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Today is the National Day of Transgender Rememberance, an annual commemoration to honor the lives of transgender people harmed or killed by violence. The day is also an opportunity to remind our nation of the urgent need for inclusive federal hate crimes protections.

HRC has produced a new video featuring Allyson Robinson, our associate director of diversity, to mark the occasion. Watch it here:

This morning, I ran across a story by Kim Murphy of the LA Times about the new mayor-elect of Silverton, Oregon - a transgender woman who goes by the name of Carla Fong.  Although she recently became America's first openly transgender mayor, residents of the town of 9,600 voted to replace the incumbent with Carla because of their familiarity with her work on the Silverton City Council and her promises to perserve the town's character:

Earlier this month, Rasmussen became America's first openly transgender mayor. His constituents say they elected him not for his looks, but because he promised to put a halt to the rapid development that has threatened Silverton's small-town charm.

"My first two terms, I was a very straight-looking guy," said Rasmussen, 60, a software engineer who has written on transgender issues. "Now, I writeunder the name Carla Fong, but basically I'm Stu in Silverton. Honestly, it would be too much trouble to retrain the whole town."

..."He's got a lot of supporters in this town. He's super-available, and he's so sensible," said Brenda Marks, who helps run a downtown artists co-op gallery that recently sold a photo of Rasmussen decked out as Marilyn Monroe. "He's not an alarmist; he's not an extremist."

BREAKING: (Press Release) The California Supreme Court today denied requests to stay the enforcement or implementation of Proposition 8, and at the same time agreed to decide several issues arising out of the passage of Proposition 8.

The court’s order, issued in the first three cases that had been filed directly in the state’s highest court challenging the validity of Proposition 8, directed the parties to brief and argue three issues:

(1) Is Proposition 8 invalid because it constitutes a revision of, rather than an amendment to, the California Constitution?
(2) Does Proposition 8 violate the separation-of-powers doctrine under the California Constitution?
(3) If Proposition 8 is not unconstitutional, what is its effect, if any, on the marriages of same-sex couples performed before the adoption of Proposition 8?

The court issued its order in three cases filed on behalf of a variety of parties, including same-sex couples who seek to enter into marriage despite the passage of Proposition 8, a same-sex couple who married in California prior to the adoption of Proposition 8, and a number of cities and counties whose officials seek to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Petitioners in each of these cases seek an order directing the relevant state officials to refrain from implementing, enforcing, or applying Proposition 8.

In response to the petitions, the Attorney General filed a preliminary opposition, in which he urged the court to assume jurisdiction over these cases to decide the important legal issues presented, but also argued that the court should not stay the operation of Proposition 8 pending the court’s resolution of the issues. The proponents of Proposition 8 also responded to the petitions, seeking to intervene as formal parties in the action and also urging the court to accept the cases for decision. The court’s order granted the motion to intervene filed by the proponents of Proposition 8.

In its order, the court established an expedited briefing schedule, under which briefing will be completed in January 2009 and oral argument potentially could be held as early as March 2009.
Six justices — Chief Justice Ronald M. George, Justice Marvin R. Baxter, Justice Kathryn M. Werdegar, Justice Ming W. Chin, Justice Carlos R. Moreno, and Justice Carol A. Corrigan — signed the court’s order, although Justice Moreno indicated that he would grant the requests to stay the operation of Proposition 8 pending the court’s resolution of these matters.

Justice Joyce L. Kennard would deny these petitions without prejudice to the filing in the Supreme Court of an appropriate action to determine Proposition 8’s effect, if any, on the marriages of same-sex couples performed before Proposition 8’s adoption.

Click here for the link to the official court order. (.PDF)

Former Arkansas Governor and Republican presidential contender Mike Huckabee went on "The View" yesterday and, in discussing the horrors of segregation, implied that gays haven't really suffered enough to warrant calling their struggle a civil rights movement:

Today, Joe Solmonese issued this statement in response:

Unlike Governor Huckabee, we know that hate crimes tear into the fabric of our society and fragment communities because they target a group and not just the individual victim.  The purpose of our government, first and foremost, is to protect all of our citizens — whether they are black, Christian, gay or transgender.  From advocating that people with HIV/AIDS should be locked up to comparing gay sex to bestiality, Huckabee is merely a mouthpiece for homophobia.

