ARE YOU A G.A.Y. DUCK?

In this instance, G.A.Y. Ducks is short for the phrase “get all your ducks in a row” which customarily refers to the act of getting your life and/or affairs in order.

Coincidentally, the word GAY is an anachronism for “Get” “All” and “Your,” and thus the expression “Get All Your Ducks in a Row” has become a Rainbow Law catchphrase.

In a manner of speaking, therefore, those LGBTQ folks who have created legal documents that protect their rights and the rights of their partners and/or children are GAY Ducks!

And so we ask… are YOU a GAY Duck?

If you are not a GAY Duck, perhaps it is because:

• You’re not sure you need to create legal documents;
• You don’t understand the whole concept;
• The subject matter is confusing and/or intimidating;
• You do not know where to begin;
• You believe Estate Planning is only for the very wealthy;
• You feel intimidated by legalese;
• You don’t want to think about death and dying;
• You do not have a partner.

This post is the first in a series of easy-to-understand articles -- written in plain English -- that will put to rest the concerns that we’ve outlined above.

Naturally, no one wants to think about illness, death and dying – especially when it comes to our own lives and those of our loved ones.

But because we are unwilling to think about the hard stuff, an alarming number of gays and lesbians have put off getting their legal ducks in a row.

Statistics show that 7 out of 10 Americans – in general -- do not have a Last Will. We believe the number is much higher in the LGBTQ community.

This is especially alarming given that – unlike heterosexual married spouses -- committed gay and lesbian partners have NO built-in legal protections. Sadly, as a result of this disparity, many will lose property, children, hospital visitation and the right to make medical and financial decisions as well as rights to arrange for burial, cremation and organ donation for our partners.

And all of that pain and suffering could easily be avoided by writing down our wishes in advance!

In short, PLANNING for the inevitable is not about death and dying. It is about life and love.

I. Estate Planning 101

Today’s article will focus on “Estate Planning,” which is just a high falutin’ way of describing a written plan to make sure, after you die, your assets (the stuff you own) passes in an orderly and efficient manner to the person, persons or organizations you name. Estate Planning documents include (but are not limited to) Wills, Trusts, and Powers of Attorney.

I guess we really need to start at the beginning by dissecting the phrase ‘Estate Planning’ which is pompous sounding in and of itself…

A. What is an Estate?

The very word ‘Estate’ conjures up images of mansions and limos. If that is so, why would little ole you -- driving around in your Subaru and owning or renting a modest home – ever need to think about let alone plan for something you don’t even have?

Well, if you own anything at all – whether it be real estate a bank account, a mutual fund, stocks, bonds, a car, jewelry, furniture – or even if you only own the toaster-oven you received as your "coming out" gift -- then you – in fact – have an ESTATE!

Another way of looking at it is this:

While you are living, if you want to get rid of all or some of your stuff, you simply sell it at a yard, garage or moving sale. Once you are dead, someone else will sell that very same stuff at an Estate sale.

Thus, the word ‘estate’ merely describes the stuff you own at the time of your death – in other words your assets – no matter how much or how little you own.

B. What is a Plan?

Encarta Dictionary defines a plan as “a scheme, program, or method worked out beforehand for the accomplishment of an objective: as a plan of attack.”

If you do not have your own written plan in place, your state’s law has provided one for you. And the plan that your state’s legislature has enacted (unless you live in Massachusetts) grants ALL rights to your legal relatives and NO rights to your partner.

For the purpose of Estate Planning, a Last Will and Testament and a Living Revocable Trust provides you with the opportunity to do the following (this list is not all inclusive):

• Name your partner (or someone else you trust) as your Successor Trustee (the person who takes over the management of your property -- financial and otherwise – through your Trust when you die or become incapacitated) and Personal Representative (the person who will settle or administer your ‘estate’ through your Will after you die – a.k.a. "executor");
• Name the people you want to inherit all or some of your estate;
• Disinherit (leave out) people who would otherwise – by law – have a right to inherit your estate.

Other documents (i.e. Advance Directives) give you an opportunity to name one or more person – in advance -- who will make medical and financial decisions for you if you become incapacitated:

• A Living Will allows you to decide what medical treatment you wish to receive – or not – when you are at the end of your life with no hope of recovery;
• A Durable Power of Attorney lets you appoint someone to manage your financial accounts;
• A Disposition of Remains gives you an opportunity to name the person you want to have rights to take possession of your ashes or make funeral or other arrangements after your death.

