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Final Days for CO Civil Unions: May 7 Marriage News Watch

By Matt Baume

Civil unions are close to passing in Colorado, but there’s only a few days left before the legislature adjourns. We’re getting down to the wire on Amendment One in North Carolina. The Prop 8 play is getting new legs as an audiobook. And the guys behind “We Are Young” have some strong words for marriage equality.

Great news from Colorado. The House Judiciary Committee passed a civil unions bill by a 6-to-5 vote last week. That’s the same margin by which an identical bill was killed last year.

So what made the difference? Republican lawmaker B.J. Nikkel, who changed her mind when she heard testimony from LGBT couples.

That bodes well for the bill’s passage in the House, where Republicans hold a one-vote majority.

Click to subscribe to AFER on Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook, so AFER can keep you connected and informed about fights like this one. Colorado’s legislature adjourns on May 9th, so there’s likely to be breaking news on this front very soon.

Also on May 9th, we’ll have the results of voting in North Carolina’s Amendment One. Polling shows that the ballot measure there has lost some of its lead, but could still pass next week. Voters still don’t seem to understand just how far it goes.

Previous ads showed how it would deprive families of of health insurance and domestic violence protection. This week, the campaign released a new ad featuring an assistant DA who explains how the measure will jeopardize domestic violence victims.

In national news, there’s been movement in two cases that challenge the Defense of Marriage Act. Both involve military benefits, and are likely to be in the news a lot over the next few months.

In the first case, a congressional legal group led by House Speaker John Boehner has moved to intervene in McLaughlin v. Panetta. In this case, Boehner’s group will be arguing in opposition to veterans like Chief Warrant Officer Charlie Morgan, who has stage 3 breast cancer and desperately needs to secure survivor benefits for her wife.

The second case is Cardona v. Shinseki, which involves survivor benefits for a disabled veteran and her wife. That case has attracted a number of “friend of the court” briefs from veterans’ organizations. Several of those groups are represented by Gibson Dunn & Crutcher. That name may sound familiar — they’re one of the firms working on the case to overturn Prop 8.

Nearly a million people have watched “8,” Dustin Lance Black’s play about the Prop 8 trial on YouTube. And now millions more will have the opportunity to listen to it when it’s released as an audiobook. Starting next month, you’ll be able to download the show from LA Theater Works, along with bonus features like interviews with the cast.

And finally this week the band Fun. took a stand for marriage equality. The group behind the song “We Are Young” told reporters that even though they’re all straight, they feel a responsibility to speak out on behalf of LGBT couples, and plan to use their newfound fame to promote marriage equality. Okay.

Click to subscribe on Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook. And visit AFER.org for more on the federal fight to overturn Prop 8.

3 Comments May 7, 2012

North Carolina anti-gay Amendment 1 news round-up: photos from our GOTV efforts, and more

By Scottie Thomaston

Raleigh voters lined up around the corner against Amendment 1

- Today, the Coalition to Protect All NC Families released audio of a robocall recorded by former President Bill Clinton in opposition to the odious Amendment 1. This is really big news, and the campaign will need to keep these calls funded throughout May 8. You can contribute to that here.

- Clinton’s announcement is already generating local headlines.

- Up With Chris Hayes on MSNBC did a segment on Amendment 1.

- Melissa Harris-Perry also talked about it:

(Update: here’s the video via Mediaite):

- Volunteers who want to help get out the vote in North Carolina should see Courage Campaign’s sign-up page. We need volunteers for GOTV and to phone bank and have conversations with family and with friends in the state. This late in the game, it’s all about GOTV against Amendment 1. Help spread the word.

- Our own Adam Bink will be on Sirius/OutQ 109 with Signorile at 2:30 PM EST Monday.

What you can do to help defeat Amendment One:Goal Thermometer

1. Volunteer to Call for Equality – a GOTV phone banking effort against Amendment 1.

2. Contribute to the campaign on ActBlue so they have the resources they need to get our message out.

3. Sign up to help get out the vote in NC yourself! Courage Campaign is arranging out-of-state caravans and travel assistance is available.

4. Sign up for a Courageous Conversation about Amendment One with someone you know in NC.

4 Comments May 5, 2012

Search is on for CO Civil Union Sponsor

By Matt Baume

Civil unions head to the Senate in Colorado, but nobody seems to be quite sure who’s going to sponsor the bill once it reaches the House. Early voting’s begun in North Carolina, just in time for a big TV ad buy starting this week. And the bumpy road to repealing Ohio’s marriage ban just got bumpier.