For the last nine years, members of the transgender community have gathered together with families, friends, and allies at the end of November to mark the National  Day of Remembrance.  Tomorrow, November 20, HRC will stand with our community in observing the day that recognizes the lives of transgender individuals who have been harmed or murdered for being who they are.

HRC has released a new video to honor this year's National Transgender Day of Rememberance. It begins with the shocking statistic that 43 people have been killed over the last two years due to violence based on their gender identity. Allyson Robinson, our associate director of diversity, is also featured in the video:

For people in the Washington, DC area, here are the details on the annual observance of the Transgender Day of Remembrance in our nation's capital:

Thursday, November 20, 6:30 PM

Metropolitan Community Church
474 Ridge Street NW
Washington, DC 20001

Green/Yellow Line, Mount Vernon Square/7th Street/Convention Center stop

Click here or call (202) 904-9969 for more information, to donate, or to volunteer.

http://thedccenter.blogspot.com/2008/10/transgender-day-of-remembrance-november.html

So. There's a lot of buzz out there about what next steps the gay rights movement should take after the 2008 election results.  One thing is for sure, we're excited to see the signs of renewed activist energy at the grassroots level and we hope that it continues and strengthens.  As we saw this past weekend in cities across the country, there is a collective power in taking our message to the streets. 

HRC President Joe Solmonese gives a Q&A interview in the current issue of Metro Weekly, a Washington-DC gay publication.  In this interview, Joe looks ahead to working with the new adminstration to get key pieces of LGBT legislation passed - and talks about what the passage of Prop 8 in California means for the movement:

MW: What does the loss on same-sex marriage in California -- as well as Arizona and Florida -- plus the barring of adoption rights in Arkansas say about the state of GLBT issues in America?

On election night, our community felt the emotions of electing a pro-equality President and expanding our numbers in Congress and state houses across the country, but the next morning our hearts were broken as the dust settled and it was clear we lost the marriage ballot measures in California, Florida and Arizona as well as adoption in Arkansas. We all know that our marriages and families did not begin with a court decision and they will not end with a vote on a discriminatory amendment. Although we lost our battles in these states, we will not allow the lies and hate-the foundation on which our opponents built their campaign-to break our spirits. We are on the right side of history and the continuing movement in public opinion underscores that it is only a matter of time before we undo this loss and add more states to the march for equality.

MW: A number of rationales have emerged for the California loss -- minority voters supporting both Obama and Prop. 8, low turnout in some areas such as San Francisco, ''No on 8'' messages that avoided being too ''gay,'' etc. -- what do you think needs to be addressed among those in order to move forward in that state?

Anger directed at any group of people is completely misdirected. Have we directed our anger at white men, who voted for Prop. 8 51 percent to 41 percent? At rural people? At voters over age 49? Should we spray paint an assisted living facility? No. We must reject our instinct to lay blame at the feet of any group. There is no denying, as we pick ourselves up after losing this most recent, hard-fought battle, that we've been injured, many of us by neighbors who claim to respect us. But we are moving in the right direction. In 2000, California voters passed Proposition 22 by a margin of 61.4 percent to 38.6 percent. On Election Day, fully 48 percent of Californians rejected Proposition 8. Everything we've learned points to one simple fact: people who know us are more likely to support our equality.

Read the full interview here.

Today HRC announced that Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, a leading international law firm, has been named the recipient of the 2008 “Ally of Justice” award.  The annual award recognizes outstanding contributions to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community through pro bono service to HRC.

“Through its contributions to the HRC and its own commitment to diversity, Akin Gump has been a model partner in the effort to advance equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals,” said Lara Schwartz, Legal Director of the Human Rights Campaign.

HRC General Counsel Rob Falk added, “The number of Akin Gump lawyers and offices around the country that have supported our work has been both amazing and gratifying.  Akin Gump has demonstrated incredible depth in its support for LGBT equality and their team has been integral to our organization’s success.”