These documents (as well as others which are listed and discussed in detail here) provide you with an opportunity to make an already difficult period less stressful for your loved ones.

It may seem like a hassle to take time to do this but if you do not do it now, your failure to act may cause severe pain to your partner and/possibly your children who may lost their home and most if not all of their assets.

C. How do I Make an Estate Plan?

Once you have decided that you will create Estate Planning documents, your biggest challenge is getting up the gumption to do the work that is required to make your plan effective.

First: Make a list of the stuff you own – your ‘assets.’ A good first step is to sit down and make a list of all your valuable stuff – real estate, personal property, financial assets, etc. If you have a partner, you both need to do this -- together or apart. Put the list in writing. Next, separate the list into three columns, one list will include property that is owned by you, a second list is made of property owned by your partner and a third list of jointly owned property.

Second: Talk about your plan with your partner. After the lists are made, the fun really begins -- you need to talk to each other about your stuff. How will your stuff be divided if you split? Who will inherit your stuff when you die? Do you want our partner to inherit everything? What is your partner dies before you? What if you die together? Try to anticipate all possible scenarios and hammer out a plan for what you want to do with your stuff in case each scenario becomes a reality. This conversation can be very difficult. Don’t let that keep you from going forward with your need to get all your ducks in a row!

Third: Make a list of your ‘cast of characters.’ Who do you want to inherit your stuff and who will you put in charge of making decisions about your health care and finances? List their names! Perhaps you want your partner to make medical and financial decisions for you if you become disabled – or maybe you would rather ask a trusted friend or family member to do so. Think about the possibility that the people on your list will predecease you – who would you want to take their share or make decisions in their place? Collect and make a note of the addresses and phone numbers of all of the people on your list.

Fourth: Talk to those people are naming as a ‘decision-maker.’ This is a great responsibility and you do not want to surprise this person someday with a burden they may not want to carry. Ask if they understand what you would like them to do and if they are willing to do so.

Fifth: Make a plan for your dependents – your children and/or pets. Who will care for them after you are gone? What can you do to provide financial support to whomever will care for them? Who will be your second choice if your first choice is unable to care for them?

Sixth: Tell important people in your life that you have created these documents. The last thing you would wish on your partner is to have disgruntled family members fighting over decision making powers and/or inheritance rights at this very stressful time -- especially since you will not be around to able to defend your wishes! We recommend that you personally tell your family and close friends you have signed these documents. Give copies to a clergy member or close friend who may be able to intervene calmly on your behalf. If you do this you will no doubt greatly ease the burdens of your partner and family who will be trying to care for you or are grieving your death.

II. Example of List Making Worksheets:

A. List 1: My Stuff, Your Stuff, Our Stuff:

List your valuable assets (include separate a space each for your stuff, your partner’s stuff and jointly owned stuff). Valuable assets may include real estate, automobiles, collections (books, art, music, etc.), antiques, family heirlooms, bank accounts, life insurance, etc. But, NOT your socks or toothbrush!

B. List 2: Your ‘Cast of Characters’

Who will make decisions for your health care and finances and who will inherit your estate? Get their full, legal names as well as their current contact information. In case your first choice predeceases (dies before) you, name an alternate for each person on your list. Also list those people you want to disinherit.

C. List 3: Your Partner’s List:

Your partner (if you have one) should also make a Cast of Characters and an assets list. If you do not make your lists together, you should at least go over them to make sure that you are both on the same page. If there are misunderstandings, now would be the time to lay them to rest!

Take the next few days to complete these tasks and then come back next Monday for the next installment in the Get All Your Ducks in a Row series!

In the upcoming issues we will provide in depth information about the legal documents you need to protect your relationship and you rights as well as discussing important topics like what to do after your partner dies and how to deal with a break-up. Other topics will include how to plan for children, how to save your home from government taking, and what to do when you partner says “if you love me you’ll put my name on the deed!”

In the meantime, let us know if you have a specific topic you want us to write about!

See you soon!

Not the Be All And ENDAll, But Better Than Nothing

Today -- or at the latest, tomorrow -- the full House of Representatives will vote on whether or not to extend protections from employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The bill, known as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007 (ENDA), prohibits employment discrimination against an individual on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation by employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, or joint labor-management committees.

Contrary to the lies being spread by anti-equality wing-nuts, the Bill does NOT extend preferential treatment to LGB employees. In other words, there are no "special rights."

And, despite what they are saying otherwise, religious organizations and the US military are free to go on discriminating against us with abandon!

If you ever said to yourself, "I want to make a difference" -- now is your BIG opportunity!

