Ripple Effect - Equality California Blog

Post by EQCA Executive Director Geoff KorsToday is the second anniversary of the tragic murder of Lawrence E. King, Jr., who was gunned down execution-style for being gay and gender non-conforming. However, this anniversary isn’t just about Larry, or Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, or Gwen Araujo or Matthew Shepard; it’s about all of us. When one member of our community is terrorized, we all are, and the message is clear: stay in the closet, don’t fight for your rights.It is important to remember that as we watch the people who passed Prop. 8, the very people who try to take away what rights ...

Cross-posted in English and Spanish from Out for Justice, NCLR's blog, by Lisa Cisneros, Esq., NCLR Proyecto Poderoso Director.En español abajo / Spanish after the jumpOn Saturday, January 24th, over 120 people gathered for the Orgullo y Poder Latino conference—a first of its kind leadership event for LGBT people and allies in the heart of California’s Central Valley. The conference program was fully bilingual in Spanish and English. Attendees arrived from all corners of California’s Bible Belt: the Central Valley, Central Coast, Imperial, and Coachella Valleys.Even as the federal case ...

Guest post by Senator Mark Leno for Freedom to Marry Week.Freedom of religion is a fundamental American value. Yet as a number of states have debated whether to recognize marriages for same-sex couples, some churches and religious leaders that oppose marriage equality have raised concerns that they would be required to solemnize these marriages. We heard this argument loudly and clearly when the California Legislature considered a bill I authored to recognize the marriages of same-sex couples and when Proposition 8 went to voters in 2008.Marriage equality proponents have never believed ...

Today Equality California’s Government Affairs Director Mario Guerrero testified before the California Fair Political Practices Commission in Sacramento calling for the impeachment of Commissioner Ronald Rotunda.We are asking the governor and state legislature to begin impeachment proceedings against Ronald Rotunda, a member of the commission which regulates campaign finance.Commissioner Rotunda recently asserted in a Sacramento Bee opinion piece that enforcing complete disclosure of personal information from proponents of Proposition 8, as required under current campaign reporting laws, ...

Over the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, EQCAs Marriage and Coalitions Deputy Director Andrea Shorter sat down with Dr. Rev. Amos Brown, senior pastor at the Third Baptist Church of San Francisco. Watch their conversation about faith, the African American community and marriage for same-sex couples.Watch the video and join the conversation. Full length interview after the jump.Leave a comment. How should EQCA reach out to people of faith?See more perspectives on Black History Month at www.eqca.org/HistoryMonth.

Post by Andrea Shorter, EQCA Deputy Director of Marriage and CoalitionsHello friends. I just wanted to share a quick note with you to kick off Black History Month here at EQCA. As a black lesbian, I know that it’s especially important for both the LGBT and African-American communities to honor and teach our histories—histories that so often get erased by time and prejudice.EQCA is very pleased to present with the Bayard Rustin LGBT Coalition a series of discussions I’ll be having throughout the month with African-American faith leaders. The first happened over the Martin Luther King Jr. ...

Post from Daniel Gould, Coordinator of the California LGBT Health and Human Services Network, a project of Equality California InstituteWoo hoo! I'm off to Creating Change today to discuss our Network with colleagues in the health movement from across the country, but I had to take a second to share some wonderful news.Yesterday morning in a long-awaited decision, the U.S. Tax Court set a powerful precedent for the dignity and health of transgender Americans. The Court ruled that the IRS must stop unfairly taxing transgender people and must treat their health care equally.Under the former ...

Post by Geoff Kors, EQCA executive director. Orginally appeared on California Progress Report.During last week’s State of the Union Address, President Obama included a brief mention of the ongoing struggle against discrimination that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community continues to face under his watch.“This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are. It’s the right thing to do.”I appreciate President Obama reiterating his commitment to repeal Don’t ...

Crossposted with permission from Autumn Sandeen of Pam's House Blend. Trial analysis by the National Center For Lesbian Rights' legal genius Shannon Minter.Today was the final day of testimony in Perry v. Schwarzenegger. Like every day before it, today was remarkable.The majority of the day was spent on finishing up the cross-examination of David Blankenhorn, an expert witness for the defendants. As he did yesterday, renowned attorney David Boies absolutely nailed the examination. Blankenhorn did nothing to help himself, fighting Boies's yes-or-no questions at every turn even when Boies ...

By EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors, cross-posted with permission from Karen Ocamb, LGBT POV.“Gays and lesbians do not possess a meaningful degree of political power. They are not able to protect their essential interests.”This was the testimony of Dr. Gary Segura, a tenured political science professor at Stanford University, this past week in the federal case against Proposition 8.On cross-examination, David Thompson, a lawyer defending Prop. 8, worked hard to get Dr. Segura to contradict himself and provide evidence that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are a strong ...