Dear R. Zeke,
The 108th Congress convened on January 7, 2003, and the Human Rights Campaign is looking forward to continuing its work with members of Congress and the federal government to advance equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. Issues that HRC will continue to focus on include: workplace fairness, hate crime violence, and issues that affect our families.
As members of Congress introduce bills, HRC will send action alerts asking you to take action in support of those bills at the Action Center. To read more about these issues, please visit the HRC website and click on "Issues and Legislation."
We hope you enjoy this issue of HRC's Political Equality Update.
Sincerely,
Seth Kilbourn
National Field Director
Winnie Stachelberg
Political Director
HRC Welcomes 108th Congress at Swearing-In Ceremony
Human Rights Campaign Executive Director Elizabeth Birch and Political Director Winnie Stachelberg led a group of HRC policy advocates to the swearing-in ceremonies on Jan. 7 for members of the 108th Congress. Highlighting the start of the new Congress was Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who was sworn in as House minority leader, the first woman elected to lead either party in Congress. With a 100 percent rating on HRC’s scorecard for each year she’s been in Congress, Pelosi is highly lauded by the Human Rights Campaign. HRC-endorsee Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio, also began her work as the new chair of the House Republican Conference.
HRC looks forward to working with Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., who was elected Senate majority leader following the resignation of Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss. Frist has shown a keen interest in the fight against HIV/AIDS throughout his career as a physician and a senator, including working to reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act in 2000. HRC looks forward to working with him on HIV/AIDS and other issues of equality affecting the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Birch spoke with Frist during Tuesday's proceedings. In addition to the new congressional leaders, HRC welcomes all its new friends and old allies in Congress to continue the fight for GLBT civil rights.
For a complete listing of new congressional members, see the
“Lobby Your Congressperson” section below.
New Year's Hate Crimes Draw Media and Congressional Attention
Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights groups and other civil rights groups denounced a New Year's Eve shooting in South Beach, Fla. Two men face attempted murder-hate crimes charges after shouting an anti-gay slur before allegedly shooting Earnest Robinson, 23, in the shoulder. The men thought that the victim was a woman and shot Robinson after they discovered he was biologically a man. "They thought I was something I wasn't," said Robinson. "I said, 'Leave me alone. I'm a man.'"
After learning of the attack, Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., made a statement Jan. 9, 2003, to the Congressional Record about the crime and called again for the passage of federal hate crimes legislation. Smith was a leading sponsor of the 107th Congress’s Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, a bill that would amend current hate crimes law by adding real or perceived sexual orientation, disability and gender to the 34-year-old law. At the start of the 108th Congress last week, Smith spoke about the hate crimes legislation as an important priority in a civil rights context. "As we move through these early weeks of the 108th Congress, I call on all my colleagues to consider hate crime legislation as a way to move forward on civil rights issues that are so important in our democratic society," he said.
In an unrelated incident, two men in New York were charged with a hate crime in Haverstraw, N.Y., after allegedly breaking into a man's home and beating him because he is gay, according to The Journal News of Westchester County. The men allegedly used anti-gay epithets as they kicked in the door of the victim's home and then began punching him in the face and upper body. The case marks the first Rockland County prosecution based on sexual orientation bias under the state's hate crimes law. The law passed in October 2000.
Meanwhile, HRC and civil rights allies have been meeting with Smith's staff and other key allies on Capitol Hill to prepare for reintroduction of the hate crimes legislation in the 108th Congress.
HRC Reaffirms Opposition to Pickering Nomination
After careful review and consideration of Mississippi Judge Charles Pickering’s record, HRC strongly restated its opposition to his nomination to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Pickering's career has been punctuated by racial divisiveness and publicly shared anti-gay sentiments.
In a 1984 speech before the Mississippi Southern Baptist Convention, Pickering lumped homosexuality with other social problems, according to The Clarion Ledger, a Jackson, Miss., newspaper. "We, as Southern Baptists, should lead the way in strengthening traditional moral values," he said, adding that society has been degraded by such things as pornography, homosexuality and divorce.