There is a good chance this legislation will pass but first we must overcome the objections raised by the hundreds of thousands of bigoted sheeple who will also -- upon orders from their leaders -- be writing and calling to attempt to defeat this legislation.

ENDA may not be the be all and ENDAll but it is just one more rail on the track to equal rights.

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE RIGHT NOW!

It's so easy, even a caveman can do it!

Peddling Hate: From Sea to Shining Sea

On the West Coast, in Everett Washington, the anti-gay group known as the "Watchmen on the Walls" is convening for the weekend to brainstorm with other homophobes, hoping to come up with new and more effective measures to bribe lawmakers into enacting legislation that denies legal rights and protections to the LGBTQ Community.

If these folks were just some wing-nut fringe group that the mainstream media and politicians ignored, a gathering such as this may not be worth reporting.

Unfortunately, the "Watchmen" are just one of many other organizations with a similar purpose who largely control the Republican party and hold sway over many Democrats as well.

On the East Coast, (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) the Values Voter Summit (also known as the Religious Right's Super Bowl weekend) is expected to help the wing-nuts hone in on which candidate best represents their convoluted and hypocritical pro-war, anti-stem-cell research, anti-contraceptive, anti-choice, anti gay adoption, anti-Marriage Equality, pro-gun, pro-death penalty, anti-children's health care, anti-welfare, anti-science, stance.

No wonder these people are having a hard time finding a candidate that is able to twist himself into such strange positions that he will be un-electable in the general election.

In order to woo these crazies, Republicans have to lie about supporting issues that will turn off all of the rest of us.

Take Romney, for example, who made the following statement when he was running for the Senate in Massachusetts against Ted Kennedy:

"I had a dear, close family relative who was very close to me [who died from an illegal abortion] and I promise I will not force my beliefs on others on that matter. And you will not see me wavering on that.”

Oh, really?

How interesting... since Romney recently proclaimed:

“I am pro-family on every level, from personal to political... as President, I will oppose abortion in military clinics, oppose funding abortion in international aid programs and I will work to ban embryonic cloning.”

He's not only a liar, he's a flip-flopping liar.

Even though Romney and the other candidates are willing to lie through their teeth to win the Republican nomination, the wing-nuts are still not satisfied with the field of candidates.

Of the Democrats, only Kucinich and Gravel are in support of full legal equality.

Hillary, Obama and Edwards all say they oppose our right to be treated as full citizens.

What a sorry state we are in today!

As 50+ year old women, we are disgusted that we are treated like children -- forced to beg abusive adults for rights and privileges that should be ours simply by virtue of our citizenship!

It is humiliating and degrading to be put in this juxtaposition against a gang of thugs who claim the Earth is 6,000 years old, that God created the Earth in 6 days, that dinosaurs lived on the Earth with humans, and that Global War and Global Warming are all necessary precursors to the second coming of Christ at which time the believers will be raptured up and the rest of us will be "left behind."

We say, good riddance. Why wait for the rapture?

If these crazies really hate social and legal progress, they should flock together like the sheeple they are and found another country where they can create their Earthly utopia.

If that ever happens, we give them 2 years before they start to create cliques which eventually turn on others....

Sheesh.

Are you For Us or Against Us?

The way we see it, there are (generally speaking) three primary factions in the LGBTQ equal rights debate:

1. For total and utter legal equality;
2. Against any rights, protections or benefits that “reward” sinful (i.e. homosexual) behavior;
3. On the fence or for some but not all rights, benefits and protections for LGBTQ people.
   

A. If you are in the pro-equality camp you probably:

• Are a happy and emotionally healthy LGBTQ person; or
• A straight ally who has LGBTQ friends, neighbors and/or loved ones; and/or
• Are generally progressive leaning regarding your political and spiritual pursuits; and/or
• Believe the Constitution guarantees equal treatment of all citizens.
  

And more than likely you believe:

• Homosexuality is a trait that is determined at birth (or in the uterus) and that environment and experiences have little, if anything,0 to do with it;
• Homosexuality is anormal, human trait that is also found in many animal species;
• That LGBTQ families – partners and children – deserve the same rights and benefits that are currently available to every other American citizen;
• That laws that protect the rights of LGBTQ people from discrimination in the workplace, in housing and in the military are necessary and just;
• That schools, medical facilities, businesses and other institutions must be free to educate the public about LGBTQ people in order to undo the legal and emotional harm caused by false and negative stereotypes about gay men and lesbians;

You are now and probably will always be an ally.

