Dear ENDA activists,

Tomorrow’s community-wide call on ENDA strategy and action is still open to registration at:   http://tinyurl.com/voteendanow –

Already 69 participants are registered from a cross section of our country and movement from local to national to spiritual.   It’s very exciting.

The call format and latest suggestions from Dr. Weiss are contained in the Bilerico.com posting today at:
http://www.bilerico.com/2009/11/how_to_get_enda_moving_again.php

The call highlights include a briefing intro by Dr. Weiss, an open session for proposing fast action ideas, followed by a quick poll and creation of a short list, then breakout sessions on the top 4 for discussion and quick organizing, followed by debriefings on the breakout sessions to the whole group, and closing.

For advance consideration, here are a few ideas percolating for a “Vote ENDA Now” effort:

1.   Push the Committee:  Targeted phone bank to the Committee Chair Rep. Miller, and members, with particularly emphasis on certain members (highlighted in the bilerico posting above).   The idea is to get very supportive committee members actively engaged in calling the vote.

2.  Whip-the-Vote:  Push the Sponsors.   There are 186 co-sponsors listed on the ActOnPrinciples.org Public Whip Count (http://www.actonprinciples.org/enda-house/ ).   The idea is to orchestrate a coordinated outreach to all of them, thank them for their support, and ask them to call the Committee to get a vote scheduled and to identify colleagues to contact for support.

3.  Whip-the-Vote:  Secure the Vote.   There are 63 house members “leaning yes” on the Public Whip Count (http://www.actonprinciples.org/enda-house/ ).   The idea is to get them to “yes”.   This is a broader part of the ENDA campaign.  The idea is to have a team organize a focused campaign around this and to stir up momentum.

4.  Creative ideas?   Flood Congress with Holiday ENDA cards?  Others?

The hope for the call is to grow this list and prioritize them based on group sentiment..

Please note that this call is somewhat of an experiment in open, community-wide communication for federal legislative strategy and organizing.   To enable this, the MaestroConference features allow us to poll the callers on their interests, separate callers into sub groups based on those interests for more in-depth discussion, and to relate that group’s contact information (name, email, phone) to a point person after the call.

The breakout sessions will be facilitated, but open mic in the sense that all callers can be heard.   We’ll be asking for volunteer timekeepers and note-keepers, and that those groups identify their post-call point people during that 15 minute portion of the call, and someone to report for 1.5 minutes to the plenary after the breakout.  The hope is that a few callers interested in specific actions will take an organizing lead post-call for those inclined to coordinate, and that individuals or groups will take action on items as they choose.

The call registration is still open and everyone is welcome at:      http://tinyurl.com/voteendanow

LEADING ENDA STRATEGIST CALLS FOR URGENT COMMUNITY ACTION
Last Week’s Promised ENDA Vote Cancelled by House Committee
Organizing Conference Call:  December 1, 2009, Noon, EST

Key ENDA strategist Dr. Jillian T. Weiss (Bilerico.com) warned today it is “move it or lose it” time on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).   In her daily ENDA update* she sounded the alarm because George Miller, chair of the House Committee on Education and Labor, cancelled the vote on ENDA in order to “tinker” with the language.

To ignite an immediate call to action to demand a vote, a national grassroots open conference call is scheduled for December 1, 2009 at Noon, EST.   The call is being organized by ActOnPrinciples.org Champions, EqualityNYC.org, and MaestroConference to help organizers across the country talk about an emergency ENDA strategy.

With no other major LGBT community bill so ready for a vote, Dr. Weiss has called for community action to demand that Congress “Vote ENDA Now.” Despite many national organizations downplaying the delay, there is a growing concern at a grassroots level.

Although the current lobbying strategy defers to Congressional scheduling, some groups are indicating that is no longer acceptable**.

“Put us back on the schedule today and we will offer Thanksgiving.  Vote on ENDA this year and we will have Happy Holidays,” said Todd (Tif) Fernandez, of the New York City March organizers, EqualityNYC.org, a co-host of the national conference call.

The December 1 call will feature a brief intro by Dr. Weiss followed by an open brainstorming conversation focused on what joint actions can be created and implemented to pressure Congress to Vote ENDA Now.

Registration for the call is open at: LINK.  Even if you cannot participate, you can register and listen to the mp3 recording later, and get updates on any planned actions.  MaestroConference has waived all fees as a gift to our community organizing.

