Tag Archives: Human Rights Campaign

~ Culture & History, ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

House DADT victory! Now to the Senate…


Working for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Human Rights Campaign

 

 

 

UPDATE
What has HRC done for me lately?
US – House passes stand alone repeal bill; Now to the senate. More »
WV – HRC and SLDN bring veteran voices to Sen. Manchin. More »
ME – HRC organizers brave the cold for DADT repeal. More »
MA – HRC volunteers and vets ask Sen. Brown to vote to repeal DADT. More »
US – HRC offers guidance on TSA screenings for transgender travelers. More »
IL – HRC joins successful phonebank-a-thon for civil unions. More »
ACT
Now that the House has once again voted to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the Senate faces its last, best chance to end DADT this year. Last week, the Senate was just three votes shy of moving forward to repeal this discriminatory law. But seven key senators who voted against us last time will make all the difference this time around. We need your help to reach out to everyone you know in ANY of these senators’ states: Alaska, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Ohio, and West Virginia. We’ve made it easy – just post this action on Facebook and tell your friends about this critical vote!
post this on facebook »
SUPPORT
Days after the New Year’s Eve decorations come down, we’ll be facing a newly energized, far more right-wing Congress. We will be working around the clock to protect pro-equality victories, go toe-to-toe with radical hate groups, and spread marriage equality across the nation – but we need your support. Become an HRC member – or renew your membership – and you’ll be an integral part of this fight in 2011.
donate »
NEWS

Video
VIDEO: Whoopi raises profile for marriage equality in New York.

VIDEO: Broadway actress Daphne Rubin-Vega offers voice to NY Marriage Equality

VIDEO: Uncovering NOM’s shock and awe

 

 

 

What has HRC done for me lately?
Facebook campaign: Tell seven key senators to repeal DADT
A membership to help secure our rights
News: All eyes on the Senate as House passes DADT repeal bill
Video: Whoopi raises profile for marriage equality in New York
Her HRC
HerHRC Thousands of women will come together in cities across the country for a national weekend of celebration, Jan 15-16, 2011.
Buyer’s Guide
Buyer's Guide Support businesses that support workplace equality! View online, search, print, or download the iPhone app »
The Goods
Love and Pride Pendant Introducing the Love and Pride Pendant – exclusively for HRC.
Check it out »
HRC Debit Card

With the HRC Debit Card, you can help support equality with every purchase.*
Wedding Registry
Registry Photo
 Laina & Xoe: Designer meets photographer. Sparks.

Sponsor Spotlight
Microsoft This month we salute Microsoft, celebrating its first year as an HRC Platinum National Sponsor. Microsoft also is a generous supporter of the HRC Foundation and for several years has been a sponsor of both the HRC National Dinner and the HRC Pacific Northwest Gala. The company’s strong commitment to LGBT workplace inclusiveness has earned it a perfect 100% score on the HRC Corporate Equality Index since 2005.

Full list of National Corporate Partners »
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

a message from Joe Solmonese …


Human Rights Campaign


I know you must have been disappointed when you saw my earlier email tonight saying that the U.S. Senate stopped action on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal, the discriminatory law that bans gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military. This news certainly draws attention to the actions the President can take to end the discharges, and it’s important that we continue to urge him to do so. Aside from that, I also wanted to share some late breaking news that keeps congressional repeal as a possibility THIS YEAR.

After the failed vote to bring up the Defense Authorization bill today, two champions for repeal – Senators Joe Lieberman and Susan Collins – announced that they would introduce repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” as a stand-alone piece of legislation. While passing this new bill will be an uphill battle, it is another chance for a durable legislative solution.

Over the past few days we’ve seen a number of senators speak out for repeal and it’s clear that under the right circumstances, we can get above the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. What got in the way today was procedure.

Thankfully a bipartisan group of senators has committed to finding an alternative method of achieving repeal. We encourage all senators to take up this bill and pass it quickly so that the military has the power to implement a repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

I’ll be in touch in the coming days to give you ways to get involved and help pass this stand-alone bill to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The fight for open service has had many twists and turns but until “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is left in the dustbin of history we will never give up the fight.