We’re closer than ever to passing civil unions in Colorado, but there are still a few more hurdles to jump. Last week the civil unions bill narrowly passed a senate committee along party lines. Now it moves to the full Senate, where it’s expected to pass in a vote this coming week. From there, it’s on to the House, where some questions remain about its likelihood to pass. Backers are still searching for someone to sponsor the bill, preferring to have a Republican lawmaker attached. And even if they can find a sponsor before the end of the session on May 9, passage is far from assured.

But while legislators wrangle, the bill’s a big winner with voters. Sixty-two percent of voters support it, according to a new survey. And setting this bill aside, the survey shows that 75% of voters support some form of relationship recognition. That includes 47% who support marriage equality over civil unions. And when civil unions are taken out of the equation and marriage is the only option, a majority — 53% — are in favor of that. Colorado voters have rapidly come to see why committed LGBT couples deserve the freedom to marry. Now the only question is whether their legislators will do the same.

Early voting has begun in North Carolina, where voters face a Constitutional Amendment that would ban any form of relationship recognition outside of opposite-sex marriage. The campaign to stop the Amendment and protect LGBTs will launch a television campaign on Monday of this week, leaving just 15 days to go before the primary on May 8th. Polling is close, even though a wide range of officials and organizations have condemned the measure. That includes Rev. William Barber, president of the North Carolina NAACP, who spoke out against Amendment One just a few days ago. You can visit ProtectNCFamilies.org to connect with the campaign.

Attempts to repeal an anti-gay constitutional amendment in Ohio continue to face opposition. Freedom to Marry Ohio is collecting signatures to overturn the law, but this week anti-gay activists filed a lawsuit in an attempt to stop them. The state’s other major LGBT organizations have yet to take a firm stand on the repeal process, citing unresolved questions about timing and strategy.

We’re expecting important developments in Ohio, North Carolina, and Colorado this week. You stay on top of all of them by subscribing to this channel, and visit AFER over on Twitter and Facebook for on the federal fight to overturn Prop 8.

10 Comments April 23, 2012

Equality news round-up: North Carolina early voting against anti-gay Amendment 1 starts today, and more

By Scottie Thomaston

- First thing: early voting begins today in North Carolina’s primary, and against the anti=gay Amendment 1 in the state. If you live there or know someone who does, it’d be a good idea to make them aware of this today. The actual primary date is not until May 8.

- Whether you’re in North Carolina or not, you can participate in a phone banking effort to Call for Equality in North Carolina starting now.

- There’s a march today in Greensboro, NC, to encourage students to vote against Amendment 1. From an Equality NC press release:

Greensboro, N.C. —Encouraging student-voter participation against Amendment One will be the focus of a march today, April 19, beginning at 3:15 pm, in Greensboro as six local colleges and universities take part in “Join the Revolution,” an event designed to collectively cast ballots on the first day of early voting.

With the goal to have “12,000 college students, alumni, and members of the community refuse the notion that their generation is apathetic or deaf to social issues by standing together and exercising their right to vote on

the first day of early voting,” featured speakers will discuss the historical importance and social ramifications of Amendment One.

At 3:15 pm, students from UNC-Greensboro, Greeensboro Technical Community College and Greensboro College will head east on Market Street in route to the Guilford County Board of Elections. Simultaneously, Bennett College, North Carolina A&T University and Guilford College will head west on Friendly to the same destination culminating in an assemblage in Government Plaza, that will feature FREE live music, free food, and Join the Revolution merchandise.

- If you’re still confused about Amendment 1 and what it does and does not do, you should read this excellent piece analyzing the amendment line by line and discussing its possible and likely legal effects:

What if the government told your boss he or she could not provide benefits to your spouse or even your children? You might have a problem with that. While it might sound unbelievable that the government would take away those benefits, some fear that could happen here in North Carolina.

We’re talking about Amendment One. It’s the amendment some call the “gay marriage amendment,” but this amendment is about a whole lot more than marriage. It’s also about benefits and economics.

- In non-Amendment 1 news, the Washington Post‘s editorial board is the latest to come out against President Obama’s decision to not sign the LGBT contractor non-discrimination executive order. More activism by LGBT activists is planned on that front.

- Former Secretary of Homeland Security – and former Republican governor of Pennsylvania – Tom Ridge calls for acceptance of the gay community.

- Republican House Speaker John Boehner lies about ENDA, claiming that there are laws in place to handle employment discrimination against LGBTs. However, far from the usual GOP line about being terrified of LGBT people in bathrooms, or about LGBT people demanding “special rights”, Boehner said nothing about ENDA except that: “No one should face discrimination in the workforce.”

