USA: National Council Of La Raza Endorses Marriage Equality

The Washington Blade reports:

Board members of the country’s largest Latino civil rights organization earlier this month unanimously passed a resolution in support of marriage rights for same-sex couples.
Eric Rodriguez, vice president of public policy for the National Council of La Raza, confirmed to the Blade that the vote took place on June 9 during a previously scheduled board meeting. NCLR did not provide a copy of the resolution, but Rodriguez stressed that there was little opposition to it.
“There was discussion for that period of time, but everyone really strongly that supporting what we had already put out there in terms of our statement was the right thing to do,” he said.
Former NCLR Board Chair Danny Ortega, a Phoenix lawyer whose term ended after the vote, provided broad details of the conversations that he said took place among the 25 board members before the vote.
“We had a discussion about this and clearly some people had more questions than others, but at the end of the discussion it was unanimous,” he said.
The resolution passed less than a month after the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Persons’ Board of Directors endorsed marriage rights for same-sex couples.
President Barack Obama on May 9 publicly backed nuptials for gays and lesbians during a White House interview with ABC News. NCLR President Janet Murguía applauded him for his “historic remarks expressing support for marriage equality” after the network broadcast them.
“The board in essence validated that and said we fully support Janet’s position,” said Rodriguez. “Consistent with that belief they expressed for themselves the belief that marriage equality is consistent with the mission—the civil rights mission—of our organization.”
Murguía also applauded the resolution.
“NCLR has taken a strong stand on marriage equality and our Board of Directors wanted to affirm and support that decision, which I very much appreciate,” she told the Blade. “ That unanimous vote recognizes that marriage equality and LGBT issues are, and need to be, part of NCLR’s core civil rights agenda.”
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund President Thomas A. Saenz has backed same-sex marriage. His organization has not only represented people with HIV in discrimination cases, but filed amicus briefs in support of lawsuits that challenge California’s Proposition 8 and other states’ prohibitions on nuptials for gays and lesbians.
The Texas chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens earlier this month also passed a same-sex marriage resolution during their annual convention. LULAC National President Margaret Moran joined Murguía, Saenz and other civil rights leaders who applauded Obama’s public support of nuptials for gays and lesbians.
In NCLR’s case, Ortega stressed to the Blade that the resolution is consistent with what he describes as the organization’s ongoing mission to fight discrimination.
“We thought it was not only the right thing to do, but consistent with our values as an organization,” he added.
The unanimous resolution also reflects growing support of same-sex marriage among Latinos.
An Arcus Foundation-funded survey that NCLR and Social Science Research Solutions released in April shows that 54 percent of Latinos support marriage rights for same-sex couples. Sixty-four percent of respondents said they back civil unions for gays and lesbians. The same poll found that 78 percent of Latinos support the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” while 83 percent of respondents support LGBT-specific employment protections.
“There’s just all this momentum,” said D.C.-based NCLR board member Catherine Pino as she further discussed the same-sex marriage resolution. “For NCLR to do something like this is huge. This is really, really important for our community. The board, the organization realizes that there are many, many Latino LGBT people who are part of our community.”
In spite of this growing support for same-sex marriage, the survey noted that the majority of Latinos who identify themselves as religious remain opposed to nuptials for gays and lesbians. It found that only 43 percent of those who said they are Protestant back marriage rights for same-sex couples. New York state Sen. Ruben Diaz, Sr., who is also a Pentecostal minister, remains among the most prominent Latino opponents of nuptials for gays and lesbians.
Ortega said he expects some Latinos will criticize the resolution, but Pino stressed that the majority of people to whom she has spoken about it are supportive.
“Our community is really evolving,” she said. “We’re coming to a place where we’ve realized that marriage equality is basically a civil rights issue. It doesn’t mean that Latinos want to get married in any of the churches. It’s about equality. And I think that a lot of our Latino brothers and sisters realize that and don’t think that we should be denied that opportunity.”
NCLR plans to formally announce the marriage resolution next month during its annual convention in Las Vegas.

General Motors Flies Pride Flag

NEW YORK: Fifth Grader Banned From Giving Speech In Support Of Marriage Equality

United Kingdom: Fifty Companies To Fly Rainbow Flag In Liverpool During International Day Against Homophobia In May

Pink News UK reports: 

Fifty companies and organisations in Merseyside have agreed to fly the rainbow flag or make another form of pro-gay visual statement for the International Day Against Homophobia in May.

Developed by Liverpool based arts and social justice organisation Homotopia, the launch of IDAHO 50 on 17 May hopes to create a high-impact stand against homophobia and transphobia in the county.

