Nissan, Comcast, FedEx, AT&T on verge of getting gay rights law pulled in Nashville

Thursday, May 19, 2011 Posted by John Aravosis (DC) at 5/19/2011 08:16:00 PM at http://gay.americablog.com/2011/05/nissan-comcast-fedex-at-on-verge-of.html reposted at keystothecloset.blogspot.com

It's abominable.

The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce - chaired by Nissan, and whose other board members include such companies as Nissan, FedEx, AT&T, Comcast, DuPont, Pfizer, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Caterpillar, KPMG, Whirlpool, Embraer, Alcoa, and United HealthCare - actively lobbied for a religious right bill in the Tennessee legislature that would rescind Nashville's civil rights protections for its gay and trans citizens, and which bans every city in Tennessee from passing any civil rights laws, for anyone, ever again.

The bill passed yesterday. It's on its way to the state's Republican governor for his signature, unless he vetoes it.

And these companies led the way in making it happen. And let me reiterate, these companies aren't just members of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce. These compares are all on the board of directors of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce. They run the TN Chamber.

Joe and I just launched a campaign to pressure the governor to veto the bill, and to punish every company involved in making this bigoted legislation happen. Please join our campaign today and sign this open letter to the companies involved. We're going to be writing a lot about this in the coming days.

Make no mistake, this was legislative gay-bashing at its worst. The legislation was crafted by the religious right in order to repeal Nashville's new ordinance protecting gay and trans residents from discrimination. Apparently not discriminating against their gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees was just too much to ask from Nissan, FedEx, AT&T, Comcast, DuPont, Pfizer, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Caterpillar, KPMG. Whirlpool, Embraer, Alcoa, and United HealthCare. According to the TN chamber of commerce, of which they all sit on the board, abiding by such protections would be too much of an "additional burden." Really? It's now a burden to simply not discriminate against your own employees? I'm a lawyer, it's really not that complicated of legal advice. Simply don't discriminate against your employees. How complicated is that? So why would these companies, as board members of the TN chamber, permit their own organization to kill this gay and trans civil rights law?

And don't for a minute buy the chamber's excuse that this is about business, not prejudice. Every other minority is protected in the state under federal law. Gays and trans are not. The law was the idea of the religious right. The lead lobbyist on the law was the religious right. The only victim of the law was the LGBT community. This law was specifically written and intended to repeal Nashville's new civil rights ordinance protecting gay and trans citizens, period.

Tell me again how this was only about business.

And don't think that this is only about Tennessee. If the religious right, and their new corporate henchmen, are successful in repealing current, and banning future, gay rights law in Tennessee, they'll do the same thing in every single state until only a handful of states protect our community.

After all, if the state of Texas were to pass a gay rights law and Tennessee didn't have such a law, then it would be oh so confusing for these poor corporations, having one law in TX and another in TN, and they'd simply have to lobby the Texas legislature to repeal statewide civil rights protections too - right? And if some day America passes ENDA, but, say, Singapore has no such protections, imagine how confusing it would be for poor Nissan and FedEx to have two different laws in two different countries. I guess they'd have no choice but to oppose a federal ENDA too. After all, that is the logic of their "business" argument, isn't it?

This has to stop now.

Nissan, FedEx, AT&T, Comcast, DuPont, Pfizer, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Caterpillar, KPMG. Whirlpool, Embraer, Alcoa, and United HealthCare don't know the meaning of pain. They just ticked off the wrong community.

Please sign our open letter to each of those companies, demanding they immediately withdraw their support for this hateful legislation, and that they tell the governor to veto the bill now.

This is only the first step. We are not going to let these companies get away with this. Stay tuned.

Is This The Biggest 48 Hrs Ever for LGBT Health?

Posted on March 31, 2011 by lgbttobacco Reposted at http://keystothecloset.blogspot.com/

Scout, Ph.D., Network Director

Scout

Director, Network for LGBT Health Equity, The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA

Report issued by Institute of Medicine on March 31, 2011.