B. If you are in opposition to rights for LGBTQ people, you probably believe homosexuality:

• Is a sin that God abhors (although “He” loves the sinner);
• Is a behavior that one may choose or not choose to engage in;
• Is caused by poor parenting or a bad sexual experience -- rape, child molestation, etc.;
• Is a Demonic Possession;
• Is unnatural, abnormal and deviant;
• Is not a class of people whose members are discriminated against and/or specifically targeted for violence or ridicule and therefore not deserving of “special rights”;
• Should not entitle couples to equal marriage rights for fear that doing so will weaken or is threatening to “Traditional Marriage”;
• Should not be tolerated and that those who “choose” the “lifestyle” should not be allowed to parent or to teach children because they may recruit or molest them;
• Should result in an automatic expulsion or prohibition from military service

Then chances are you are one of the following:

• A right-wing, so-called “christian” conservative;
• A politician using fear of a despised and misunderstood minority group to get or keep power and influence;
• A religious “leader” who knows that preaching hate against LGBTQ people is the best way to yourself;
• A self-hating LGBTQ person who feels trapped in a closet of their own making and therefore is determined to punish other LGBTQ people for having the audacity to live out in the open and proud;
• Someone who just does not know a LGBTQ person.

You may never be free from your own narrow world view to open your mind to other possibilities. Even so, to some extent we will never give up on the idea that someday the truth might break-through.

C. And lastly maybe you are on the fence or unsure about whether all rights should be extended. Perhaps you have had so much misinformation thrown at you that you are just not sure what is and what is not true. If so, there is hope you may be open to seeing things from our perspective.

Wherever you stand, here are a few facts to ponder:

1. The Constitution prohibits a governing system based on any particular religion;

• The framers of the Constitution were well aware of the dangers of a religious based legal system and so they designed a constitutional protection that creates a wall of separation between political and spiritual or religious pursuits;
• Justifications for the institution of slavery and the notion that women were the property of men with no citizenship rights were also based on Biblical principals yet we now understand those concepts were abhorrent to a free and open society;
• Any law that is written and/or enforced strictly because it adhere to an interpretation of Biblical principals is more than likely unconstitutional on its face.
  

2. The New Testament is silent on the issue of homosexuality and in fact the subject was never mentioned by Jesus.

• The Old Testament has been interpreted from many ancient languages and to this very day Biblical scholars are still arguing over the true meaning and translation of words and phrases;
• In addition to sanctions against a man lying with another man, the Bible also says that God abhors and will punish those who wear clothing made of different cloth or who commit adultery;
  
• Why cherry-pick the Biblical law that mentions homosexuality and not other, equally abominations or sins?

3. Homosexuality is perfectly natural. In fact, homosexuality is found in thousands of other species (see: Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity and The Natural "Crime Against Nature").

4. Granting rights especially marriage – to homosexual couples poses NO threat to “traditional” marriage, nor does it destabilize society.

• Marriage has been evolving since the dawn of time and has only recently been available to the unwashed masses;
• Divorce rates are at an all-time high;
• The same argument was made to justify laws that prevented bi-racial couples from marrying;
• If society benefits from marriage by creating stable family units upon which society and the economy depend, then it is in the best interest of society to encourage the establishment of these stable relationships for all citizens;

5. Civil Marriage in America is now and has always been a contract, regulated by the laws and ultimately enforceable by the state, that spells out property relations between the spouses, as well as their inheritance rights and those of their children.

• Therefore, marriage is intrinsically a governmental concern;Religious organizations have always had and will always have the constitutional right (see the first amendment) to determine who may or may not benefit from a religious wedding ceremony.

6. Politicians, some religious leaders and people in power generally love to use fear to control people. If they can keep us busy fighting amongst ourselves they can get away with almost anything. And, if they get you scared enough, maybe you’ll vote for them or send money to them so that they will keep you safe from all those mean and scary gays and lesbians.

• The negative stereotypes used by politicians, religious leaders and the media often deal with effeminate gay men and butch lesbians running around molesting children and having sex with as many strangers as possible. Nothing could be further from the truth;
  

• When you understand how mundane and ordinary our lives really are, then you might not be afraid and therefore they might not get your vote or your money;
  

• Thus it benefits those seeking power and money to use images of half-naked drunken men on a gay pride parade float rather than focusing on the boring, middle-class couple, living in the suburbs raising 2 kids;
  

• When you see images of wild heterosexual men and women celebrating Mardi Gras, chances are you do not believe that these people live their everyday lives acting like a bunch of crazy lunatics;

7. Equal marriage rights is not about sex.

• It is about love, commitment and caring for your family;
  

• When you get invited to a wedding, you go to celebrate and witness a promise of a life-long commitment between two people in love. If they are married in a church or at the office of a government official, the legal results are the same. The couple is automatically honored with rights, benefits and protections that did not exist before they uttered “I do.”