“Akin Gump’s work with the HRC exemplifies the firm’s commitment to establishing a standard for service among the world’s leading law firms,” said Steve Schulman, Pro Bono Partner for Akin Gump.  “We attach a great value to diversity in the workplace and encourage our attorneys to take an active role in organizations that promote equality and understanding,”

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP, founded in 1945, numbers over 900 attorneys in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.  For additional information, please visit their website at www.akingump.com.

President-elect Obama's transition team has newly published their vision of support for the civil rights and LGBT community in a straightforward - and timely - plan outlined at Change.gov.

This series of supportive statements on key LGBT issues, including the full repeal of DOMA, is an encouraging sign that our community will indeed have a seat at the new administration's table:

Support for the LGBT Community:

"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."

-- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007

The Obama-Biden Plan:

• Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. Barack Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.
• Fight Workplace Discrimination: Barack Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. Obama also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
• Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: Barack Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.
• Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: Barack Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.
• Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: Barack Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. Obama will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.
• Expand Adoption Rights: Barack Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.
• Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, Barack Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. Obama will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. Obama also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS. He will continue to speak out on this issue as president.
• Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. Barack Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.

NOTE FROM CHRIS: My colleague Trevor Thomas reminded me that the above outline is identical to Obama's statement of support for the LGBT community that he posted on his campaign site months ago. In other words, President-elect Obama has been declaring his support for LGBT inclusion since the beginning of his campaign - and he's essentially reiterating his long-held vision for expanding LGBT rights now as he prepares to become the next president of the United States.  That's a great point to note. Thanks, Trev!

Another week has gone by - and yet another person has lost their life for being who they are.

HRC issued a statement earlier today on the murder of "Teish" Cannon, 22, who was shot and killed Friday night, according to local authorities in Syracuse, New York.  The alleged shooter, Dwight R. DeLee, 20, has been charged with second degree murder:

Cannon, 22, and his brother, Mark Cannon, 18, both of 404 Arthur St., were shot as they sat in a car parked in front of 411 Seymour St., where they had been invited to a party. The bullet grazed the left arm of Mark Cannon, who was in the driver's seat, and hit Moses Cannon in the chest, police said.

Police have charged DeLee, 20, of 420 Gifford St., with second-degree murder. DeLee went into the home at 411 Seymour St. to get the rifle after guests at the party started "making profane and vulgar comments in regards to the sexual preference of our two victims," police Chief Gary Miguel said.

"There was no previous argument between these individuals, there was no previous fight, there was no bad blood," Miguel said. "Our suspect took a rifle and shot and killed this person, also wounding his brother, for the sole reason he didn't care for the sexual preference of our victim. Isn't that sad? Isn't that a sad situation that that's the sole reason why?

The Human Rights Campaign learned this afternoon from sources working with the family that Cannon was a transgender woman and did not identify as a man.

Joe Solmonese issued this statement in response:

The senseless killing of Teish Cannon is a clear example of why we need to redouble our efforts on education and awareness aimed at ending hate violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.  We commend the Syracuse Police Department for its swift action in investigating this as a crime of hate. Hate crimes rend the fabric of our society and fragment communities because they target a group and not just the individual victim.  The purpose of our government, first and foremost, is to protect all of our citizens — whether they are black, disabled, Christian, gay or transgender.

This past Saturday, thousands of people from the Washington DC area joined together to protest California’s Prop 8, which ended marriage equality in the state.

Although at first I thought the crowd was between 1,000 and 2,000 in size, once we were on the move, it was clear that the number of the protest’s participants was at least double that. Departing from the U.S. Capitol reflecting pool, we began our march toward Lafayette Park, just adjacent to the White House. Along the way, hundreds of homemade signs declared “Now that I can't get married, are you better off?,” “Straight against H8,” and “Love is a Family Value.” One of my favorites was a sign that said “California – I still believe,” which featured a loving rendering of the Golden Gate Bridge. It resonated with me as someone who was in San Francisco working on No on 8 for the last two weeks of the campaign. While there, I saw so many reasons to believe that the state was full of people moved by this issue and personally hurt by the negative outcome – not just same-sex married couples, but regular Californians appalled by the idea of discrimination in their state’s constitution.