Prior to the December 1 conference call, contact the George Miller at 202-225-3725 and ask for a Vote on ENDA.

MEMORIAL VIGIL
JORGE STEVEN LÓPEZ MERCADO
VICTIM of a HATE CRIME

In an act of solidarity, New Yorkers will gather at Pier 45 in NYC for a vigil followed by optional mass on Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 5:00 pm.

NEW YORK, NY – On the night of Friday, November 13, 2009, 26-year-old Juan Martinez Matos picked up 19-year-old Jorge Steven López in Caguas, Puerto Rico, and drove him to the nearby town of Cidra, PR. After discovering that Mercado, who was dressed as a female, was a man, Matos, in a whirlwind of rage, not only murdered Mercado, but beheaded and dismembered his body. Its remains were partially set on fire. Mercado’s body was discovered in the nearby town of Cayey, PR. A search for the murderer immediately began.

Matos has been apprehended, has confessed, and is imprisoned with bail set at four million dollars.  Initial reports seem to indicate that the line of defense will be invoking “gay panic,” a strategy used commonly in recent times with varying degrees of success. In a troubling interview with Univisión, police investigator Ángel Rodríguez Colón is on record as saying (as translated into English), “These types of people, when they enter this lifestyle and go out into the streets know that this could happen.” We find this unacceptable, and furthermore call for a stop to victim blame in this case.  Never in Puerto Rico’s history has a crime been prosecuted with hate crimes provisions attached, despite the existence of said provisions since 2002.  We want to make sure this is the first case.

In response to sudden and widespread outrage due to the murder, thousands of New Yorkers will gather at Manhattan’s Pier 45 (at Christopher Street) on Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 5:00 PM for a vigil ceremony.

The Manhattan vigil will occur in conjunction with satellite Sunday vigils in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Durham, and other American cities. The resulting photographic and video footage will be used in efforts for full prosecution of this case.

From 365gay.com

The Albany gay marriage back room
By Jennifer Vanasco, editor in chief, 365gay.com
11.12.2009 12:30pm EST

NYS Senate Leadership Commits to Marriage Vote in 2009

Last night for the first time ever we received a commitment from the Senate Majority to vote on the marriage equality bill in the next six weeks:

“An agreement was reached to bring the marriage equality legislation for a vote before the end of the year and we will commit the full spectrum of our energies to making marriage equality a reality in the state of New York,” said Austin Shafran, spokesman for the Senate Majority Conference.

Thank you to all activists who traveled to Albany yesterday and put pressure on Senators by standing outside the Senate chamber and talking about their families. Also, for all of you who have called and written your State Senator—keep it up. Your advocacy is working.

During the next weeks we will continue our work with Democrats and Republicans to make sure that we have the votes to pass this bill when it comes to the floor. We’ll need you with us every step of the way.

The road has been long and often frustrating, but this public commitment for the first time gives our community a definite timeline and we now know that our lives and families will be debated and voted on in the State Senate in six weeks or earlier.

State Senate Delays Vote on Same-Sex Marriage Bill
By Jeremy W. Peters
Published: New York Times November 10, 2009

ALBANY — The fate of same-sex marriage collided with the often-dysfunctional political process here on Tuesday as the State Senate delayed a vote on a bill that would make it legal for gay and lesbian couples to marry in New York.

Gov. David A. Paterson, in an interview Tuesday in his office, said a vote on a gay marriage bill “is closer than people think.”
After an entire day of deliberations, Senate leaders emerged from the governor’s office late Tuesday with only a vague agreement that the bill would come to a vote before the end of the year.

Gov. David A. Paterson had placed the bill on the agenda for an emergency session that convened Tuesday, and gay rights advocates had been aggressively lobbying for an immediate vote. But the legislation’s prospects have grown cloudier in recent days. Supporters have had difficulty securing the 32 votes they need for approval in the Senate, and a dispute between Mr. Paterson and legislative leaders over how to close a budget deficit that now exceeds $3 billion has held up votes on major legislation.

Mr. Paterson said he would continue negotiating with legislative leaders on budget cuts this week and would call lawmakers back to Albany on Monday and Tuesday of next week. He said he would again include marriage on the agenda, but it remained unclear whether the Senate would debate it next week or wait until later in the year.

