. Click on http://www.bluejerse...
Thank you for all you do. Best, Steven (917) 449-8918
Today the NJ Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved the Transgender Equality Bill, sending it before the Assembly Judiciary Committee and to be followed by the full legislature.
If successful, the bill will add a citizen's "gender identity or expression" as a basis for protection under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.
Among the six votes in favor was Tom Kean Jr. There was one abstention by Republican Joe Kyrillos of Monmouth.
Some facts about Transgender Equality after the jump.
Garden State Equality was the first statewide organization to endorse Senator Menendez, who has a 91 percent lifetime rating from the Human Rights Campaign. His election is crucial for a change in control of the United States Senate. Senator Menendez's opponent, Tom Kean Jr. (R), is among the most anti-LGBTI statewide candidates to be nominated by either party in the history of New Jersey politics. Kean Jr. is nothing like his father. Kean Jr. favors a state constitutional ban on marriage equality for gay couples, which would permanently end our campaign for marriage equality in New Jersey. In 2004, Kean Jr. also voted "no" on the state domestic partnership law that provides gay couples less than one percent of what straight couples have.
For the United States House of Representatives:
Linda Stender (D) in the 7th Congressional District, covering parts of Union, Middlesex, Somerset and Hunterdon counties. To check whether you live in Linda's district, visit http://www.lindasten...
This race, among the one dozen closest U.S. House races across America, could determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Linda Stender, currently an Assemblywoman, is as progressive, honest and effective a public servant as exists in New Jersey today. She's a strong supporter of the LGBTI community. Her opponent, incumbent Mike Ferguson (R), is viciously anti-LGBTI and joyfully pro-war. He is also obsessed with banning marriage equality in the United States Constitution.
Carol Gay (D) in the 4th Congressional District, covering parts of Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean and Burlington Counties. To check whether you live in Carol's district, visit http://www.carolgayf...
Carol Gay is one of New Jersey's most unshakable supporters of marriage equality. Active in the labor movement, she's a member of the Solidarity Singers of the New Jersey Industrial Union Council that performs at Garden State Equality events. She's running against incumbent Chris Smith (R), a nationally known warrior against every LGBTI civil right imaginable. Smith is favored in this district but your vote for Carol Gay is a must to keep Smith's self-perceived mandate at a minimum.
Garden State Equality endorses the following incumbent U.S. House members who face no serious competition, but who deserve your vote for being among our country's strongest supporters of civil rights for all: Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1st Congressional District); Rep. Frank Pallone (D- 6th Congressional District); Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8th Congressional District); Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9th Congressional District); Donald Payne (D-10th Congressional District), and Rep. Rush Holt (D-12th Congressional District).
Garden State Equality endorses the following candidates for local office, all more pro-LGBTI, more progressive and more qualified than their opposite party opponents. We note which candidates are openly lesbian or gay because New Jersey ranks near the very bottom of all U.S. states in the number of openly LGBTI people who hold public office.
- Donna Schiavone (R) for borough council in Hillsdale in Bergen County. Openly LGBTI.
- Charles Eader (D) for township committee in Bedminster in Somerset County. Openly LGBTI.
- John Stoltz (D) for township committee in Colts Neck in Monmouth County. Openly LGBTI.
- Tim Eustace (D) for borough council in Maywood in Bergen County. Openly LGBTI.
- Michael Peterson (D) for borough council in Roselle Park in Union County. Openly LGBTI.
- Dana Wefer (D) for Morris County Freeholder.
You may take print this information and take it to the polls with you. This Blue Jerse blog entry is from the Garden State Equality continuing political committee, an independent entity under state election law.
The New Jersey Supreme Court will be handing down its marriage-equality decision after Chief Justice Poritz's last day on the Court -- her last day being tomorrow, Wednesday, October 25th.
Conventional wisdom has been that the decision would have to come down by the last day before the Chief Justice's retirement. But according to the Court's spokespeople, and as some news organizations have now reported, the Court can hand down rulings after a particular justice's last day without nullifying her participation or vote.
In fact, the Court even allows a retired justice to continue participating in deliberations in a particular case, so long as she had sat on the bench in that case, after her retirement.
So this much is clear:
1. There is no deadline for the Court to hand down its decision.
2. There is no correlation between the time it takes a Court to deliver a decision and the outcome of a decision. Our brothers and sisters in Massachusetts went through a similar situation with their marriage equality case. Throughout 2003, the year their case was argued before the court, conventional wisdom had been that the decision would come down by a certain date. The decision came down afterward.
