HRC Blog

Good afternoon, It’s officially spring, and mirroring the refreshing change in weather, this week brought the LGBT community some of the most exciting and invigorating victories we’ve seen yet. Voters in Gainesville, Florida came out to the polls on Tuesday and rejected a proposed amendment to the city charter that would have repealed existing laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Our opponents there had resorted to the most despicable of tactics in an attempt to roll back LGBT equality. They bought fear-mongering ads maliciously suggesting that transgender people are sexual predators with the goal of taking away hard-won equal rights for all LGBT people. Victory in Gainesville proved that voters saw past the deception and scare tactics used by proponents of Amendment 1 and made clear that Gainesville opposes discrimination against any of its residents, including LGBT people. The Delaware state Senate defeated a proposed amendment to the state constitution seeking to define marriage as between a man and a woman. We congratulate the Equal Rights for All in Delaware coalition, its coalition partners, HRC members and others throughout the state who urged their senators to reject this measure. And in Kentucky, legislation that sought to prevent lesbian and gay couples from serving as adoptive or foster parents was defeated. Not only did we win these crucial defensive battles, but we made proactive steps toward equality as well. The New Hampshire state House of Representatives passed marriage equality legislation yesterday. We congratulate Representatives Jim Splaine, Ed Butler, Paul McEachern, and Barbara Richardson for their leadership in sponsoring this bill, as well as GLAD, PFLAG New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition, and the many activists, including HRC members, who have been working to build support for this legislation. The bill now moves to the state Senate. Marriage equality legislation in Vermont also succeeded in that state’s Senate. The bill now moves to the state House of Representatives. HRC congratulates Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin, Senator John Campbell, Senator Claire Ayer, the 23 other Senators who voted yes, and the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force, on this strong statement of support for equality. On the federal level, President Obama’s nominee to head the Office of Personnel Management, John Berry, received a confirmation hearing this week before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. By all accounts, the hearing went smoothly, and Berry could be confirmed as early as next week. If confirmed, Berry would be the highest-ranking openly gay official ever appointed and will be called upon to ensure that federal employment policies are applied fairly and equitably. HRC strongly supports Mr. Berry’s nomination. He has an exemplary record and his prior federal service demonstrates a strong commitment to serving the American people.  But, just as it is in spring, we also had a bit of rainfall this week. In Hawaii, the state Senate rejected a procedural move that would have pulled legislation allowing civil unions for lesbian and gay couples from a deadlocked committee for a full floor vote— essentially killing the bill for this legislative session. And in New Hampshire, the state House voted down a bill that would have added gender identity and expression to the state’s anti-discrimination laws. This week illustrates that the LGBT community is making progress on all fronts. We are facing opportunity perhaps unmatched at any other recent moment in our history. Congress is expected to take up federal hate crimes legislation in the coming weeks. We’re in for the fight of our lives, both literally and figuratively. There is serious work ahead in 2009, but with your continued support, we can achieve our goals. Warmly, P.S. Be sure to check out the latest additions to the interactive wall of EndtheLies.org: America Forever, the National Organization for Marriage, Hawaii State Rep. Lynn Finnegan and Elaine Donnelly of the Center for Military Readiness. Bookmark the site. Check back regularly. Nominate your own liar for the interactive wall. EndtheLies.org will keep you current, it will keep you armed for the fight ahead and, most importantly, it will tell the truth.