Some of Liverpool’s leading institutions and companies have signed up to support the day including Liverpool John Moores University, University Of Liverpool, Voodou, Liverpool Community College, Knowsley College, Merseytravel, Jackson Canter Solicitors and many more.

Homotopia itself will work with Merseyside Probation Trust, artist Paul Harfleet and The Pansy Project in a unique and innovative intervention.

Artists, community representatives, offenders and Merseyside Probation Trust will plant pansies to raising awareness of discrimination around Liverpool as part of the Community Payback Project & Merseyside Probation Trust’s ‘Promoting Human Dignity’ programme.

Gary Everett Artistic Director of Homotopia said: “‘IDAHO 50’ is very much a part of Liverpool’s DNA, and its commitment to social justice and equality. The day will raise awareness of our year long social justice programme helping to create a more cohesive and healthier city. Since 2005 our inter-generational and youth engagement programme has reached over 80,000 people and is growing.”

Anne Pakula, Head of Operations at Merseyside Probation Trust said: “Merseyside Probation Trust supports Homotopia in its work to eliminate discrimination towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Our innovative work with the perpetrators of hate crime leads to a change in attitudes, thinking and behaviour towards minority groups, which in turn results in safer communities for the people of Merseyside.

“The Trust is committed to reducing re-offending and improving public protection, and tackling hate crime in this form is just one way of achieving this.

“We fully support the aims of IDAHO 50, and value our continued partnership with Homotopia in this important area of work.”

Sarah Poblete CEO Liverpool Law Society said: “Liverpool Law Society supports any organisation which is against discrimination and prejudice to minority groups. The Society wishes to see a community free of bullying. The inaugural launch of IDAHO 50 Liverpool is yet another landmark event demonstrating that the Liverpool community cares. Liverpool Law Society is delighted to endorse this event.”

April 21st: Starbucks Support Day

Facebook event page.

Starbucks Gets Over 640, 000 Thanks For Supporting Marriage Equality

Pink News UK reports:

More than 640,000 people have signed a petition to thank coffee giant Starbucks over its support for equal marriage after opponents tried to launch an international boycott.
The number dwarfs the 25,800 who have signed the National Organization for Marriage’s Dump Starbucks pledge to avoid the coffee chain in future over its support for equal access to marriage in the US state of Washington.
SumofUs.org originally said it would deliver a giant ‘thank you’ card to the company’s Seattle headquarters and give executives “moral support to keep standing up for equality” if the petition reached 40,000 signatures, a mark it quickly surpassed.
The card is due to be delivered to executives today.
Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman, executive director for SumofUs.org said: “We’ve been stunned by the passionate response to “Thank Starbucks” – our most viral campaign ever.
“We’ve seen in our campaigns that consumers expect corporations to do right by their workers and by their community. We hope that this overwhelming show of support for Starbucks for supporting gay rights will inspire other corporations to keep making similar public statements.”
Zach Silk, Campaign Manager for Washington United for Marriage said: “We knew that people would stand with Starbucks for standing up for marriage equality, but this response is amazing. This kind of consumer support shows why so many Washington companies recognize that all loving, committed couples should have the freedom to marry.
“Washington United for Marriage is a coalition of organizations, congregations, unions, and businesses working together to secure civil marriage for same-sex couples in Washington State.
In January, the Seattle-based hot drink giant said it was “proud” to join other Washington-based employers like Microsoft and Nike in supporting the equal marriage in the state.
The state legislature voted in favour of equal marriage rights for gay couples in February.

Home Depot To The Hate Group “The American Family Association”: Get Lost

Joe.My.God. reports:

Daily Finance reports that Home Depot is continuing to ignore the demands of the American Family Association, who wants the DIY giant to pull out of all gay-friendly events.

Home Depot is holding its line on the issue: “Our response on this has been and continues to be that we respect the diversity of all people and maintain an inclusive culture,” Home Depot spokesman Steve Holmes said in an email. “This is what [Chairman] Frank [Blake] told the AFA publicly at our annual shareholders meeting earlier this year.” Home Depot isn’t the only high-profile company the AFA has targeted. It has also tangled with Walt Disney (DIS), Procter & Gamble (PG), and PepsiCo (PEP). The AFA, which brags on its website that it has been on “the frontlines of America’s culture war” since 1977, insists that it has nothing against gays. All it wants is for corporate America to remain “neutral” in these same conflicts, according to Sharp. That includes both supporting gay causes and marketing to the LGBT community.

Home Depot has earned your business. Go buy a dishwasher.