As the gay community is often targeted for hate violence, HRC is particularly concerned about Pickering's handling of a 1994 Justice Department hate crime incident involving three men who burned an 8-foot cross on the lawn of an interracial family while using racial epithets. The family had been a frequent target of harassment in their small rural town -- experiencing bullets fired into their home and "KKK" painted nearby on the street. Nonetheless, when sentencing one of the defendants, Pickering gave what was considered a lenient sentence for the cross-burning. Pickering explained that the sentence was in order to “make the punishment commensurate with the drunken prank that I think it was, even though it did have racial overtones.”
Read HRC’s press release on Pickering
HRC Updates Parenting Laws Database
HRC FamilyNet updated its nationwide database of adoption, custody and surrogacy laws this month. For detailed information about parenting laws in your state, visit the HRC FamilyNet database of parenting laws.
Illinois: Springfield City Council Adds Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity to Human Rights Ordinance
The Springfield, Ill., City Council passed an amendment Jan. 7 to the city's human rights ordinance that adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected categories. Eight members voted for the measure, one voted present and only one voted against the measure. Jane Feagans-King, a Springfield resident and HRC volunteer, testified at the hearing and worked to organize citizens to contact their City Council members in support of the amendment. HRC sent Springfield residents an e-mail action alert to to generate volunteers and testimony. Additionally, HRC Executive Director Elizabeth Birch sent a letter to the City Council in support of the amendment.
"The council's vote is a reflection of the incredible job done by the GLBT and affirming community of Springfield. In the end, the eight members of the council who voted 'yes' were able to view this as an issue of basic fairness and equality,” said Feagans-King. “We hope this sends a message that discrimination will not be tolerated in Springfield."
Iowa: Civil Rights Commission Pre-Files Non-Discrimination Bill
The Iowa Civil Rights Commission pre-filed a bill with the Iowa Legislative Bureau that would make discrimination based on sexual orientation illegal in the state. In each of the last two years, the commission has recommended to the Legislature that sexual orientation be added to the list of protected classes in the Iowa code. This is the first time that the commission has pre-filed a bill on sexual orientation. The bill would prohibit discrimination based on a person's sexual orientation in employment, public accommodations, housing, education and credit practices. HRC sent an action alert to its supporters in Iowa asking them to contact their state legislators in support of the bill.
Massachusetts: GLBT Activists Defeat Attempts To Amend State Constitution
GLBT activists defeated recent attempts by the Massachusetts Citizens for Marriage to amend the state's constitution to prohibit the legal recognition of same-sex relationships. In 2002, the anti-gay group gathered enough signatures to begin the necessary process to place a question on the ballot asking voters to amend the constitution to define marriage as an institution between one man and one woman – thus denying any benefits associated with marriage to unmarried couples. In July 2002, the state Legislature, led by Democratic Senate President Tom Birmingham, voted to adjourn without taking a vote on the proposed amendment. Then-Gov. Jane Swift, a Republican, also declined to call the Legislature back into session to vote on the amendment. The bill expired Dec. 31, 2002, without coming up for a vote.
HRC partnered with MassEquality.org and local activists to build grassroots support against the proposed amendment. HRC also awarded the Freedom to Marry Coalition of Massachusetts a $4,000 Equality Fund grant to expand its Religious Coalition for Marriage. HRC will continue to work with local groups to advance equality for same-sex couples.
The fight for legal recognition of same-sex relationships will continue with marriage, civil unions and domestic partnership bills expected to be introduced in the 2003 Massachusetts legislative session. There is also a pro same-sex marriage case pending in the Massachusetts courts that was brought on behalf of seven same-sex couples by the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders.
