Indiana Equality

Gray, Gay, and Everything Inbetween

From AARP:

Some of us are gray, some of us are gay and some of us are both. Hooray.

Good reasons, then, for AARP to commemorate the 40^th anniversary of the Stonewall riots with an ambitious multimedia project that chronicles the riots, their lasting impact and the lives of America’s 50+ LGBT community.

Www.aarp.org/stonewall features interviews, stories, Q&A with prominent figures and links to AARP’s LGBT online social network, called PRiSM.

It was 40 years ago today …

Indiana Equality Praises South Bend Mayor for Executive Order on Non-Discrimination

South Bend Mayor Steve Luecke issued an Executive Order on Wednesday, June 24, 2009 to expand the city's non-discrimination policy for city employees to include sexual orientation and gender identity.  Indiana Equality thanks Mayor Luecke for his decision and congratulates the entire South Bend community on this step forward.

South Bend Equality, a local community organization that advocates for equal protection under the law for all residents regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, declared the executive order "an important step" toward establishing needed civil rights protections and applauded Mayor Luecke for his leadership and courage in standing up against the mistreatment of any citizen.

In concert with other community organizations, South Bend Equality has been leading efforts with the South Bend Common Council to amend the city’s Human Rights Ordinance to include non-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals in housing, employment, and public accommodations  The Mayor’s order, affecting only city employees, does not alter the South Bend ordinance.

Currently it is legal to fire, discriminate against, or deny housing to someone on the basis, or the perception, of their sexual orientation or gender identity in most of Indiana.  Only in the cities of Bloomington, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Lafayette, Michigan City, and West Lafayette and in Tippecanoe County is sexual orientation covered.  Gender Identity is included in the Bloomington and Indianapolis ordinances.  The State of Indiana has an executive order signed by the Governor Frank O’Bannon and continued by Governors Joe Kernan and Mitch Daniels which covers both in state employment only.

A 2008 Indiana Equality-commissioned survey of Hoosier residents conducted by the IU Center for Survey Research found that respondents overwhelmingly agree (80.4%) that gay and lesbian Hoosiers should have the same civil rights protections as other groups, while 79.7% agree on transgender inclusion in civil rights protections. Support for equal treatment is also bi-partisan -- 92% of Democrats, 64.2% of Republicans, and 85.5% of Independents support civil rights for gays and lesbians.  Clear majorities support such protections in urban, suburban, small town, and rural areas, and across all age and educational attainment groups.

Praising Mayor Luecke’s position, Indiana Equality encourages the South Bend Common Council to move from this initial-step to full inclusion.  Indiana Equality Action President Walter Botich, a South Bend native, declared, "It's time for South Bend to move into the vanguard of progressive cities in Indiana.  All citizens deserve to be fully protected from discrimination in their employment and housing regardless of their identity."

The mission Indiana Equality is to end discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Indiana. IE seeks such equality by facilitating and coordinating the efforts of the LGBT and allied community that are directed to research, education, and community mobilization.  For more information regarding Indiana Equality, please visit the organization’s website at www.indianaequality.org.

Indiana's Marriage Discrimination Amendment – Back from the Grave

Like Dracula rising from the grave with the wooden stake still plunged in his heart, the Marriage Discrimination Amendment (currently styled as HJR3) has returned for a summer rerun.  The special session of the Indiana General Assembly, called by Governor Mitch Daniels to deal with passage of a state budget, was presented with this proverbial rotten egg this week by State Representatives Eric Turner (R-Marion) and Dave Cheatham (D –North Vernon).

 

Now, with schools in turmoil –laying off teachers and unable to make the millions in budget cuts forced by this session, with cities such as Muncie having to cut 32 firefighters and five police, and with the jobless situation in Indiana at an unacceptably high rate, I can see why these .. uhm.. "gentlemen" think that banning what doesn't exist is crucial.  "Why, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, there's gays out there about to get hitched and they're coming your way, Indiana!"

 

Really guys, are you so nuts as to think that ANY Hoosier rates this as the top issue to be dealt with in the special session?  Wait, you’re the legislature that declared sugar cream pie our official pie instead of getting a budget passed.  I forgot.  A little Mrs. Wick's goes a long way, eh?