A torrential downpour began just minutes into the march. Some scattered to seek shelter, but I was surprised to see that the attrition rate was quite low. Undeterred, marchers continued to hold their now soggy signs, with marker ink streaming down the posterboard. The lucky few in ponchos, others with umbrellas turned inside-out by strong winds, we continued around the Washington Monument, across the National Mall, chanting mantras about the equal rights we need and deserve.

HRC was a ubiquitous presence at the Washington protest. Not only did I spot dozens of soaked HRC staffers and interns, I saw hundreds of HRC flags, shirts, hats, bags and pins. Overall, spirits were high, and protestors inspired, thrilled to be taking part in this historic day of massive nationwide protest against discrimination.

This weekend, LGBT activists and supporters took to the streets in cities across the country to stage a national protest against the passage of Prop 8 in California.  Rallies and marches were held from coast to coast, including Las Vegas, where comedienne Wanda Sykes publicly declared that she is a married lesbian and was committing herself to getting in people's faces regarding LGBT rights as a result of Prop 8.

Here are a few photos that were sent in from HRC members and staff who attended demonstrations on Saturday:

Chicago:

Ft. Lauderdale:

Washington, DC:

Boston:

GO WANDA!

Comedian Wanda Sykes says the passage of a same-sex marriage ban in California has led to her be more outspoken about being gay.

"You know, I don't really talk about my sexual orientation. I didn't feel like I had to. I was just living my life, not necessarily in the closet, but I was living my life," Sykes told a crowd at a gay rights rally in Las Vegas on Saturday.

"Everybody that knows me personally they know I'm gay. But that's the way people should be able to live their lives," she said.

Sykes, who is known for her feisty and blunt style, said the passage of California's Proposition 8 made her feel like she was "attacked."

"Now, I gotta get in their face," she said. "I'm proud to be a woman. I'm proud to be a black woman, and I'm proud to be gay."

[Photo credit: Steve Friess at Vegas Happens Here. Steve has also posted audio of Syke's comments at the Las Vegas rally - plus an interview with Wanda - here .]

**UPDATE: Here's the video:

***UPDATE #2: Angela Harvey, an HRC Federal Club member and public speaker, also addressed the crowd at the Las Vegas rally.  She sent us this update on Sunday:

Saturday was a great day!

At a moment's notice, I was asked to speak in front of one of the largest crowds I've ever addressed in my 6 years of professional speaking.  Las Vegas, like many major cities across the United States, had a rally in response to the passing of Prop 8 in California.  The rallies were also geared to rejuvenate our fight for equal rights and marriage equality.  It was wonderful.  Over a thousand people held hands, signs, babies and children and congregated at the LGBT Center of S. Nevada to StandOUT for Equality.

While I hadn't planned to speak, everyone knows that I'm always just minutes away from giving a full blown workshop anyways!   After I spoke, the director of the Center called  Wanda Sykes (yes, THE Wanda Sykes) up to the stage after receiving a tip that she was in the crowd.  When she took the stage, the crowd went wild! I'm sure some gave her such a warm welcome because she was a celebrity, but many cheered because they had no idea she is a lesbian!  She acknowledged that being there and listening to some of the speeches had moved her to make one of the first public acknowledgments about her sexuality.  The crowd cheered and I instantly felt proud.

After Wanda's moment, it was a little surreal as people started putting me in front of TV cameras, shaking my hand, hugging me, congratulating me and telling me how much they enjoyed my speech. The day got even better when Wanda Sykes sent her assistant to find me.  She said I was an inspiration I and that my speech helped Wanda make up her mind that today would be the day she would publicly acknowledge her sexuality and join the fight for equality.  She even wrote her cell number on my hand since neither of us had our business cards!   

Although most people would be excited that a celebrity like Wanda Sykes chose to acknowledge their influence in a life-changing decision, I was simply proud and humbled that I was able to have an impact in someone's life, period. I continue to draw all the encouragement I need by knowing that I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing in this ongoing fight for equality.

Today the Human Rights Campaign Foundation released a list of the businesses and organizations that supported Prop 8.  The list is here: www.hrc.org/prop8supporters.