• Chances are, while the vows are being spoken, the last thing on your mind is sex;

• And, when you celebrate your Grandparents’ 50^th wedding anniversary, you are absolutely NOT thinking about them having sex!
  

• That’s because you are celebrating their years together, as a married couple. You celebrate this because they have (hopefully) kept their promises to each other throughout the years;
  

• We do not celebrate the number of years we’ve been having sex, do we?
  

• So, stop thinking about sex when you think about gay and lesbian couples wanting to honor and respect their significant other!
  

• Remember, we have much more in common than we have differences.
  

If you already support our rights for legal equality, thanks! We really depend on our straight allies because there are not that many of us! Please sign the petition and let your voice be heard!

If you were on the fence, we hope this article has helped you see things just a little bit differently.

And if you were firmly in the opposition, we hope you will consider what we have said here with an open mind.

Conservative Contortions

We find it infuriating to read headlines like this:

After Vetoing Gay Marriage Bill, Schwarzenegger Signs 4 Other LGBT Laws

It is frustrating to see elected officials trying to have it both ways; not wanting to "seem" overly supportive in order to be unoffensive to the wing-nut bigots while at the same time, throwing out scraps to "the gays" so the official we will be more acceptable to their saner constituents.

Especially when you consider that a law granting us the right to marry would end the need to create a complicated tapestry of benefits and protections that only highlight our difference and create a legal purgatory.

If you want to send Schwarzenegger and your own state's elected officials a message that you can see through their little facade, please sign the marriage equality petition and we will pass it on!

What's the catch?

We get asked this question quite often:

How can Rainbow Law make such high quality legal documents for FREE? What’s the catch?

Well, there is no catch!

We are a lesbian couple with children and grandchildren who live in a state that does not provide legal rights and protections for our family. We understand the need for legal documents that create rights and benefits that the law does not provide. Furthermore, we have the skill and knowledge to provide this service to our community and it pleases us to do so.

We also create affordable legal document packages that provide further and more elaborate protections – i.e. inheritance rights, rights to raise children, rights to make decisions about funeral arrangements, and more.

The money we receive from donations (funding 75% of our budget) and the sale of affordable legal document packages (supplying 25% of our budget) allows us to provide state specific Advance Directives at no charge to the LGBTQ Community.

Why do we work so hard to find a way to make Rainbow Law Advance Directives free?

Because we don't believe LGBTQ families should have to pay for such basic and fundamental legal rights when those rights are automatically granted to heterosexual married couples – free of charge – simply because they are married in the eyes of the law.

You should not have to spend a fortune (and some attorneys charge huge sums of money) to buy something that you deserve – just like every other American citizen.

LGBTQ people are not asking for anything more than what is promised and delivered to everyone else.

It does not cost the government one-red-cent to grant us the right to be present in our partner’s hospital room – or to make decisions about our partner’s health care and finances. Yet we are denied those rights by elected officials who base their votes and policy decisions on an illegal religious test (for that is what is behind anti-gay legislation) that creates a second class of citizenship for same-sex couples.

It is degrading and infuriating to be told that we have no right to choose and protect our family!

Rainbow Law – Carrie and Elisia -- are determined to stand with you in our struggle against inequality and for full rights as US citizens – including the right to marry.

In order to be able to continue our work, we need your help.

We are in our Fall Fundraising Season and need to raise $30,000 by December 21, 2007 so that we can carry on for another year.

If you believe in us and think what we are doing is valuable, PLEASE donate even a small amount to show your support!

This year, we are offering some cool gifts in exchange for your donation so we hope you’ll take a look and help us continue to help you!

Elisia & Carrie Ross-Stone
Co-Founders of Rainbow Law

Poor Little Rich Boy

After yesterday’s post entitled Give the Underdogs a Bone, we received several comments accusing us of wanting “special rights” for LGBTQ people.

Needless to say, most of the negative comments were from “straight” White men.

The Constitution and every one of our original civil and criminal laws, including the tax code, were written with the purpose and intention of benefiting and protecting the rights and privileges of White, wealthy Christian, heterosexual, able-bodied men.