“I think that the vote is closer than people think,” he said in an interview.

He added, “It is one of those rare types of legislation that you never know what people are going to do until it hits the floor.”

The delay leaves proponents and opponents of same-sex marriage with more time to lobby for votes, which they were both busily doing on Tuesday.

Republicans and Democrats said the marriage bill was still several votes short of passing in the Senate, where the Democrats have a 32-to-30 majority. About five Democrats remained either opposed or noncommittal, meaning that Republican votes were needed to secure passage. But not enough Republicans have committed to voting yes, legislators said. Supporters of the bill would like to to have 29 votes lined up from Democrats so they need only 3 Republicans, a goal they feel is more realistic than getting 5 or more Republicans.

As legislators negotiated over the budget and the marriage bill all day, business in the Senate was at a standstill. Senators entered the chamber shortly after noon and took up a resolution honoring veterans. It was one of only a handful of noncontroversial measures that they took up.

With no agreement on how to close the budget deficit, many senators have been unwilling to put the same-sex marriage bill up for a vote first.

“We’ve always said the D.R.P. is the priority,” said Senator Pedro Espada Jr., the majority leader, referring to the governor’s deficit reduction plan. “We also know there’s a great expectation surrounding marriage equality. And my personal view is it should come up for a vote. As for when, let’s just put it this way: In my view I think it will follow the D.R.P.”

But the political dynamic surrounding same-sex marriage has changed in the last week and a half, making it harder for supporters to win votes. Voters in Maine last week repealed a state law that would have permitted same-sex marriage; and a pro-gay-rights Republican in a Congressional race upstate dropped out of the race a few days before the election after conservatives attacked her in part for her liberal social views.

Those developments have emboldened opponents of same-sex marriage in New York, who in conversations with senators in recent days have pointed to the recent elections as a reason to vote no.

“A lot of our job was done for us by the electorate in Maine and the electorate in the north country,” said Dennis Poust, communications director for the New York State Catholic Conference, the political arm of the state’s bishops. “Why is it beneficial for Republicans to take on this very controversial issue right now? It’s not. And we’re making sure to remind them of what happened last Tuesday.”

Alan Van Capelle, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, said gay rights advocates would hold the Senate to its pledge to vote before the end of the year. He said he trusted senators “to honor the commitment that was made.”

Danny Hakim contributed reporting.
Photo Credit – Nathaniel Brooks for the New York Times

2009 New York Times Company

News Analysis

Gay Rights Rebuke May Change Approach

By Abby Goodnough
from New York Times – November 5th

They had far more money and volunteers, and geography was on their side, given that New England has been more accepting of same-sex marriage than any other region of the country. Yet gay rights supporters suffered a crushing loss when voters decided to repeal Maine’s new law allowing gay men and lesbians to wed, setting back a movement that had made remarkable progress nationally this year.

Maine, with its libertarian leanings, had seemed to offer an excellent chance of reversing the national trend of voters rejecting marriage equality at the ballot box. Instead, it became the 31st state to block same-sex marriage through a public referendum.
At a time when gay rights activists believe that President Obama is not treating their agenda as a high priority, the Maine loss has left them asking who their friends are. At stake, they say, is not only same-sex marriage, but the military’s ban on openly gay service members and the federal law banning same-sex marriage.

State legislatures had been viewed as new allies in the fight for same-sex marriage after lawmakers in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire approved such bills this year. But now, with Maine voters dealing a rebuke to their Legislature, it is far from clear whether elected officials — including the president — will risk political capital on gay rights.

Tuesday’s defeat is also likely to further splinter a movement that has been debating the best tactics for success. Some prominent gay politicians last month skipped a gay rights march in Washington, questioning its purpose, which emboldened some of the younger advocates at the march to call for a new generation of leaders.

Some advocates said they were unimpressed last month when President Obama signed a law against gay hate crimes but offered relatively restrained remarks. They questioned whether it was time to take a more confrontational posture toward Mr. Obama, who benefited during the 2008 campaign from a surge of votes and donations from gay men and lesbians.

In Maine, advocates had stuck to a familiar path: using their own personal stories, they tried to persuade voters that gay people were no different from their straight neighbors and deserved equal treatment under the law.

