11/19/08

California Supreme Court to Consider Lawsuits opposing Same Sex Marriage Ban


By Kelli Busey
Nov 19, 2008
planetransgender

LISA LEFF, Associated Press Writer reports that the California Supreme Court has agreed to consider three lawsuits arguing that the voter approved amendment banning same sex marriage should be held as unconstitutional.
The Court also wishes to consider what effect the the amendment would have, if upheld, on the 18,000 same sex couples that wed in California prior to the November vote.
The Ca.gov site has the PDF press release and a copy of the court order.

From the Lambda Legal : The California Supreme Court has agreed to review the validity of Proposition 8 in response to a lawsuit filed by Lambda Legal,The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). The groups argue that Prop 8 is invalid because it improperly attempts to undo the constitution's core commitment to equality and deprives the courts of their essential role of protecting the rights of minorities. According to the California Constitution, such a radical change in the way the courts and state government work cannot be decided by a simple ballot measure. The legal groups filed the writ petition on behalf of Equality California and six same-sex couples.

11/17/08

Queers United: Equality Utah - Petition for Gay & Transgender Utahns

Queers United: Equality Utah - Petition for Gay & Transgender Utahns
Act Today to remind the LDS we are not going away, we are going to become very intertwined with the politics of the Mormons Church of Latter Day Saints LDS.

Saving Grace

I know this does not come as a surprise to many, and it certainly is not my wish to evangelise, but god really loves us and we may live in full acceptance of her grace. I am sharing this in light of the recent defeat of human rights and the role that some religions played in it.


An amazing woman from the First Baptist Church in Dallas and her husband made their way across the street to our group of protesters. Not an easy task for advanced Seniors.

Like a mother holds a daughter she hugged me and we cried. Just cried. Her love and compassion drew us together like magnets. Two perfect strangers.

Then she looked me in the eyes and said "Come Back, we still love you." I replied in amazement "I haven't gone anywhere, Jesus has always loved me. I am crying for you and your loss at not having all these wonderful people worshiping with you."

It was an epiphany for this woman of faith. We were there because we are mourning this church's Minister's indoctrination of innocents with bigotry. We were there in a plea to the Church members to ask Dr, Jeffers to stop inciting hate and violence.

I attend a lot of different Churches but this is my spiritual home, a radical tranny. May you find peace.

11/16/08

Lez get Real in California Defending our Freedom

How can I express my admiration and pride in our family.

Defend Equality Los Angeles 11.15.08 from p.Johanna on Vimeo.

Found on our sisters blog Lez Get Real is an account by p.Johanna of the time she withstood unimageable verbal assault after volunteering to stand duty to form a human barrier between human rights activists and a line of haters,

"Those of us that had volunteered to stand in front of them immediately got into place. I want you guys to imagine standing in the sun and listening to these idiots talking and screaming through a bull horn: "GOD HATES YOU!" "READ THE BIBLE"! "JESUS IS COMING!" "YOU LOST, GET OVER IT!" "THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN!" "WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, YOU ARE LOSERS!" and more crap that was vulgar and despicable."

Equality Warriors Stand Tall in the face of hate and bigotry. Not only GLBT people are outraged Straights Against Hate find this situation intolerable.

This Unfair Unjust afront to human dignity will NOT stand.

It is being taken to task by Lambda Legal and the ACLU's combined efforts.

Human Rights Activists Protest First Baptist 11.16.08







Vid courtesy of KNON

Stand Firm : "Bishop Robinson to meet with Dallas Transgender Advocates

By Kelli Busey
November 18, 2008
planetransgender

"Stand Firm" is a Internet publisher of "Traditional Anglicism in America", host to Episcopalian Church web sites and location of interviews with The Rt. Rev. Jack Leo Iker Bishop of the Episcopalian Diocese of Fort Worth which voted November 15, 2008 to realign with the Argentineans Southern Cone, becoming the fourth such "traditional" diocese to do so in a long-running debate over gay relationships and other Issues.

In a recently published "Stand Firm" article Gene Robinson to Meet With Dallas Transgender Activists the lead paragraph linked this blogs press release announcing the progressive event "Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies Wellcome Bishop Robinson" to language I have the unpleasant duty to edit when it appears on my blog.

These disrespectful and hateful comments by the "Stand Firm" readers have been left unedited and intact in close proximity to the the interview of Bishop Iker.

[snip]

"Don’t give me links like that anymore! Geesh.... Had to look at strangely dressed women(?) and see a headline for queer news before I could get out. WARN ME.
I wasn’t ready to “bravely step forward” like Gene.... "]

"If Robinson is not a real Bishop as many would argue then no “border crossing” occured. To argue that a “border crossing” occured is to argue that Robinson IS a bishop which we all know is silly. He is just some low hanging fruit."

"And what’s absolutely amazing to me is that homosexuals and transgender folks actually consider themselves normal."

[snip]

Kelli's note. "Stand Firm" stands alone.