Every citizen who is NOT White, wealthy, Christian, heterosexual, able-bodied or male – which is most of us – have had to scratch and claw our way under the umbrella of legal rights, benefits and protections – many of which are paid for by our tax dollars.

There are a couple of ways to accomplished this:

1. We can use our literal majority (there are more of us than them) to forcibly take our share by revolting, rioting, looting and terrorizing, or
2. We could petition the Government, vote, lobby, protest, and do everything within the law to try to try force those with power to share it.
   

We always choose option 2., with varying degrees of success!

Either way, whichever method we use to fight against power and privilege, we seem to rile up folks who are offended by our audacity -- how dare we even try to achieve equality!

Apparently, to them -- whether violent or non-violent -- we are a threat.

Speaking of White, wealthy, Christian, “heterosexual” men, we heard MSNBC’s Tucker Carlson say something extremely hypocritical on his show last week and we wanted to call him out on it (no pun intended – OK, we intended a pun).

But first, a bit of background on Carlson, who grew up steeped in wealth and privilege:

“[Carlson] is a son of Richard Warner Carlson, a former banker, Los Angeles local news anchor, U.S. ambassador to the Seychelles, director of the U.S. Information Agency, and president of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. His mother is the former Patricia Caroline Swanson. He has one sibling, Buckley Swanson Peck Carlson. Carlson's maternal grandmother, Roberta Fulbright Swanson, was a sister of U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright, while his Swedish immigrant great-grandfather Carl A. Carlson founded Swanson, the frozen-foods conglomerate.
Carlson attended St. George's School, a boarding school in Middletown, Rhode Island. After graduation, he majored in history at the private liberal arts Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, but did not receive a degree."

A right-wing conservative (he says he is a Libertarian but his words belie that claim), Carlson often can be heard railing against the evils of “big” Government programs that purport to help the poor. He decries what he calls “special rights” for minorities – especially the poor, women, Blacks and gays.

Carlson, age 38, has his own hour-long talk show on MSNBC - a job we are sure he earned by working harder than any of the other millions of journalism students who put themselves through college and managed to graduate!

Each weekday, Carlson has access to a megaphone which he uses to broadcast his opinion -- no doubt based on his vast worldly experience -- to millions of viewers.

But we digress. Back to the point of this post…

On Wednesday, September 26, Carlson and guests were discussing the case of the Jena Six (6 Black Louisiana teens arrested for attempted murder after beating up a White teen because a noose was hung in a tree at the school all of the boys attend).

Carlson was upset over the fact that thousands of civil rights marchers had gathered in Jena to protest the disparity of treatment toward these Black boys who were charged with attempted murder for a school-yard fight and where one had already been tried, convicted and sentenced to 22 years in prison. The jury was all White as were the judge and prosecutor in the case.

Carlson just couldn’t wrap his little wealthy, privileged, White male mind around the reason people were protesting:

“Here‘s a very simple question. Which is—I think hanging a noose is... disgusting. However is that worse than violence? People are acting like that‘s worse than violence. Violence is always the worst thing, is it not?”

Interesting to hear Carlson opine that violence is never called for – no matter the provocation.

Especially given that only a few months ago, he admitted that while in high school, he and another friend bashed a gay man who “bothered” him in a men’s room in Georgetown.

Watch:



Please email Carlson and demand that – on the air – he explain the discrepancy between his calls for a non-violent reaction to a race-based hate crime and his own violent reaction to a proposition by a gay (according to Carlson) man!

Let’s make this post GO VIRAL! Add your own comment, pass it on to everyone you know and ask them to do the same!

We know you can do it! Help us make Carlson explain himself!

The Matthew Shepard Act

The Matthew Shepard Act -- which when passed will (among other things) expand the existing hate crimes law to "authorize the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute certain bias-motivated crimes based on the victim's actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability."

Current law only includes race, color, religion or national origin.

The Act passed in the House last May and since then has been languishing in the Senate. If it passes in both houses, President Bush has threatened a veto.

This proposed legislation has created another opportunity for the religious right to bash the so-called "homosexual agenda." It also proves that they have no intention to ever give the LGBTQ Community access to even the most humane and fundamental legal protection -- the right to be free from violence for being who we are.

Whenever someone argues that it is merely the equal marriage issue that riles up the wing-nuts, tell them about Rod Parsley, the evangelical mega-church preacher whose book, Silent No More, sells three for $10 in the front lobby of Hope Christian's 3,000-member church. A chapter entitled "The Unhappy Gay Agenda" argues that gay people are much given to depression and deviance, including their "substantially higher participation in sadomasochism, fisting, bestiality, ingestion of feces, orgies … obscene phone calls … shoplifting, and tax cheating."