The HRC Workplace Project reviewed donations to the major ballot committees, including ProtectMarriage.com and National Organization for Marriage, that supported the passage of Proposition 8.  The data, available from the California Secretary of State’s Office, was searched for donations derived directly from businesses and organizations, rather than from individuals or national advocacy groups.  This list does not include CEO’s or senior executives of companies who may have contributed.  Due to some complexities in how the donations were tracked, there may be more companies that are not on the list.  Also, the amounts should be considered approximate. 

Several Fortune 500 companies and organizations contributed to the No on 8 Campaign.  However, no Fortune 500 company was found to have contributed to the Yes on 8 Campaign. 

There were at least 306 donations from incorporated entities totaling nearly $3 million.  The list includes at least 270 organizations from California with most of the others coming from states in the southwest.

Statement from Joe Solmonese:

As we look beyond this weekend’s protests it’s important that our community and allies are empowered to speak out against those businesses and organizations that supported enshrining discrimination into the California Constitution.  On Saturday we will be taking to the streets by the thousands all across America.  Let us commit that we’ll turn our anger into action by holding accountable these businesses and organizations that fought against our equality.

The Michigan House of Representatives voted yesterday to expand the state's protections against hate crimes to include disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. The legislation now moves to the Republican-controlled Senate, where is it expected to face stiff opposition.

The legislation increases penalties for crimes committed on the basis of:

• Disability
• Gender
• National origin or ancestry
• Race, color, or ethnicity
• Religion
• Sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression of gender
• Association with a person or group with one or more of the characteristics listed above

The House voted on two separate bills to grant broader hate crimes protections. The chamber voted 82-18 to pass the first bill, and 81-18 to pass the second bill.

Good afternoon,

Normally, I would wait until Friday to write to you, but with all that’s going on right now, I felt it was important to speak to you today.

Our community is facing great challenges in the wake of the outcomes of ballot initiative fights in California, Arizona and Florida. Now, we must decide how to approach the obstacles ahead.

As Martin Luther King wrote in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail:

Will we be extremists for hate or will we be extremists for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice--or will we be extremists for the cause of justice?

On November 4, less than six months after the California Supreme Court ruled that lesbian and gay people are fully equal under the law, a slim majority of voters declared that we are not.

In Arizona and Florida voters also took away rights we had not yet even been granted.

We are angry - and that anger has moved to the streets.

Our rights were stripped. Our love was branded unworthy of the name marriage, though our commitments and responsibilities to each other are worthy of nothing less.

We are determined the world will see we are not an issue; we are families. Many of us are people of faith; many are people of color; our children play with yours; all of us are neighbors.

The Mormon Church played a huge role in the travesty called Proposition 8. In response, there have been protests at churches. The Mormon community faced persecution in its early years. In the wake of Prop 8, I question whether members of that community have forgotten the lessons of their struggle.

Likewise, the Roman Catholic Church disregarded the history of sectarian oppression and pursued a campaign of deceit and misinformation in support of Prop 8 reminiscent of the anti-Catholic movement of the early 1800s.

It is chilling to realize the Catholic and Mormon Churches knew they were telling lies - that marriage equality would require children to learn about homosexuality in school - priests would be required to solemnize marriages of same sex couples - and they lied anyway.

As our community and allies exercise our uniquely American right to protest, I hope we will remember the lessons of the HIV/AIDS protests in the 1980s. We were angry, but strategic; impassioned, but smart. Our actions in the streets will set the tone for the ongoing debate about marriage equality. Let us be motivated by our pain, while we model love and justice.

That a majority of African Americans voted for Prop 8 has been particularly jarring. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have depended on the real leadership exerted on our behalf by African American leaders. As the Obamas move to the White House, the African American family is receiving long overdue respect. We, too, strive to have all families supported and valued by society.

We ask ourselves why the community that has endured the most violent and persistent discrimination in our country’s history failed to understand our struggle for human rights. The results of the campaign have fueled rage. Yet this is misdirected anger. We obviously failed to communicate to African Americans the interdependence of our struggles.

