Gay Rights in 2009
As we look back on 2008, we can see a victory in the election of a new president, but many sorrows as well. Proposition 8 passed, leaving so many couples worried about the legalities of their marriages and many of us wondering about the possibilities in our states. What can the queer community expect or hope for in 2009? Is there anything we should prepare ourselves for in a negative context and what can we all do to reach for equality with a new president and government.
Marriage remains a big issue this year. New Hampshire and Maine will likely see marriage equality in 2009. New York, California, and New Jersey all have a good chance of truly equal marriages at the state level this year as well. See gayrights.change.org for a breakdown of the issue in each state and the chances of success.
During his campaign, Obama pledged his support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a full repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, hate crimes legislation, and a repeal of don’t ask, don’t tell legislation. Unfortunately, all of these require not just presidential authority, but also the support of the House and Senate. Democratic gains in these important races in the 2008 elections may make all the difference here as well.
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act or ENDA was approved by the House in 2007, but died in the Senate. It is reasonable to expect that ENDA or a similar bill incorporating protections for sexual orientation and hopefully, gender identity, will be passed in 2009.
While the chances of a full repeal of DOMA in 2009 seem slim, a Repeal DOMA protest is planned for January 10, 2009 nationwide. More information is available at queersunited.blogspot.com.
An improved federal hate crimes law including sexual orientation and gender identity seems ripe for passage this year. The Matthew Shepard Act passed both the House and Senate in 2008 and was nearly sent onto the president as a part of a Department of Defense Reauthorization package. A threatened veto prevented the possible passage of this bill. The 2007 Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (LLEHCPA) includes protections and data collection for hate crimes based on sexual identity, gender identity and gender. Dailykos.com offers a thorough overview of this issue.
While repealing don’t ask, don’t tell remains a priority for this administration, experts do not expect action to be taken in 2009. After the clear failure of don’t ask, don’t tell as a means of correcting long term military policy towards gays and lesbians, it is likely that this issue will be a sensitive one.
What can you do? Write your congresspeople. Write your senators. Call them. If there is an opportunity in your state for a town hall meeting, take the chance to speak to them in person. If issues come up in your town, city or state, be aware and do what you can. Be a face and a voice for change.
Watch out for people such as Sally Kerns who will be out there saying the craziest of things to get attention and make sure crazy witches like her do not get re-elected. We should start now and prepare ourselves for the governor races for next year in states such as California and Texas. There is a lot to do!
the smartest thing president obama and the democratic congress can do is to legalize gay marriage, repeal don’t ask, don’t tell and deny the military the ability to throw people out for being gay. then, the propositions that would outlaw gay marriage in state could not happen, which have been the sole motivation for many a republican to get out and vote. then if as many gay couples as possible would get married in the next 4 years, the republicans might finally see that the world is changing and they should focus their attention to making this a better world instead of a hate filled world.
It’s always going to be a struggle, but the goal is too important to give up or ignore.
Over the past few months I’ve participated in the marches and vigils for gay rights sponsored by various groups such as Equality California, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Courage Campaign. It has been great to see the massive turnouts and outpouring of support. But after leaving I felt we hadn’t accomplished much other than raise our voices in unison to the media. However, this past weekend I took part in a project to build a house sponsored by the Empowering Spirits Foundation and was blown away. Their goal is to promote equality by working alongside individuals who were fairly conservative and mostly against homosexuals. In doing so you get to know the people and eventually begin conversing about our differences in a positive way. I realize that not everyone will open up, but for the few that did you could see their views change as they asked more questions and realized the stereotypes were mostly wrong. One lady even said to me “it’s been great speaking with you, you are the first gay person I’ve met and not what I expected.” It was great to not only make a difference in the community, but feel like you truly made an impact in changing someone’s opinion of gays.
I encourage anyone looking to get involved in the fight for lgbt equality to look up the Empowering Spirits Foundation. They have a truly rare approach to the struggle for gay rights, which in my personal opinion will greatly encourage equality than just marching in a parade.
BTW, here is a link to their Facebook fanpage – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Empowering-Spirits-Foundation/49288966338