Thank you,

Joe Solmonese
Joe Solmonese
President

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

URGENT: Calls needed on DADT now!


Human Rights Campaign


URGENT: Our moment on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is NOW!

The Senate must take action before they leave – and anti-equality lawmakers take office.

Tell your senators to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” this week.

Call now: Sen. Maria Cantwell at (202) 224-3441 and Sen. Patty Murray at (202) 224-2621

The push to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” has reached a fever pitch. And this week could make or break it.

Years of work could boil down to what happens this week. The Senate’s “lame duck” session begins today – our last, best hope to end the discrimination this year.

When the new Congress shows up in January, the House will be under staunchly anti-LGBT leadership. We have no time to waste.

Today, as we launch full-page newspaper ads across the country, we need tens of thousands of supporters to back up those ads by joining HRC and the Courage Campaign to call on every single senator to end the discrimination NOW!

Call both your senators now – Sen. Maria Cantwell at (202) 224-3441 and Sen. Patty Murray at (202) 224-2621 – and tell them “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” must end BEFORE you leave and the new Congress takes over.

The last time the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” came up for a vote in the Senate, Sen. John McCain led Republicans in a filibuster of the national defense spending bill that contains the repeal. They blocked it from an up-or-down vote – even though nearly 8 in 10 Americans now favor repealing the law.

Watch a message from Joe SolmoneseBefore time runs out, we need Senate Democrats to bring the defense bill to the floor and we need Republicans to stop threatening to derail the entire thing – including critical military equipment and pay raises – just to keep this discriminatory law on the books.

Is it just me, or is it completely absurd that Senate Republicans would hold troops’ funding hostage, just so they can ensure that lesbian and gay soldiers have to keep lying or be fired?

The ads we’re launching today call out this hypocrisy for what it is: bigotry masked as patriotism.

It’s critical that every single senator hears from us today. Even if your senators are already with us on this issue they need to know that their constituents have their backs as they stand up for what’s right.

And no matter where your senators stand, speaking out today sends a bold message: It’s going to take a lot more than a few anti-gay leaders in Congress to make us give up this fight. As long as injustice is written into our laws, we will not rest.

Join HRC and the Courage Campaign: call Sen. Maria Cantwell at (202) 224-3441 and Sen. Patty Murray at (202) 224-2621 and tell them to act this week. Click here to let us know that you made the call.

Momentum for repeal is high. President Obama has called on the Senate to act during this short session – an important first step of the many needed for him to fulfill the pledge he made in the State of the Union to end this law. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and military chaplains are also speaking out.

Still, repealing this law is no easy task. But if brave men and women are willing to risk their lives while hiding who they are, we must be unafraid to fail – and always, unceasingly, unafraid to fight.

Never giving up,

Joe Solmonese
Joe Solmonese
President

~ Recent Post

BREAKING: School board bigot resigns after our campaign


Working for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights
Human Rights Campaign
 

HRCnews 

October 2010
UPDATE
What has HRC done for me lately?
US – HRC volunteers and staff hard at work nationwide as Election Day approaches. More »
US – HRC and Utah leaders deliver 150k petitions to Mormon Church. More »
US – HRC presses President Obama on DADT. More »
IA – HRC helps fight witch hunt against pro-marriage equality judges. More »
US – After HRC’s letter, Dept. of Ed. offers anti-bullying resources. More »
US – HRC and Courage Campaign file IRS complaint against NOM. More »
ACT
Radical candidates could set back progress for equality if they win. And with so many races neck-and-neck, every single vote matters. You can multiply your vote by making sure your friends go to the polls. Use our new Facebook tool to tell your friends that you’re voting for equality – and they should too.
multiply your vote »
SUPPORT
Bullying from politicians, the pulpit, and playgrounds… An election that could decide the future of marriage equality… This is your last chance to help us mobilize volunteers, expose hate groups, run hard-hitting ads, and get hundreds of thousands of pro-equality voters to the polls. Join the fight.
donate »
NEWS