The question before us now is, will we stray from our own path toward justice, and reduce a human rights movement to tactics of recrimination? How we respond to Prop 8 and defeats in Arizona and Florida will define our success, and say much about who we are.

To my community and allies, I say this: our anger is just; our goal is alive. We must remain worthy of the cause we fight for. Our cause is love; and only through love can we win the freedom to marry. In the streets and over coffee, our message must be consistent. We love our soul mates and our families; we love and respect our neighbors; we expect love and respect in return.

To reverse the outcomes of November 4, we must embrace our passion and anger, and redirect them to tasks that have as yet gone undone.

We must take this election as an occasion to look inward. In our California, Arizona and Florida campaigns, we asked diverse communities to hear our stories and respect our rights. But have we heard the concerns of the people we asked to listen to us? We assert that equal marriage rights are basic human rights. We must also show that our concern for human rights does not end with marriage. We must make clear alliance with those we seek as coalition partners.

As we ask communities of color and religious communities to engage and partner with us, we must demonstrate our commitment to the people and issues they care about. We must show that we will not abandon forty-seven million uninsured once we have domestic partner benefits, and that non-discrimination laws are not enough when legions of children are denied equal opportunity by failing schools, violence, and racism. We must stand with immigrants as they, too, seek to fully realize the American dream.

Our campaigns to beat back discriminatory ballot measures in California, Arizona, Florida and Arkansas failed to help others who have experienced discrimination understand that putting the rights of one minority up for a vote puts everyone's rights at risk. That is a conversation with our neighbors that starts today. I hope I will be better able to communicate with them, not because my argument is sound, but because they will be better able to hear me as we labor together for justice for all.

Now is the time to be constructive with our hurt and disappointment. This weekend, thousands in all 50 states will take to the streets with one common goal in mind—full equality for all—let us not forget that our cause is one of civil respect rooted in justice and fairness. Marchers will call not only for justice for LGBT families, but for an end to all the oppressions that hold our nation back and give the false impression that our differences are more profound than what we have in common. To locate a Join the Impact rally near you, visit http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/.

During and after the Join the Impact protests, we must all recommit ourselves to confront our neighbors with our love.

I will engage my Mormon, Catholic, and African American neighbors—and will ask them to engage me in their lives. I am ready to listen and act on their behalf while I make my case for their support.

November 4 showed us how much work is left to do, but it also brought out the passion we will need for that work. We must hold on to it, and use it wisely. We seek to live as loving families in peace and equality with our neighbors. We trust in the power of love.

Joe Solmonese

National Journal, a reputable weekly magazine for political insiders, has listed HRC among the top five winning member interest groups in the 2008 U.S. House and Senate elections. (Only People for the American Way, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and Sierra Club ranked higher, respectively.)

In 2006, HRC helped elect 211 candidates, ousting a number of anti-gay-rights politicians, including Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa. The National Journal ranked the organization as the second-most effective interest group that year.

Check out this video that gives a look at the Human Rights Campaign's efforts to elect pro-equality candidates and defeat anti-LGBT ballot measures in 2008:

Today HRC President Joe Solmonese called for a thorough investigation into the murder of Duanna Johnson, a transgender woman who was found shot to death in North Memphis just before midnight on Sunday, November 9, 2008:

The tragic murder of Duanna Johnson must be fully investigated.  The Tennessee Equality Project recently provided much-needed training to employees of the Memphis Police Department on how to be respectful and responsive to the needs of the LGBT community.  Today, we call on the Memphis Police Department to fulfill its renewed commitment to treating transgender people with respect and fairness by thoroughly investigating this horrible crime and ensuring that every measure is taken to bring those responsible to justice.

Last June, Johnson was beaten by a Memphis Police Officer while in police custody after she refused to respond to a transgender slur.  A second officer held her down during the beating.  Surveillance video showed the officer striking Johnson several times with handcuffs wrapped around his gloved fist and later spraying her with mace.  Both officers were eventually fired from the department. 

Johnson’s murder is the third murder of a transgender person in Memphis since 2006.  Tiffany Berry, a twenty-one-year-old African American transgender woman, was shot and killed on February 16, 2006. Ebony Whitaker, a 20-year-old African American transgender woman, was murdered by an unknown assailant and found dead on July 1, 2008. 