9 Comments April 19, 2012

Chad Griffin vs Frank Schubert Over Amendment One in North Carolina

By Karen Ocamb

Cross-posted from LGBTPOV.com

Chad Griffin solo hrc

Chad Griffin (Photo courtesy HRC

Frank Schubert

Frank Schubert (Photo bay Karen Ocamb)

Almost four years later and LGBT Californians are still hurting over Prop 8, the 2008 voter-passed constitutional amendment that stripped same sex couples of their fundamental right to marry. So far, two federal courts have agreed that Prop 8 is unconstitutional in Perry v. Brown, a lawsuit conceived of by American Foundation for Equal Rights co-founders Chad Griffin and straight actor/director Rob Reiner. The pair previously teamed up to successfully fight Big Tobacco on behalf of their early childhood development First 5 California initiative.

Now Griffin, who helped on the No on Prop 8 campaign, is facing political nemesis and Prop 8 mastermind Frank Schubert – who used to represent Big Tobacco – in the battle over Amendment One in North Carolina in the May 8 election. Two weeks ago, on April 3, Schubert left his major Sacramento-based consulting firm because his antigay work on Prop 8 was hurting business. “The reality is that it’s very difficult for a public affairs professional to serve both corporate clients and work on the conservative side of social issues that challenge popular culture,” Schubert said in a statement.

Now Schubert’s in North Carolina, teaming up with the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage to pass Amendment One – an initiative that would make heterosexual marriage the ONLY legally recognized relationship in the state. And unlike the made-up “consequences” Schubert created to get Prop 8 passed  – if Amendment One passes, it would have a slew of very real consequences – including stripping healthcare rights from kids.

Here’s a just-released web-based primer from the Coalition to Protect All North Carolina Families on the real consequences if Amendment One passes on May 8:

Think that was just a campaign piece? The arguments convinced North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue:

LA-based Chad Griffin  – who will be heading to the Human Rights Campaign as the national organization’s President in June   – is working as a media consultant with the Protect All North Carolina Families campaign and has produced a couple of powerful TV spots that the campaign hopes to get up on air next week. BUT they need money for statewide targeted ad buys.

Those emotional non-partisan  TV ads produced by Chad Griffin and his business partner Mark Armour – and the data provided by pollster Celinda Lake about how this campaign is winnable if the electorate is educated about the real harms the initiative would do – prompted straight philanthropist Todd Stiefel to launch an online dollar-for-dollar matching challenge up to $100,000 through the campaign’s website and ActBlue.

NC AMend One Todd

Philanthropist Todd Stiefel has been married to Diane for 11 years; they have 2 kids (Photo courtesy Todd Stiefel)

Additionally, Stiefel is challenging LGBT donors to step up to the plate, as well. Here’s the email letter he issued on Monday:

Subject: We stepped up.

Friends,

My name is Todd Stiefel. My wife, Diana, and I have a passionate belief that our country would be better off if we put people above politics. Families in North Carolina matter far more than a divisive constitutional amendment such as Amendment One, and that is why we are now offering a $1 for $1 match up to $100,000 to the campaign.

The campaign to defeat the amendment only has three more weeks to get out the word about the harms that North Carolina would face if Amendment One passes on May 8. That is why we are stepping up now to give to the campaign. We hope that you can join us.

The momentum against Amendment One has grown substantially in recent weeks. Former GOP Gubernatorial nominee Richard Vinroot, Justice Bob Orr, John Hood and other conservatives have advocated against it in recent weeks. Governor Bev Perdue came out passionately against it last week in a powerful video, and the next morning Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers condemned the amendment as well.

But all of this momentum does not matter if the campaign does not have a fully funded television, radio and direct mail campaign. Will you donate $25, $50, $100, $250 or $500 today to make sure that the people of North Carolina hear the truth about the amendment? Diana and I will match every dollar that you give, doubling the impact of your gift, up to $100,000.

This campaign has been largely funded by people just like you. Now, in this critical stretch, we must step up once again. 

The ads that the campaign have produced are truly powerful. The message that they carry forth about the harms to children, families and unmarried women must be heard.   While this amendment directly impacts gay and lesbian families, it is so poorly written that straight families, unmarried women, and children are collateral damage of this harmful amendment.  This amendment does not help anyone; it only harms. Diana and I were so inspired by the message that we decided to step up and we hope that you will join us.

The campaign has offered to show the television ads first to anyone who donates to the campaign this week. They will go on the air soon and every dollar that you give this week will go directly to increasing the ad buy. It is fair to say that every dollar that you give will go directly towards defeating the amendment.

On May 8 we North Carolinians will decide if they want the state to treat people equally or if we want to write discrimination into the constitution of our state. We must choose to place people, especially children, above politics by voting against the amendment.

Please stand with us.

Best,

Diana and Todd Stiefel

More in the extended entry…

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Leave a Comment April 17, 2012

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