 

And now comes news that Governor Mark Sanford (SC), who was reputedly thinking of seeking the Presidency in 2012, is joining his fellow Republican Senator John Ensign (NV) in admitting to having an extra-marital affair.  Hm, I think these guys beating up on gay and lesbian families doth protest too much.   Wait, maybe they're right!  Now that six states – count'm SIX (one of the numbers in 666 – sign of the anti-Christ, doncha know!) – have allowed gay marriage, it IS having an effect on ALL marriages.  Why politicians of every stripe are breaking out in the horizontal mamba with foreign women and employees for goodness sake!!  (New York Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer at least had the decency to resign.)   It must be due to all that gay and lesbian influence in the marriage pool!  We need some strong bleach in the Hoosier political pool before it affects some of our own representatives.  Cheatham and Turner may have a great idea here – think they doubt their colleagues'  chastity and fidelity perhaps?

 

Of course, that was an example of snark for those of you for whom I was too subtle.  Look, this is the regular sop to the right-wingers of the Indiana Family Institute, which is already promoting this move and raising funds from it while admitting it has a snowball's chance in Indy.

 

 The Unholy Trinity of Curt Smith, Micah Clark, Eric Miller and their alcolytes want you to think that Hoosier gay and lesbian couples and families are a huge threat to American morality as well as the fabric of the American family.  They would rather look to an amorphous "other" enemy to bind their own fractured followers behind a cohesive strategy on taxes, than to deal with issues head on.  (How taxes became a religious or moral issue is beyond me – don't you also want fire protection and police in Muncie or schools across the state?)

 

Please help Indiana Equality Action to stop this nonsense one more time – take a moment from your vacation and email House Speaker Pat Bauer – h6@in.gov or to call 1-800-382-9842 toll free and speak with your own State Representative. Tell them to stick to the agenda of getting the people's work done.   I know I've called mine.

 

Press Release from South Bend Equality

June 24, 2009

Citizens Praise City’s New Non-Discrimination Protections:

South Bend Equality, Other Community Groups Voice Support for Human Rights Ordinance Amendment 

Today, community members, including prominent members of religious, community, labor and student groups, issued statements praising South Bend Mayor Steve Luecke’s executive order that expanded the non-discrimination policy for city employees to include sexual orientation and gender identity. (**Please see a portion of such statements below.**)

Marriage Discrimination Bill officially introduced during special legislative session

From Indiana Equality Action

Proponents Fundraise at the Expense of Hoosier Taxpayers

The Marriage Discrimination Amendment – House Joint Resolution 3 – was officially introduced on Tuesday to the 2009 Special Session of the Indiana General Assembly.  Authored by State Representatives Eric Turner (Republican – Marion) and David Cheatham (Democrat – North Vernon), HJR-3 has been assigned to the House Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee.

This special legislative session has been called with one purpose:  to develop a new state budget.  The Indiana Family Institute (IFI), a chief proponent of the Marriage Discrimination Amendment, acknowledges in a recent e-mail the purpose of the special session – adoption of a state budget – and the low probability of HJR-3 passage.  One can only conclude that IFI is taking this opportunity to fundraise – and at the expense of Hoosier taxpayers.

This attempt to put a discriminatory proposal in front of the real needs of Indiana citizens demonstrates IFI lack of understanding about our state’s priorities.  Indiana Equality Action calls on our elected officials to focus on the matter at hand: Indiana’s state budget.

Take Action:  Contact House Speaker Pat Bauer today and urge him to reject this nonsense brought about by the Indiana Family Institute, Representative Turner, and Representative Cheatham.

Watch your e-mail and stay tuned to the Indiana Equality blog and Indiana Equality Action website for more information as it becomes available.

Take Action Now

Further Clarification

The discussion regarding the prioritization of full civil rights protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons, in line with the recent declaration of the Dallas Principles (www.thedallasprinciples.org), has drawn additional comments and questions from a number of groups and organizations.  Below please find, both from Indiana Equality (www.indianaequality.org) and Indiana Equality Action (www.indianaequalityaction.org), a response to these inquiries.

 

Questions of Indiana Equality:

 

1)   Who were the voting board members on this statement?  Who abstained?  Who wasn't at the meeting to cast a vote?

 

The Indiana Equality (IE) Board of Directors was unanimous (with one abstention) in its decision to support full lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) inclusion in the United States Civil Rights code.  Ten of the 12 board members were present at the January 17, 2009 meeting.

 

2)   How is the board of Indiana Equality chosen?

 

Per Article IV (Directors) Section 1 of the Indiana Equality bylaws:

Number and Selection. The corporation shall have a minimum of three directors and collectively they shall be known as the Board of Directors. At the regular meeting of directors conducted annually in December directors shall be elected by the Board of Directors. Each director shall cast one vote per candidate, and may vote for as many candidates as the number of candidates to be elected to the Board. The candidates receiving the highest number of votes up to the number of directors to be elected shall be elected to serve on the Board. Additionally two members shall be selected by the Indiana Equality Action Board of Directors.