Tennessee: Nashville Metro City Council To Consider Non-Discrimination Policy
The Nashville Metro City Council will cast its final vote Jan. 21 on whether to expand the city’s Human Rights Ordinance to include sexual orientation and gender. Local HRC activists, led by HRC local leaders Abby Rubenfeld and Nancy Reece, have been working closely with the coalition of grassroots organizations that has organized to support the measure’s passage. They both also provided testimony at a meeting Jan. 6 of the human relations board. Additionally, HRC assisted the effort by sending out action alerts and urging other leaders to weigh in with their support.
Lobby Your Members of Congress!
The 108th Congress kicked off Jan. 7 with several new senators and representatives being sworn into office. Don't forget to schedule a visit with your elected official(s)! The first congressional recess is scheduled for the week of Presidents Day, Feb. 17-21. This is an ideal time to visit with your members of Congress -- right in your hometown. If they are incumbents, you can thank them for their past support of GLBT issues or use your persuasive skills to enlist such support. If your members of Congress are new, introduce yourself and educate them on issues important to you as an HRC member. Ask them to sign a non-discrimination policy for their office and seek their support in anticipation of GLBT-friendly legislation in the 108th Congress.
HRC will prepare you for a successful lobby visit by identifying important issues and arming you with critical information. Remember, we can't do it all from Washington, D.C., and YOU are the constituent who matters most!
To learn more about visiting your member of Congress, send an e-mail to field@hrc.org with your name and address and a brief introduction on who you are and what issues are most important to you. HRC is looking forward with optimism and excitement at new opportunities ahead – we’d love for you to join us and let your voice be heard!
IS THERE A NEW MEMBER OF CONGRESS NEAR YOU?
ALABAMA
Rep. Jo Bonner (R-1)
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-3)
Rep. Artur Davis (D-7)ARKANSAS
Sen. Mark Pryor (D)ARIZONA
Rep. Rick Renzi (R-1)
Rep. Trent Franks (R-2)
Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-7)CALIFORNIA
Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-18)
Rep. Devin Nunes (R-21)
Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-39)COLORADO
Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-4)
Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-7)FLORIDA
Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-5)
Rep. Katherine Harris (R-13)
Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-17)
Rep. Tom Feeney (R-24)
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-25)GEORGIA
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R)
Rep. Jim Marshall (D-3)
Rep. Denise L. Majette (D-4)
Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-11)
Rep. Max Burns (R-12)
Rep. David Scott (D-13)HAWAII
Rep. Ed Case (D-2)INDIANA
Rep. Chris Chocola (R-2)ILLINOIS
Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-5)IOWA
Rep. Steve King (R-5)MAINE
Rep. Michael Michaud (D-2)MARYLAND
Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-2)
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-8)MICHIGAN
Rep. Candice S. Miller (R-10)
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-11)MINNESOTA
Sen. Norm Coleman (R)
Rep. John Kline (R-2)MISSOURI
Sen. James M. Talent (R)NEW HAMPSHIRE
Sen. John E. Sununu (R)
Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-1)NEW JERSEY
Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D)
Rep. Scott Garrett (R-5)NEW MEXICO
Rep. Steve Pearce (R-2)NEW YORK
Rep. Timothy Bishop (D-1)NEVADA
Rep. Jon Porter (R-3)NORTH CAROLINA
Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R)
Rep. Frank W. Ballance Jr. (D-1)
Rep. Brad Miller (D-13)OHIO
Rep. Michael Turner (R-3)
Rep. Timothy J. Ryan (D-17)OKLAHOMA
Rep. Tom Cole (R-4)PENNSYLVANIA
Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-6)
Rep. Tim Murphy (R-18)SOUTH CAROLINA
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R)
Rep. J. Gresham Barrett (R-3)SOUTH DAKOTA
Rep. William J. Janklow (AL)TENNESSEE
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R)
Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-4)
Rep. Jim Cooper (D-5)
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-7)TEXAS
Sen. John Cornyn (R)
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-5)
Rep. John Carter (R-31)
Rep. Chris Bell (D-25)
Rep. Michael Burgess (R-26)UTAH
Rep. Rob Bishop (R-1)
Human Rights Campaign
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