Tennessee’s hate crimes law does not explicitly cover hate crimes based on gender identity.  The recent rash of violent crimes against transgender people in Memphis further demonstrates the need to enact federal hate crimes legislation that includes sexual orientation and gender identity.

In another nod to the LGBT community, the Obama-Biden transition team has posted a statement on its Change.gov website declaring its support of hiring LGBT workers:

The Obama-Biden Transition Project does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other basis of discrimination prohibited by law.

PageOneQ.com has more:

"We're already seeing the initial signs that President-elect Obama is committed to welcoming the experience and talents of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people within his administration," added Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "After years of President Bush's special counsel refusing to enforce fair hiring practices in regards to LGBT workers, this statement signals that change is happening and that our community is a rightful part of it."

...

The Obama/Biden campaign ran on an LGBT-positive platform, which includes support for the Matthew Shepard Act, a fully inclusive ENDA, federal recognition of same-sex couples, the right to sponsor a same-sex partner for American citizenship and the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

The transition team will operate on a budget of $12 million, of which Congress has appropriated $5.2 million, and the rest to be raised through individual donations. The team will employ 450 people and operate out of offices in Washington D.C. and Chicago.

Marriage equality begins today in Connecticut!

From the AP:

A judge cleared the way Wednesday for gay marriage in Connecticut, a victory for advocates stung by California's referendum that banned same-sex unions in that state.

Minutes after a judge entered a final ruling, the New Haven city clerk's office issued its first marriage license to a gay couple. It went to Barbara and Robin Levine-Ritterman of New Haven, one of the eight couples who successfully challenged a state law prohibiting gay marriage.

"It's a great day for Connecticut," Robin Levine-Ritterman said after a brief hearing in court.

Others couples planned to celebrate by immediately marching to New Haven City Hall to get marriage licenses. At least one ceremony was scheduled Wednesday morning on the New Haven green.

The judge's order marks "the end of a very long journey toward equality," plaintiffs' attorney, Bennett Klein, said earlier. "Each of the plaintiffs asked me to convey to the court how proud they are to be citizens of this state."

The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled 4-3 on Oct. 10 that same-sex couples have the right to wed rather than accept a civil union law designed to give them the same rights as married couples.

...The state's 2005 civil union law will remain on the books, at least for now. Same-sex couples can continue to enter civil unions, which give them the same legal rights and privileges in Connecticut as married couples without the status of being married.

****UPDATE: Joe Solmonese just issued this statement:

It’s a joyous day in Connecticut as hundreds of loving, committed couples prepare to receive the ultimate recognition of their relationships by receiving civil marriage licenses. And it’s a historic day for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people all over the nation, who may have suffered a setback last Tuesday, but know that our fight for equality goes on. Today’s actions in Connecticut signal a new and hopeful day.

Andy Linsky, a member of HRC's Board of Directors (pictured, top right) who has long been involved in the fight for marriage equality, spoke against the beautiful Palm Springs mountains in California to a sea of 500 candle-holding activists who had gathered to express their disappointment with the passage of Proposition 8.   Andy encouraged the crowd by reading portions of Joe Solmonese's recent message on Prop 8, assuring them that our fight for full human rights will continue.

[Photo: Courtesy of Paul Roberts.]

From the LA Times:

Reporting from Sacramento and Lake Forest -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sunday expressed hope that the California Supreme Court would overturn Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that outlawed same-sex marriage. He also predicted that the 18,000 gay and lesbian couples who have already wed would not see their marriages nullified by the initiative.

"It's unfortunate, obviously, but it's not the end," Schwarzenegger said in an interview Sunday on CNN. "I think that we will again maybe undo that, if the court is willing to do that, and then move forward from there and again lead in that area."

...

In past statements, he has said he believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman and has rejected legislation authorizing same-sex marriage. Yet he has also said he would not care if same-sex marriage were legal, saying he believed that such an important societal issue should be determined by the voters or the courts.

Schwarzenegger publicly opposed Proposition 8, which amends the state Constitution to declare that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."