 

3)   Who championed the resolution?  Who brought this to the board?

 

Informal conversations had taken place over a period of time regarding the need to champion full federal civil right protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.   The discussion was scheduled by the Indiana Equality and the Indiana Equality Action officers when determining the agenda for the January 2009 meeting.

 

4)   Were any national groups contacted for input?  If so, who?  Were any politicians consulted? If so, who?

 

A number of national groups were consulted regarding the need to advocate for full civil rights protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons, including, but not limited to, the Equality Federation, state equality groups affiliated with the Equality Federation, National Center for Transgender Equality, and National Center for Lesbian Rights.

 

Kathy Sarris, President, Indiana Equality

Jon Keep, Chair, Indiana Equality

 

Questions of Indiana Equality Action:

 

1)   Was there a vote in May to approve the statement? Or a vote to move the motion to IE?

 

In January 2009 Indiana Equality Action approved a motion to prepare a position regarding the need to advocate for full Federal civil rights protections for LGBT persons. The corporation officers were authorized to finalize the letter in consultation with the officers of Indiana Equality.

 

2)   Who are the current board members of Indiana Equality Action?

Please see the organization’s website at www.indianaequalityaction.org for information regarding coalition partners and their board representatives.

 

3)   Which members of the Indiana Equality Action board are also voting members of the Indiana Equality board?

 

The two members of the IE Action board selected to serve as 2009 members of the Indiana Equality board for one-year terms are Walter Botich (IE Action President) and Randy Studt (IE Action Vice-President).

 

4)   Is membership to the IE Action board still limited to organizational members' representatives and regional coordinators?

 

IE Action is a coalition of statewide and regional organizations.  The corporation’s board consists of LGBT organizations, LGBT-friendly statewide ally organizations, and each of the organization’s active regional steering committees.  Per Article III (Board of Directors), Section 3 of the IE Action by-laws, each organization or regional steering committee serving as a member of the Board of Directors of Indiana Equality Action shall designate one representative to the Board of Directors.  Each organization may also designate one alternate representative to the Board of Directors; however, each organization is entitled to only one vote.  Additionally, two members are selected annually by the Indiana Equality Board of Directors to serve on the IE Action board.

 

Walter Botich, President, Indiana Equality Action

Randy Studt, Vice President, Indiana Equality Action

Please urge your Senators to support the Matthew Shepard Act!

From IE Action

The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing on the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act for Thursday, June 25, 2009, so your Senators need to hear from you now!

Every hour of every day, at least one hate crime offense is committed somewhere in the United States. Of those attacked, it's estimated that at least 15% of hate crimes are related to a person's perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity.  Click here to tell your Senators this is unacceptable.

The Matthew Shepard Act gives the Justice Department the power to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violence.  It protects people based on actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. Please take action today and let your Senators know this bill is important to you!

Progress and its Discontents

This post comes from the wonderful Sheila Kennedy  on the American Values Alliance site. 

In my upcoming column for the Indianapolis Star, I report on our city’s Pride celebration, and point to the immense progress that has been made since I began attending such events in 1992. As I put it, “The crowd was huge, and broadly representative of the diversity of the gay community and those of us who support them. There were young people pushing strollers, old folks like us, and parents with teens. We saw doctors, lawyers and bankers—people who would have been terrified to attend seventeen years ago, when being “out” might mean losing a job—or worse, a family.

Today, when a quarter of the country’s population lives in states that recognize same-sex marriage or its functional equivalent, when polls show that people under thirty support gay civil rights by huge margins, the mood at events like Pride is less defiant and much more celebratory.”

All true. But when you are building a road to a desired destination, it is sometimes necessary to erect appropriate caution signs....MORE

Wicked Pride

 

How wonderfully delicious that the Broadway Musical Wicked is playing during Pride month in Indianapolis!  As the second incarnation of gays loving the story of OZ , this time from the Wicked Witch's side of the story, Wicked can give us some good lessons for Pride and our times.

 

During Pride, there is a certain euphoria as we're able to shed the skins and masks and come out freely amongst our peers to celebrate in the open.  And Indy Pride this past weekend certainly provided that opportunity.  I thank and congratulate the crew who puts this on year after year.