3. It is far from unprecedented for the New Jersey Supreme Court to hand down rulings this long after oral arguments. In fact, the Court is announcing today, Tuesday, October 24th, a decision in a death-penalty case in which the Court heard oral arguments on November 29, 2005.
This is enough to make every citizen of New Jersey recoil in horror: Anti-gay protesters from Kansas are in Morris County, New Jersey today, Wednesday, October 11th, to protest at the funeral of a soldier who died in Iraq on October 1st. The protesters say soldiers are dying because America is too tolerant of gays, believe it or not. The solidier whose funeral they're protesting wasn't even gay.
To read the article in today's Morristown Daily Record, visit www.dailyrecord.com and you'll see the article on the home page.
Reaction from Garden State Equality:
"Today's protest is one of the sickest, most subhuman acts of hatred New Jersey has ever seen," said Steven Goldstein, chair of Garden State Equality. "These vile protesters need to go back to Kansas -- here in New Jersey, every Dorothy and every other citizen, whether straight like this soldier, or LGBT like 875,000 citizens of our state, demands equality and dignity. New Jersey is the state that doesn't hate. As human beings, these cretins from Kansas don't even rate."
At 7:00 pm on the day of the New Jersey Supreme Court's decision on marriage equality -- indeed the same day as the decision, just hours later:
Garden State Equality's statewide rally for marriage equality, Unitarian Church of Montclair, 67 Church Street, Montclair, New Jersey.
The New Jersey Supreme Court gives one day's notice, maximum, on which decisions it is handing down the next day. The Court announces its next-day schedule of decisions at http://www.judiciary...
Garden State Equality will post here on Blue Jersey and e-mail those of you on our e-list as soon as we get word from the Court's site or some other way.
The bottom line: Because there won't be more than a day's notice about the decision's timing and night-of-decision rally, please check BlueJersey and your e-mails as often as possible in the days ahead. When
you see our posting or e-mail that the decision is coming down "the next day," please contact everyone you know through calls and e-mails to get them to the night-of-decision rally.
A massive turnout at the rally is a must. If our side wins, our campaign is about protecting the victory from a state constitutional ban on marriage equality. If our side loses, our campaign for marriage equality seamlessly surges forward to pass a marriage-equality statute in the state legislature.
For the complete schedule of Garden State Equality events around the marriage-equality decision and throughout this fall 2006, visit www.GardenStateEquality.org
Any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at (917) 449-8918 or Goldstein@GardenStateEquality.org.
(From Steven's keyboard to your ears (any eyes.) - promoted by jay lassiter)
This Thursday, October 12 at 5:45 pm sharp, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and Governor Howard Dean do a joint conference call expressly for New Jersey's LGBTI and Progressive communities. You must RSVP online by this Wednesday, October 11 at noon. The online RSVP information is below the fold.
The New Jersey Supreme Court will hand down its ruling on marriage equality for same-sex couples on or before Wednesday, October 25th, the last day of Chief Justice Deborah Poritz's service on the court. That means the ruling will come down on ANY DAY WITHIN THE NEXT THREE WEEKS.
LISTED BELOW are Garden State Equality's three events around the decision, including a big statewide rally on the night of the decision at 7 pm, Unitarian Church of Montclair, 67 Church Street, Montclair, NJ.
These events will take place whether our side wins or loses the case. If our side wins, our campaign is about protecting the victory from a state constitutional ban on marriage equality. If our side loses, our campaign for marriage equality seamlessly surges forward, building on our tremendous momentum of the last four years. We would instantly pivot to passing a marriage-equality statute in the state legislature.
The New Jersey Supreme Court does not give more than one day's notice on which decisions it is handing down the next day. The Court announces its next-day schedule of decisions at http://www.judiciary...
Garden State Equality will post here when notice is posted there or we hear some other way.
Should any of our decision-related events LISTED BELOW conflict with a previously scheduled Garden State Equality event, of course the decision-related events will supercede the other events. Garden State Equality's complete fall schedule is at www.GardenStateEquality.org
When we post that a decision and our statewide rally is happening the next day, please e-mail everyone you know to get them to the rally. There will be very short notice and we're counting on your word of mouth. Thank you so much -- we appreciate all you do. Best, Steven Goldstein, chair, Garden State Equality, Goldstein@GardenStateEquality.org or cell (917) 449-8918.
Garden State Equality's big statewide rally featuring same-sex couples from every county in New Jersey. DAY OF DECISION at 7:00 pm, Unitarian Church of Montclair, 67 Church Street, downtown Montclair. If our side wins the case, this rally is about protecting the victory from a state constitutional ban on marriage equality. If our side loses the case, this rally -- and our entire campaign -- is about passing a marriage equality statute in the state legislature.