Video
Video: P!nk, Lee Daniels, and Ricky Martin at the HRC National Dinner 

 
Video: Our new ad calls on Carly Fiorina to reject NOM’s support 

 
Video: Your 150,000 letters hand-delivered to Mormon Church 

 
Sponsor Spotlight
TD Bank & TD AmeritradeHRC is proud to welcome TD Bank and TD Ameritrade as our newest Bronze National Corporate Partners. TD Bank has an exemplary record of support for its LGBT employees, including a 100% score on the HRC Corporate Equality Index. View special offers from TD Ameritrade and investment advice from Suze Orman. We salute TD Bank and TD Ameritrade for their support of HRC and their on-going commitment to LGBT Equality in the workplace. 

Full list of National Corporate Partners »
What has HRC done for me lately?
4 DAYS LEFT! Make sure your friends vote!
Last chance: stop the extremists
News: 9th Circuit Court revives DADT
Video: P!nk, Lee Daniels, and Ricky Martin at the HRC National Dinner
Nominate HRC!
The Goods
Essential Ring Introducing HRC’s sleek new Essential Ring, $19.
Check it out »
Wedding Registry
Registry Photo
 Joseph and Casey said “I do,” and they wish their friends could too! 

 
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

An immediate crisis


Human Rights Campaign


We need 16 donations from Seattle by TOMORROW.

We’re fighting poisonous hate from right-wing groups and on the campaign trail.

Join

How would you feel seeing this headline on November 3rd?

Radical Conservatives Take Over Washington

It’s not farfetched. At a time when anti-LGBT bullying and harassment are already out of control, this election could usher a wave of extremists into Congress and bolster hateful right-wing groups that have already begun urging lawmakers to pass a national ban on same-sex couples marrying.

One prominent candidate founded a “cure the gays” group before running for Senate. Seriously. Last week, another declared he wants to abolish the U.S. Department of Education so students won’t be taught that “Susie has two mommies is an appropriate family situation.”

We’ve already raised more than half of the $250,000 we need by MIDNIGHT TOMORROW to expose illegal electioneering by radical groups and get hundreds of thousands of voters to the polls.

But we need 16 donations from Seattle to get us there. Can you help, Carmen?

With Tea Party funding and groups like the National Organization for Marriage running illegal ads, the risk of a radical takeover of Washington is shockingly real.

So we’re fighting back. Here’s how:

  • We’ve got organizers on the ground in key cities across the country, fighting against radical candidates.
  • We just filed a formal complaint with the IRS detailing illegal political campaigning by a tax-exempt nonprofit arm of the National Organization for Marriage.
  • We’re running innovative programs in faith communities so groups like the Mormon Church hierarchy don’t have the last word.
  • And we’re launching a massive effort to get pro-equality voters to the polls.

In the wake of so many horrific stories of anti-LGBT hate crimes and bullying, fair-minded supporters across the country – both LGBT and straight – are energized and ready to help. Over a million are wearing purple today in memory of victims of anti-gay bullying. But at the same time, every day brings new examples of right-wing vitriol – and unless we take direct action to fight them, they could soon have an even bigger platform for their hate.

Last week, the president of the extreme, anti-equality Family Research Council wrote in The Washington Post that it’s the “homosexual movement” – not bigotry – that causes feelings of despair among LGBT youth.

His offensive claim comes in the wake of a Mormon leader’s hateful sermon saying same-sex attraction is “impure and unnatural”… the Catholic Diocese of Minnesota mailing a misleading, anti-gay DVD to every single parishioner in Minnesota… and the National Organization for Marriage’s relentless, outright lies.

These groups do real damage with these comments, but hearing the same hate spouted from elected leaders – and seeing it in legislation like a federal ban on marriage equality – is even more dangerous. And that’s the immediate crisis before us now.

Can you help us reach the 16 donations from Seattle we need to fight back?

Election Day is only 13 days away. I hope you’ll stand with us.

Not backing down,

Joe Solmonese
Joe Solmonese
President

P.S. If you’ve already put a check in the mail or given to HRC by some other means, I can’t thank you enough. If you haven’t yet contributed, I hope you’ll join us today. Also, don’t forget to wear purple today! Learn more here.

Join