Goreyboy

Hate crimes based on sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and disability are a daily event. You can do something today to help stop this problem -- while still protecting free speech.

A new bill, introduced by Rep. John Conyers protects victims of hate crimes while still safeguarding free speech. Please take a moment and tell your representative to pass this landmark legislation.

Federal hate crimes legislation is necessary because sometimes, due to inadequate resources or bias against the victim, state and local law enforcement officers don’t act. By telling your representative to support the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (H.R. 1592), you can help reduce hate crimes , and make sure that our laws are fully consistent with both the Equal Protection Clause and the First Amendment.

More info from the ACLU.

Find Your Rep's Number near the top of the left hand menu.

NJ passed a Civil Unions law that was rewritten to remove any semblance of the word "spouse". The vote on the bill was unscheduled (or done so at the last minute). It went virtually unremarked upon. The people elected to represent you think you're so unworthy that you can't share the same legal name for your relationship. Why aren't you angry?

Yes, it's a big step, but it is still second class status. Do you think that it's "separate but equal"? Are you blissfully unaware that, without a slew of lawsuits, this impacts nothing in your life outside of the law? The policies of your job, your hospital and your insurance company more than likely don't include "Civil Partners". Unless you're very lucky, you'll have to sue to get treated the same as you hetero married neighbors. And if you do win something like insurance coverage, you're still going to pay tax on it. Do you think there will be a massive retraining of staff in the organizations that service you informing their workers to "treat you like a married couple"?

I'm mad as Hell and the worst part is I'm really mad at all the queers who sat by and let this happen. Too busy with "their lives" to call their representatives like all the folks who called against us found time to do. Maybe nobody else cares and I'm the only one angry about the formalization of my second class status. Maybe the rest of the queers are happy not having the same rights and privileges. Maybe not being able to get in and see their ill "non-spouse" is a relief to them.