"Homosexuality is not just sick," writes Parsley, "it is sin."

And Bishop Harry Jackson of Maryland's Hope Christian Church who recently wrote:

"The gay community, with the help of the liberal media, has worked strategically on a P.R. campaign to make Americans comfortable with homosexuality. From the slightly effeminate male assistant to the first gay marriage ceremony on television, American audiences have watched homosexual themes creep into their lives."

Clearly, these "Christian" men and their disciples of hate don't want to extend to you the right to be free from violence.

According to Princeton University Professor Cornell West, these preachers have been "inundating the media and faith communities with the message that this legislation will allow police to storm into worship services and arrest clergy if they speak against being gay. They make the incendiary allegation that the bill will create "thought crimes" by punishing people for thinking ill of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

The truth is that the Matthew Shepard Act protects all First Amendment rights. And, although that is a given, this bill goes out of its way to protect the free speech of ministers. Those pastors who wish to continue condemning and dehumanizing the gay community will be free to do so.

The hate crimes bill provides resources for the investigation of violent actions - not beliefs, thoughts, or words. The proposed federal statute does not punish nor prohibit free expression of one's religious beliefs. As University of Chicago law professor Geoffrey R. Stone recently concluded, "The argument of the pastors that the proposed legislation in any way threatens their right to preach their version of the Gospel is, to be frank, ridiculous."

Despite the ridiculousness of their claims, the powerful and cash-rich antigay lobby continues to mold opinion against this legislation with fear and falsehoods. Leaders like Jackson have used provocative "thought crime" arguments to obscure the truth that, according to the FBI, 1,017 people were the targets of violent crimes in 2005 because of their sexual orientation.

Their rhetoric steals attention away from the stories of gay couples being viciously beaten for holding each other's hand in public or a flight attendant sought out to be heinously murdered simply because he was gay.

These preachers don't care to hear the thousands of stories of lives and communities scarred by antigay violence. And, conveniently, those who bring up the reality that the Matthew Shepard Act is a constitutional and important means to prevent antigay violence are labeled by these clergy as "anti-Christian." The good intentions of this legislation have been greeted by malice by these manipulators of fact.

The efforts of antigay preachers and their supporters is not the way to create the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision of a "Beloved Community" - where we all strive to treat each other with respect and compassion.

The way to start building such a community is to listen to the words of Gordon Smith, the Republican senator from Oregon who is cosponsoring the Matthew Shepard Act. Before his fellow senators, Smith declared, "I believe that the moral imperative that underpins hate crimes legislation is simply this, and it comes from sacred writ: that when people are being stoned in the public square, we ought to come to their rescue."

In supporting the noble imperatives of the Matthew Shepard Act, we all have the chance to work toward a community that protects and respects the lives and dignity of all citizens instead of bows to falsehoods and bigotry.

Please contact your Senator today and ask that they ignore the hateful rhetoric and do the right thing. Pass the Matthew Shepard Act with a veto proof margin.

Getting Stoned

Well, they'll stone ya when you're trying to be so good,
They'll stone ya just a-like they said they would.
They'll stone ya when you're tryin' to go home.
Then they'll stone ya when you're there all alone.
But I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.

Bob Dylan

Yesterday, Iranian President Ahmadinejad proclaimed there are "no homosexuals in Iran."

This may be true since Iranian law is governed by Islamic (Sharia) law -- or God's law as it is written in the Koran.

Since the Koran (like the Old Testament of the Bible) calls for the stoning to death of gays and lesbians – simply for BEING gay or lesbian, it should come as no surprise that Iranian gays and lesbians try to stay invisible.

And, it logically follows that, except for God himself, what is not visible does not exist!

In America, at this writing, LGBTQ people have the right to live. Of course we are still struggling for certain rights – for example, equality -- but we are able to walk around without the expectation of being stoned to death for being out and open.

That being said, it is important that we remain vigilant to the real threat that there IS a very strong movement in the US to shift our form of government from the secular to a Christian Nation governed by Biblical law.

President Bush has even instituted in his administration, a department of Faith Based Communities Initiatives (FBCI) to “level the playing field” so that religious organizations have equal access to Federal funds.

Never mind that the FBCI is in direct conflict with the Constitutional directive to maintain a separation between matters of State and Church.