Today at 11 am sharp the feds released the long awaited Institute of Medicine Report (IOM) on LGBT Health, or as we’re calling it in Twitterland #LGBTIOM. This report finally brings the often forgotten subject of LGBT health firmly into the light of day. Changes may or may not come from it, but we will never have to work as hard again to prove LGBT health disparities exist. Now we can just say, read all about it. I waited over my computer till 11 am thinking I was itching to read every inch of the tome. But apparently what I was really more interested in was, how much press was this getting? Luckily my home organization, The Fenway Institute, brought in some expert help to make sure press was gotten, the great folk at Renna Communications. Two of our scientists, including one of my mentors, Judy Bradford, helped write the book, so it’s good to get that news out. See our special page on it here. But it’s not all about press, first step was scan the executive summary to see what it said. Nice… it’s got lots of strong language saying collect LGBT data, enhance LGBT research, pay special attention to the subsets of LGBT, like LGBT of color, transgender people, bisexuals, etc. Love all that. See the IOM info and the short report summary here. Now onto the press, here’s just some of the coverage we know about so far: ABCNews.com Reuters Advocate Bay Windows DC Metro Weekly CNN Washington Blade LA Times What else? Send us a link at lgbthealthequity@gmail.com if you see it other places. Story about Tammy Baldwin planning to re-introducing her LGBT health bill tomorrow: http://lezgetreal.com/2011/03/rep-baldwin-to-reintroduce-bill-ending-healthcare-disparity-for-lgbt-americans/ And the Associated Press put out something that’s been picked up by lots of places, USAToday, etc.: http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/health/2011-03-31-study_of_transgender_N.htm or http://www.laramieboomerang.com/articles/2011/03/31/ap/us/us_med_gay_health.txt But the news doesn’t stop there, it was also announced at the press conference that NIH appointed an LGBT research liaison!! Love that, because we’ve been complaining to them for a while that their reception to LGBT research has been lukewarm at best. (See our testimony to them here.) But wait, there’s more… tomorrow, did you catch that it looks like Rep. Tammy Baldwin might re-introduce her well-thought out bill on LGBT health? Let’s hope that comes through, maybe it can ride some of this momentum and pass. And last, and certainly not least, tomorrow at 1:30 HHS officials are inviting insiders and out to a call ostensibly for LGBT health week, but rumor is it’ll be more than good tidings. *rubs hands* I can’t wait. Oh, and as the cherry on our 48 hour LGBT health sundae, here’s Secty. Sebelius’ memo on the IOM release.  Yes, let the press roll on. Let the bloggers get on the train, retweet it yourself, post it on Facebook, let LGBT health have it’s day in the sun. It is about time.

2011 YOUTH POETRY SCHOLARSHIP

This is a brief posting at keystothecloset.blogspot.com. For important detailed information contact Dare to Care at the address below.

First Prize: $1000; Second Prize: $ 500; Third Prize: $ 250 ELIGIBILITY: All entrants must be residents of Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, or Summit counties and aged between 14 and 18 years of age by the date of submission. Immediate family members of The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trangender (LGBT) Center of Greater Cleveland and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Cleveland Steering Committee, Sub-Committees, and their Board of Directors, are ineligible to enter.

THE CONTEST: The Dare to Care Poetry prize honors the lives of youth and young adults who have suffered the effects of hate as a result of their sexual identity, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. The only stipulation for the poem’s con-tent is that it should have a defy hate theme and address the consequences of bigotry, specifically homophobia, and/or transpho-bia and the negativity they engender in our culture, lives, and hearts. Homophobia and transphobia describe the irrational fear of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people that expresses itself in anti-LGBT emotions, thoughts, and actions.

POEM: Poems must be original work and free of plagiarism or copyrighted material. Failure to use original material will result in disqualification. Poems must be titled, previously unpublished, and either typed, (double-spaced, 12 font) in black ink on 8.5 x 11 paper, (or standard Microsoft Word template), or legibly hand written.. Do not use italic or bolded print. Colored ink, colored pa-per, graphics or images will not be accepted. Poems should not exceed 50 lines in length. Poems that are longer than 50 lines will not be included in the competition, so please count the lines carefully.

ENTRY IDENTIFICATION: Please download and print (or copy) the required application form (available after December 1st 2010 – http://cleveland.hrc.org/). The title of your poem, but not your name, should appear in the header at the top of each sub-mission page and on the application form. Mail-in submissions should be sent to: Dare to Care Poetry Competition P.O. Box 451174 Westlake, OH 44145. On-line applications and submissions are available @ http://www.hrc.org/daretocarepoetry/ or by emailing: daretocarepoetry@aol.com.