 

And yet, there are two negative undertones to every Pride.  One is the self-loathing and judgement that passes for idle conversation, of which I am not going to claim I am without sin.   You'll hear such comments as "who's that QUEENIE thing?", "I can't believe they're wearing that in public", "I'm so tired of the ___ (fill in the blank) kind of queer."  And then someone lets out a moan and decries, "That's all we're going to see in the media!"   And yes, to each of these and more comments, there is a truth.  But as we learn from Wicked – there's more than one side to every story, and Elphaba revels in the variety that is the rich tapestry of Ozians.   In the end, the one who controls the media often wins the argument in the public sphere.

 

The other negative undertone –especially poignant this year – is the lost promise.  Or in this case, the unfulfilled promises.  In the last eight years, it was easy to decry Bush and the Rightwing as people without scruple or love for our community.  That was undeniable.  But as we've watched crisis after crisis deluge this new administration, we've also sat on the sidelines knowing that most of our community worked hard to make this historic Presidency possible.  And yes, we have great hopes because we have  heard the prophetic words of this man as he claimed to be a "fierce advocate for the LGBT community."  (OK, at least he actually mentions us on a regular basis, but does that protect our families and jobs? 

 

However, on one issue after another we find disappointment. The Department of Defense continues to hemmorrhage good men and women through Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) due to their orientation and the President does nothing to stop-loss this issue, while Congress dithers over it.   The Department of Justice brief on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) may have been the last straw.  But there have been a string of disappointments better documented elsewhere.  To say the least, we must make our voices heard on such issues as DOMA, Matthew Shepard Act, ENDA and DADT.

 

So let us examine the lessons of Wicked again.  After the Wicked Witch of the West is killed by a bucket of water, Glinda sings…

"Let us be grateful
Let us rejoicify that goodness could subdue
The wicked workings of you-know-who
Isn't it nice to know
That good will conquer evil?
The truth we all believe'll by and by
Outlive a lie
For you and –"

Ozian sings:
"No one mourns the Wicked!!!"

 

And you'd have to live under a gay cultural rock not to know that we're talking about Elphaba, better known as the Wicked Witch of the West.  In the show we learn of her struggles to overcome how she stands out (worse than a drag queen at a leather bar.)  We see how she's befriended and deals with her fate with Glinda, her best friend.  And in the end, she gets the fairhaired boy and disappears into the ether . Now, as we're wont to do, we feel smugly superior as we realize that the original Frank Baum story – and the iconized Judy Garland version – left out important facts about the poor green one.  And even in the show, it's clear that the Wizard is winning primarily through good public relations, or as the Bushies would say – "we create our own reality."

 

But the true officianados have read the book, as I have this past week, having stolen it back from my theatre-loving nephew.  There's a whole lot more to the story – even beyond the new revelations of the musical.  And the backstory, the origins, the nuances and twists that the plot takes, the richness of plot and characterizations, the minor characters and the true nature of Winkies and the flying monkeys take on a deeper context when seen in the real version.

Yeah, you think I've lost the thread, but not really.  Don't believe all you see – even in print.  Not only do you not see the man behind the curtain, but you can often not know the hearts and minds of the sympathetic characters either.  And there are always motives to what seems like madness.  In the end you have to read the source material to see the whole story. 

Will we ever know the machinations required for the Obama administration to suddenly come out and propose domestic partner benefits for federal employees (which of course leave out spousal retirement, health and tax benefits)?   What did it take for the nation's best known queer, excuse me, GAY, Congressman  Barney Frank to actually support the DOJ DOMA brief, even though it obscenely describes gay and lesbian families with grotesque caricatures.  How is it that the new (fairly conservative) New York Senator Gillibrand turns around and promises to work to dismantle DADT?  And how close is HRC to getting an inclusive ENDA through both the House (easy) and the Senate (currently no announced sponsors)?

More importantly how do we make a difference?  In Wicked, Elphaba thumbs her nose at the powerful and takes a stand on Animal rights.  She knows that doing so will not only upset the powerful and all the delicate balances they have worked out, but it will affect her personally. She could have gone along and been powerful in a miniscule way serving the interests of the powerful rather than the oppressed.  But she decides to work against that plan to the best of her ability for a higher goal.  Was it without pain and scorn, and even the loss of good friends such as Glinda?  No.  But it was right.  Some times you just have to stand up and proclaim right where you see it, and let the storytellers interpret for the masses.  They may just get the story right, if they’re not blinded by their own wickedness.

A Right Delayed is A Right Denied

The Dallas Principles