Now, many will argue that that approach is not enough. Some are already pressing for more aggressive tactics, like speeding up a ballot measure to reverse California’s ban on same-sex marriage next year, instead of taking more time to build support. Others want to focus on swaying federal lawmakers to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which Representative Barney Frank, the nation’s highest-ranking openly gay politician, has called foolish at this point.

“The state-by-state strategy that looked clever a few years ago has run its course,” said Richard Socarides, who advised President Bill Clinton on gay issues. “The states that were easy to get have been gotten.”

This year, Iowa, New Hampshire and Vermont joined Massachusetts and Connecticut in allowing same-sex marriage, but only through court rulings and legislative action.

The tactic of using personal conversations to press for marriage equality will not be abandoned after Tuesday’s resounding vote, and several advocates said that, if anything, the defeat called for more such conversations around the country.

Evan Wolfson, executive director of the national gay rights group Freedom to Marry, said the loss in Maine underscored “the fact that we need to continue those conversations and make ourselves visible as families in communities.”

He added, “It shows we have just not done it long enough and deep enough, even in a place like Maine.”
But opponents said that given Maine’s “live-and-let live” mentality, the results were especially strong proof that same-sex marriage was not gaining acceptance.

“It interrupts the story line that is being manufactured that suggests the culture has shifted on gay marriage and the fight is over,” said Maggie Gallagher, president of the National Organization for Marriage, the conservative Christian group that is leading the charge against same-sex marriage around the country. “Maine is one of the most secular states in the nation. It’s socially liberal. They had a three-year head start to build their organization, and they outspent us two to one. If they can’t win there, it really does tell you the majority of Americans are not on board with this gay marriage thing.”

Voter turnout was higher than expected in Maine — perhaps 50 percent, officials said — but not nearly as high as in last year’s presidential election, which drew record numbers of young people to the polls. Opponents of the repeal sought to mobilize college students, who tend to support same-sex marriage, but the outcome suggests they might not have succeeded.

The next battlefields are New Jersey and New York, whose Democratic governors were pressing lawmakers to pass same-sex marriage bills by the end of the year, and California, where voters approved a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage last November. Gay rights groups there are likely to seek a ballot measure reversing the ban by 2012. A federal lawsuit challenging the prohibition is scheduled to go to trial in January and is expected to make its way to the Supreme Court.

In New Jersey, Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s loss on Tuesday to Christopher J. Christie, a Republican who opposes same-sex marriage, dealt another potential blow to the movement. Mr. Christie has vowed to veto any same-sex marriage bill that reaches his desk, but Mr. Corzine could still sign a bill into law if the legislature approves it before January.

The City Council in the District of Columbia also appears poised to pass a same-sex marriage law, although opponents are seeking a referendum that would ask voters to ban it.

A more long-term, complex question is whether gay rights supporters can reverse the constitutional bans on same-sex marriage in some 30 states that have enacted them since 2000. The outcome in Maine reinforces voters’ reluctance to endorse same-sex marriage, which national polls echo, though the gap is narrowing. And supporters acknowledge they would much rather avoid ballot questions.

“They tend to marginalize the group that is being targeted and inflame people’s passions in a way that is at best divisive and at worst terribly cruel,” said Jennifer C. Pizer, marriage project director for Lambda Legal, a national advocacy group. “Our founders did not intend to allow a majority to take basic rights from a minority.”

Still, a group in Oregon announced Monday that it would seek a repeal of a constitutional ban there, perhaps as soon as 2012. Oregon voters approved the ban in 2004, and gay rights groups have been quietly building support for a repeal.

But in general, supporters are more likely to focus on states with statutory bans on gay marriage, which legislatures can reverse without voter approval. One such state is Washington, where preliminary returns from Tuesday’s election showed voters approving an expansion of a domestic partnership law that would give gay couples more state-granted legal protections.

Opponents of same-sex marriage said the outcome in Maine should make lawmakers in other states nervous about endorsing it.

“We’re already hearing in both New York and New Jersey that they are noticing what’s happening here,” Ms. Gallagher said. “Do other politicians really want to enter this particular culture war given all the stuff they are going to have to defend in the next election?”

from DavidMixner.com
Election (Part One): Enough, No More, Enough
Nov 4 2009

Today I write more from my gut than maybe you have ever heard. Quite honestly to all those who have found my words inciting in the past, just move on. You are not going to be happy this morning reading further.