DEADLINE: The deadline for all entries is midnight April 15th, 2011. The LGBT Center and the HRC Cleveland Steering Com-mittee is not responsible for lost, late, misdirected or delayed entries, whether caused by mail/other delivery systems or human error which may occur in the processing of entries to this contest; or any problems/technical malfunctions of any computer equip-ment or software by either the applicant, The LGBT Center or the HRC Cleveland Steering Committee.

Fully Committed:A Gay Wedding Affair

Interested in brunch, mimosas, fashion, and prizes?  Then join us and other members of the LGBT and allied community for Fully Committed: A Gay Wedding Affair.  The event will be hosted at The Athletic Club of Columbus from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m, and will feature Columbus' best gay and allied wedding vendors.  There will be champagne cocktails, appetizers, a mix and mingle fashion show, and giveaways!  Tickets are only $20 in advance ($30 at the door) and proceeds go to Equality Ohio Education Fund.
Buy your tickets today!

Find out more information at http://fullycommittedcolumbus.com/home/
WHEN: SUNDAY APRIL SEVENTEENTH TWO THOUSAND ELEVEN FROM 10AM-2PM WHERE: THE ATHELETIC CLUB OF COLUMBUS 136 EAST BROAD STREET COLUMBUS, OH 43215 WHAT: A GAY WEDDING AFFAIR FEATURING GLBT OWNED AND ALLIED VENDORS • BRUNCH STYLE EVENT INCLUDING CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS AND APPETIZERS • MIX AND MINGLE FASHION SHOW • GOODIES + GIVEAWAYS

SPONSORED BY OUTLOOK, ATHLETIC CLUB OF COLUMBUS & J. LAUREN EVENTS

ADVANCED TICKETS $20 • $30 AT THE DOOR • TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT http://www.fullycommittedcolumbus.com • TICKET PROCEEDS BENEFIT EQUALITY OHIO EDUCATION FUND

Reposted at http://keystothecloset.blogspot.com/

Coming Out About Smoking

Coming Out About Smoking: A Report from the National LGBTQ Young Adult Tobacco Project

Reduction of tobacco use among youth and young adults in the United States is an important public health issue. Emerging data from national probability samples suggests that young adults are smoking at significantly higher rates than their heterosexual counterparts. However, beyond smoking prevalence rates, little else is known about tobacco use among this under-served subpopulation of youth. In the summer of 2009, the National Youth Advocacy Coalition (NYAC) was funded by the American Legacy Foundation’s Small Innovative Grants program to conduct a nation-wide research project focusing on tobacco use in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and intersex community of young adults, ages 18–24.

As a national organization dedicated to serving LGBTQ youth and youth service providers, NYAC was uniquely position to take the lead in conducting one of the first national studies of tobacco use in this population. The overall objectives of the project were to address gaps in the extant literature about tobacco use among LGBTQ youth including characteristics of smokers compared to non-smokers, smoking related behaviors of current smokers, attitudes about tobacco use among smokers and non-smokers and barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation. The project was also aimed at building a network of community-based organizations committed to tobacco control and prevention among LGBTQ young adults. The results of the project have important implications for future research on tobacco use among young adults and the development of culturally appropriate prevention, treatment and public policy initiatives aimed at reducing tobacco use disparities based on sexual and gender identities.

From http://wiki.nyacyouth.org/w/Coming_Out_About_Smoking published on http://keystothecloset.blogspot.com/

Bush's Daughter, in a Break, Endorses Gay Marriage

U.S.   | February 01, 2011 By MICHAEL BARBARO
As president, George W. Bush backed a constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage. Now one of his daughters, Barbara, has come out in favor of  it at: emailthis@m3.1ga2nytimes.com

Will she then repudiate her affirmation like Cindy McCain?

Family Acceptance Project

There is a new report from the family project that you may find helpful in educating your community about LGBTIQ Youth and suicides. See their website at http://familyproject.sfsu.edu/home

"The Family Acceptance Project™ is the only community research, intervention, education and policy initiative that works to decrease major health and related risks for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth, such as suicide, substance abuse, HIV and homelessness – in the context of their families. We use a research-based, culturally grounded approach to help ethnically, socially and religiously diverse families decrease rejection and increase support for their LGBT children.

Our team is putting research into practice by developing the first evidence-based family model of wellness, prevention and care to strengthen families and promote positive development and healthy futures for LGBT children and youth. Once developed, we will disseminate our model across the U.S. and to groups we work with in other countries."