The founders of our Republic had a good reason for their desire to create a wall between the function of government and religious belief:

“The religious persecution that drove settlers from Europe to the British North American colonies sprang from the conviction, held by Protestants and Catholics alike, that uniformity of religion must exist in any given society. This conviction rested on the belief that there was one true religion and that it was the duty of the civil authorities to impose it, forcibly if necessary, in the interest of saving the souls of all citizens. Nonconformists could expect no mercy and were executed as heretics.”

Today, the LGBTQ Community has good reason to fear the reemergence of a Christian Nation. If you haven’t read the Bible – especially the Old Testament – you may not know what is in store – not just for gays and lesbians – but for all Americans who eat pork, wear clothes made of different cloth, commit adultery, and experience other mundane and everyday happenings.

Ahmadinejad’s words should stand as a reminder that we must not take our role as citizens lightly.

Every one of us has much to lose when we do not act on our rights as citizens.

For decades, Americans have been dumbed-down to such an extent that we do not know and are not even taught, our civic and political history. Most Americans have never read the Constitution and therefore they are unaware of the rights and freedoms that are slipping away.

Those in power do not want us to understand our history. They prefer to “encase and concretize the human mind in an intellectual penitentiary” so that citizens will not know whether or when to rise up.

We are caught in a cycle of sound-bites and catch phrases that allow us to drift ever closer to a theocratic governing system.

We watch American Idol and are willing to lose our rights, liberties and freedoms as long as the government is doing so in an effort to “keep us safe.”

The questions that need to be asked are:

• Do you place a desire to be entertained and feelings of (false) security over liberty and freedom?
  

• If so, are you willing to go back to the stoned-age?

Still Dreaming...

In 1963, at a rally following a civil rights march on Washington DC, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. The organizer of that 1963 rally was Bayard Rustin, a gay man and friend of MLK.

Yesterday, in Jena Louisiana, LGBTQ leaders again joined with the Black Community to stand against racial inequality, hatred and oppression. We wholeheartedly support that action and oppose race-based discrimination of any kind.

Although many Black leaders refuse to stand up for our rights for what they claim are religious and moral reasons, we know that those who oppress Blacks use the same reasoning to justify oppressing and discriminating against the LGBTQ Community.

All discrimination is based on fear of the unknown. That fear is easily manipulated by those who stand to gain power and money from exploiting "difference" and encouraging hatred.

Even though some Blacks, some Hispanics, some Muslims and some Jews feel obligated to climb on to the homophobic bandwagon and join the gay-bashing bunch, we understand that they do so out of ignorance.

Nevertheless, we will continue to oppose inequality and injustice wherever we see it because, as a very wise man once said, "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Thus, like King, we long for a world where all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion or sexual orientation, are treated as whole and equal human beings. That day will come only when people realize we are not all that different from one another.

Next month, on October 11, we will celebrate National Coming Out Day.

This day is our opportunity to introduce our true selves to our friends, co-workers and family. By coming out and being proud of who we are and who we love, our lives become irrefutable evidence that hate-mongers are lying about our community and our agenda.

Out in the open -- in the light of day -- they will be outed as bigots as more and more people see that we pose no threat, no harm to anyone.

And remember, even though it may feel as though we are not supported by Civil Rights leaders, that too, is a lie since many prominent Blacks have had the courage to speak out for our rights.

Just as we speak out for theirs.

Your Gay Life

The RAINBOWbLAWg is "taking off" and our posts are being picked up and published as articles on news sites like Op-Ed News and One Thousand Reasons.

One editor suggested we continue to write articles with an LGBTQ focus and of course we are happy to oblige!

Our aim is to inform and educate about issues in such a way that is not always reflected in the mainstream media and by other bloggers.

And, since nothing is more powerful than a true-life story, we want to weave real stories about real people into our articles.

With that in mind, we hope some of you are willing to share stories (yours or others that you are aware of) of unequal treatment and/or other situations that reflect your lack of access to laws and protections for you and your loved ones.

Perhaps you were discriminated at work, by your family, your neighbors or something else. If you have children, maybe they were teased or hurt in some way?

Have you lost custody or visitation? Were you denied housing?

Were you kept out of your partner's hospital room? Did you lose property in a "divorce" or after a partner died?

We think your story is vitally important to the struggle for equality and we will be happy to include it in order to illustrate the points we are trying to make about how LGBTQ people are negatively impacted in our daily lives.

If you have a story you want to share with us, please let us know.

If you prefer to remain anonymous, we will absolutely respect your privacy and will not identify you in any way.

Thanks for your help!

Carrie & Elisia