After a very restless night of sleep and some deep thought, I am ready to share with you some thoughts (this might not be my most ’smooth’ writing). Forgive me that it has taken a while for me to compose myself so that I can write from my values and principles and not anger. Because my anger will blind me to the truths of yesterday. Let me do my best to share my deep beliefs and not out of anger or fear like the people who insist that we continue to create a system of Gay Apartheid in America. This will be part one of two parts on the election.

First and foremost, Enough!

We have poured over $100,000,000 in the last two years into efforts where Americans feel it is there obligation to vote on our freedom. The entire concept is repugnant and disgusting. That we for the last three decades have been drawn into this game of ‘this is politics’ and fighting these ballot box horrors so that maybe by in five, ten or twenty years we will have enough victories to force our federal government to protect our freedom is simply not acceptable anymore. Imagine the good we could have done with all that money. Imagine the civil rights movement we could have built if we had the leadership that was willing to think out of the box and put it on the line.

Second, call this campaign against us what it is – Gay Apartheid.

Refuse to allow any of our fellow Americans, President Obama or our allies to view this as a political issue who time hasn’t quite come. America is in the process of creating a system of Gay Apartheid. We will not quietly sit and accept it. All over the place, this nation is creating one set of laws for LGBT Americans and another set for all other Americans. That is the classic definition of Apartheid. Either our political allies are for Gay Apartheid or against it. If they are against it, they must fight with us and no longer duck like President Obama did in Maine and Washington. There is no half way in fighting Apartheid.

Today many will claim that we must surrender the word marriage or accept some sort of separate but equal arrangement. It didn’t work in the African-American struggle for freedom and it doesn’t work for us. We want full equality with the same rights, benefits and privileges as all other Americans now. We say to those friends, allies and even in our own community who want to accept that second class citizenship, “Oh No You Don’t!” We will accept no compromises, time-lines, incremental approaches with our freedom. Don’t counsel patience as if this is a new issue. We have been fighting these ballot box bigots for over three decades. Enough.

Third, it is clear that the political establishment in Washington doesn’t understand that we no longer willing to wait until it meets their timetable or political needs.

President Obama standing on the sidelines in Maine and Washington was appalling. The failure of our national organizations and leaders to demand his involvement was equally appalling. The outrageous act of the Democratic National Committee sending an email into Maine asking Maine Democrats to call into “NEW JERSEY” instead of to support the fight against bigotry was unbelievable. No one gets to sit on the sidelines in an epic battle against apartheid and no one gets a free pass. If you want our support, you have to earn it. We are way beyond where we will accept a little bit in 2009, some in 2010 and maybe more in the second term. Does anyone think after yesterday election results and the upcoming 2010 election, Obama has the ability to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and “DOMA” next year? Does anyone really believe we haven’t already missed a historic opportunity in the first 10 months of this year? Only a courageous fighting President and Congress can now help turn us this around and that we have not seen so far. Enough.

Finally, yes, as a community we have every reason to be proud. We raised the money, we made the calls, we came not in anger and we made the case. My hats off to the brave people, gay and straight, of Maine and Washington who fought in the trenches. We all are so proud of you and to be part of your community. You have no idea how much we love you for your work, dignity and honor. However, it is no longer acceptable to be viewed as brave, patient warriors in defeat.

I don’t want to be a brave warrior, I want to be a free one.

Enough!

from DavidMixner.com
Election (Part Two): What Now
Nov 5 2009

Over the next weeks, there will be numerous well-meaning proposals to deal with the aftermath of our brutally unfair defeat in Maine. Clearly there are many ways to respond. However, with all the energy I can muster, I have come to the clear conclusion that we can’t continue on the path we have been following the last two decades. The time has come for a major shake-up in ideas, tactics and priorities.

Those who hang on to the nostalgia of the past can live in it. There is no question in my mind that the vast majority of the LGBT community is ready to move forward with new visions and new tactics. What is happening to us with this expanding system of Gay Apartheid in America cannot be allowed to continue and if it does, we cannot go quietly into the night enabling such abuse anymore.

How can we have any dignity, honor or pride in ourselves if we validate this continued process of ballot box terrorism? How can we stand tall next to each other if we explain away another’s cowardliness? How can we allow people to dehumanize our relationships and our very integrity if we give people passes to sit out the battle for our very freedom? No longer are political timelines a reason for delay, no longer are incremental approaches acceptable and no longer can the political process expect us to be patient and wait our turn. Our turn came long ago and there will be no more waiting.