Garden State Equality and three legal organizations present a telephone town meeting on the legal impact of the Supreme Court decision. ONE DAY AFTER DECISION at 7:00 pm, dial 1-800-566-8440, then enter code 479740. With lawyers from Garden State Equality, Lambda Legal, the ACLU of New Jersey, and the LGBTI Rights Committee of the New Jersey Bar Association.
Garden State Equality's post-decision rally in South Jersey. TWO DAYS AFTER DECISION at 7:00 pm, Trinity Episcopal Church, 207 West Main Street, Moorestown.
Below in this posting, Garden State Equality, joined by our friends at New Jersey Stonewall Democrats, lists six LGBTI field offices across the state at which we encourage you to volunteer for pro-equality candidates for U.S. Congress between now and Election Day, Tuesday, November 7th.
This volunteer program is open to everyone who believes in equality, whether you are LGBTI or straight.
The offices are in Jersey City, Montclair, Scotch Plains, West Trenton, Ocean Grove and Cherry Hill, so you're likely to find a location just minutes away.
But first, some background:
Two years ago, the 2004 elections marked a painful time for the LGBTI community across America. In one of the most hateful campaigns ever, Karl Rove and the national right-wing demonized LGBTI families state by state by state. The hatemongers didn't merely go after our freedom to marry. They campaigned to abolish laws that give LGBTI Americans any rights, from domestic-partnership laws, to the ability to adopt children, to our inclusion in even the most elementary anti-discrimination laws.
The 2006 elections are a whole different story. We now have the best chance in many years to win back both houses of the U.S. Congress -- and it all comes down to New Jersey.
If U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, a steadfast champion of equality, doesn't win in November, we don't have a prayer to take back the U.S. Senate. What an irony that would be: Pro-LGBTI candidates for Congress are surging everywhere in America, even in the reddest of "red" states -- yet it could be New Jersey, the most progressive state in America, that keeps the U.S. Senate in the hands of those who want to strip the LGBTI community of our most fundamental human dignity.
Indeed, the stakes for us in New Jersey are higher than anywhere else in America: When we win marriage equality -- whether in the next four weeks through a court victory, or in the next four years through our legislature's passing a statute -- our victory will completely erased if the hatemongers keep control of the U.S. Congress and finally succeed in banning marriage equality in the U.S. Constitution.
So friends, this election involves way more than choosing between two candidates -- though on its own merits, the choice is clear between pro-LGBTI U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and his Republican challenger Tom Kean Jr., who voted against the domestic-partnership law in 2004. This election is about the bigger picture nationallly and about advancing our civil rights in New Jersey.
Garden State Equality and New Jersey Stonewall Democrats therefore ask you to volunteer in one of the six offices below, as soon as possible and as often as possible between now and Election Day, November 7th.
So we can keep track of who our volunteers are --and can remind our leaders of the political power of the LGBTI community and our progressive allies -- we ask everyone interested in volunteering to contact Jeff Gardner, Vice Chair of Garden State Equality and director of our Election 2006 field operation, at jeffpgardner@gmail.com or cell (973) 951-7081.
These campaign offices are open every day, every weeknight and even on weekends -- and Jeff will be able to check for you in advance. Again, contacting Jeff, allowing us to keep track of our volunteers, is crucial. The next time we're in a dogged fight for our civil rights, we want to say to public officials and party leaders, "We stood up for you with these great volunteers, so now stand up for us."
Thanks, everyone, from all of us at Garden State Equality and our friends at New Jersey Stonewall Democrats -- the campaign offices are below. Best, Steven Goldstein, chair, Garden State Equality
Jersey City
Hudson County Democratic Organization
74 Oakland Avenue
Montclair
Smith & Mullin law firm
240 Claremont Avenue
Scotch Plains
Linda Stender for Congress campaign headquarters
211 Park Avenue
West Trenton
Communications Workers of America Local 1034
1 Lower Ferry Road
Ocean Grove
Century 21 Coastal Realtors
67 Main Street
Cherry Hill
USBW Local 152
5 Executive Plaza
To volunteer, contact Jeff Gardner, Vice Chair of Garden State Equality and director of our Election 2006 field operation, at jeffpgardner@gmail.com or cell (973) 951-7081.
This posting is by the Garden State Equality political organization, not the Garden State Equality Educational Fund.
Join us Wednesday, January 17 at 4 pm in Paramus at a HUGE RALLY of union leaders and progressive activists to support Senator Loretta Weinberg, Assemblyman Gordon Johnson and Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle.