Our national organizations should be put on notice that we expect more from them and that we want more accountability and more dynamic leadership. For example, who talked to the President about Maine? Why did the White House refuse to become heavily involved? Why was Attorney General Eric Holder’s statement not disavowed by the White House? Did we have direct access to the President or not? Wanting to know these answers is fair. Holding organizations that ask for our money and support accountable is not divisive it is common sense. We want leaders and organizations that represent our interests and are not beholden to the trappings of political power. Time to end the cozy relationship between our national leaders and Washington power brokers and start playing tough.

Organizations should follow the role model of Empire State Pride Agenda (ESPA) in New York. They must refuse to allow anyone to speak at their dinners who is not for marriage equality. That includes the President of the United States. If they insist on doing so, we should stop enabling them and stop buying tickets. Guess what? ESPA, because of their policy, is not viewed as fringe or ineffective. In fact, they are one of the toughest and best state organizations in the country. Why in the world would we give people platforms and honors who don’t support full equality now? We must stop it. They are abusers of our graciousness and our kindness. There is no room for them anymore.

As so many others have said, “The Gay ATM Machine is closed.” Not one penny more for those who are fair weather friends, who ask us to delay and who insist patience is a virtue in the face of injustice. I was astounded a few weeks ago in Washington when all my liberal friends were urging me to support the Democrat Owen in upstate New York who won election on Tuesday. When I responded that he was strongly against marriage equality and opined that they shouldn’t be supporting him, it was quickly pointed out to me that the Human Rights Campaign was supporting him. Well, you know what? I don’t care. If we support people who are against full equality, how can we expect others to do differently? No more excuses. Stop it. Close the checkbooks to those who are not fully on our side.

Promises are not enough. Before we support people they must be CO-SPONSORS for the repeal of DOMA and DADT. How in the world can Speaker Pelosi justify not being on Congressman Nadler’s “Respect for Marriage Act?” No sponsorship equals getting no money, it is really that simple In addition, we must cease giving money to groups that contribute to those ‘Blue Dog’ Democrats who are holding so much of our legislation up. Instead of national party committees, give to those politicans who have proven themselves directly. How can we possibly send money to the Democratic National Committee which urges the people of Maine to phone New Jersey and not a word about our struggle? How can you justify it?

New tactics must be embraced and honored. Civil disobedience must now be on the table and it is time for a long discussion about how it is to take place in the community. Perhaps we have to fill the jails, block military bases, sit in Congressional offices, block marriage bureaus, etc in order for them to know that business as usual has stopped. Careful and thoughtful consideration must be given now to this option.

Watching the coverage on Maine and the results tells me the press doesn’t really take us seriously as a civil rights movement. If that initiative had said people of different faiths could not marry does anyone really believe that it would be a sidebar story this week? The media has grown used to us being abused and we are enabling them to ignore it. “Oh yeah, another loss, how sad, we support you.” GLAAD has to consider making this a priority and force the media to accept us as the civil rights movement we have become in the last months. Nothing could be more important. I will take a stereotype on a television show in exchange for serious and comprehensive coverage of our civil rights struggle.

There is so much more to say and be debated over the next months. Maybe the ideas above are not the best but at least they are bold and not more of the same. We can’t survive more of the same. Apartheid for the LGBT community is becoming a way of life and everyone is beginning to adjust to it. We can’t, we simply can’t, allow that to happen.

For over thirty years I have been fighting ballot box measures and even have won some. What I have seen is a system of laws go in place around the country that prevents us from full equality. Some laws are specific like banning our participation in the military or DOMA. Some states ban adoption or foster care. Others give people permission to discriminate against us. We are not denied a few rights, we are being denied our basic freedom and dignity.

No longer can I stand before you in speeches and rallies urging you to stay the course. The course needs changing and we need to toughen up in the process. Yes, we must continue fighting but this time, instead of responding to their strategy, we must forge our own. Make no mistake about it. The days of acquiesce are over. There is no option except one at this stage and that is full equality now.

Freedom,Liberty,Justice are not mere words. They represent a way of life that is being denied to LGBT Americans every day of our lives.

Enough. No More, Enough