Please Share Your Story With Fair is Fair MT

Jan29 by D Gregory Smith

The Fair is Fair campaign, a project of the ACLU of Montana, is dedicated to increasing public support for domestic partnerships by telling the stories of real couples who have been denied equal protection because their relationships are not legally recognized.

We are looking for same-sex couples who are willing to share their stories about how they have been denied basic protections afforded to other families.

If you are in a committed relationship with a same-sex partner and you have experienced difficulties (tax problems, pension issues, problems related to caring for children or making medical decisions for your family, or any other types of difficulties) because your relationship isn’t legally recognized, please e-mail me at niniab@aclumontana.org.

All communications will be handled as confidential by the ACLU.

Right now, loving, committed same-sex couples and their children still don’t have the protections they need to live their own lives in Montana. The ACLU has brought a lawsuit, Donaldson and Guggenheim v. State of Montana, to win equal protection for same-sex couples. Court cases are important, but to win lasting fairness for gay and lesbian couples we need to convince not just the courts but also the general public that Montanans need domestic partnerships.

Please don’t pass up this opportunity to tell your story and to help Fair is Fair change hearts and minds.

Montana Supreme Court Allows Domestic Partnership Case for Same-Sex Couples To Move Forward (dgsmith.org)
Personal Finance Guide for LGBT | AptusInsurance.com (aptusinsurance.com)
Pride Foundation Scholar Helps Draft Montana Civil Unions Bill (dgsmith.org)
Same-sex Marriage a Boost for Wedding Business (hispanicbusiness.com)
ACLU: Federal court declares ‘Defense of Marriage Act’ unconstitutional (with video of Edie Windsor) (miamiherald.typepad.com)
Prosecutorial Discretion for Same-Sex Couples Affirmed (lawprofessors.typepad.com)

Wyoming Domestic Partnership Bill Passes Out Of Committee

Jan29 by D Gregory Smith

Wyoming legislators have kiboshed marriage equality (for now), but The Equality State seems to be more down with separate but equal. From The Casper Star-Tribune:

Reverse of 2007 Wyoming quarter — “The Equality State” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A bill that would allow same-sex couples in Wyoming to create domestic partnerships carrying most of the legal rights of conventional marriage cleared a state House committee vote Monday after a sometimes contentious, sometimes bizarre public debate.

The move sends legislation on to a full floor debate in the state Legislature for the first time.

“This is a forward step,” said Rep. Cathy Connolly, a Laramie Democrat and a lesbian. “It’s important that our relationships are recognized. These are the kinds of statutes that both protect us and recognize us.”

Wyoming Equality weighs in:

Today, a historic law that would protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families passed its first hurdle in the Wyoming House of Representatives by a 7-2 vote. House Bill (HB) 168 would create a domestic partnership registry for opposite-sex and same-sex couples in committed relationships. HB169, which would have granted same-sex couples the freedom to marry, failed by a 5-4 vote.

The law, which was authored by Representative Cathy Connolly, would provide essential protections to LGBT families. The Domestic Partnerships Rights and Responsibilities Act (HB168) would ensure that both opposite-sex and same-sex couples have basic legal protections, such as the ability to make emergency medical decisions for each other and to make joint decisions about their children’s health and wellbeing.

“This is a historic day for equality,” said Jeran Artery, the Chair of Wyoming Equality. “Today marks the first time a bill has moved forward in the Wyoming legislature which would provide essential protections for LGBT families.

Wyoming Kills Marriage Bill, Advances Domestic Partnership Legislation (advocate.com)
Wyoming Lawmakers to Consider Marriage Equality on Monday (towleroad.com)
BREAKING: Wyoming House Committee Defeats Marriage Equality Bill, Advances Domestic Partnerships (thinkprogress.org)

Ellen DeGeneres Coming To Montana?

Jan29 by D Gregory Smith

Watch this:

And then share it.
Let’s make this happen!

Pride Foundation Gathering In Billings tomorrow

Jan24 by D Gregory Smith

Leaders from two of the nation’s largest gay rights funders will help raise money for students and organizations in Montana at a fundraiser at Corby Skinner’s historic “Castle” on Friday, January 25 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Kris Hermanns, the Executive Director of the Pride Foundation, and Tim Sweeney, CEO and President of the Gill Foundation, will speak about the state of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality movement in Montana and the impact of recent marriage equality wins in the region.

For more information, to RSVP (invite yourself!), go to the Facebook event page here.

Pride Foundation Named One of Top Twelve Nonprofits (dgsmith.org)
Pride Foundation Scholar Helps Draft Montana Civil Unions Bill (dgsmith.org)
Tim Sweeney, Kris Hermanns to Attend Billings Pride Foundation Benefit (dgsmith.org)
Having an LGBTQ Community Event? There’s Money Available! (dgsmith.org)

Watch This: High School Senior Comes Out

Jan23 by D Gregory Smith

Accepting the award for best actor in his Parsippany, NJ high school, Jacob Rudolph bravely talked about “the daily acting” that he was about to swear off:

Love it. I think he should get ‘the most inspiring’ award….

Today’s Must-Read: Richard Blanco

Jan22 by D Gregory Smith

If you’re haunted sometimes by memories of “gay terror” from your childhood- especially when it involved family- this essay is for you. In reading it, I recognized so much of the familiar and long-past memories of shame and fear that molded me, that sent me- much later- into the world with clearer purpose. I also recognized the stories of clients and friends- and not just gay friends- many of us eventually disappointed or confused the people who raised us….

Excerpt:

At thirty-one, I sit at a candlelit table across from the man who will be my husband. I tell him about my grandmother and the coping mechanisms I developed; how they naturally led me to writing; mechanisms that became part of my very creative process. Becoming withdrawn and introverted, I grew to become an observer of the world, instead of a participant. In order to survive emotionally I learned to read my environment very carefully and then craft appropriate responses that would (hopefully) prevent abuse and ridicule from my grandmother. I explain to my husband-to-be that I am still that quiet, repressed boy whenever I am in a room full of people, trying to be as invisible as possible, but taking in every detail, sensory as well as emotional, that will eventually surface in a poem.

My work is often described as vivid and lush; relatives often marvel at my recollection in my poems of family events and details. Qualities I attribute directly to the skills spawned from my coping with my abuse. But beyond that, I’ve come to understand why writing and me became such a great fit. It allowed me to participate in the world, to feel alive, while remaining an invulnerable observer, safe in my room, at my desk, in my imagination where no one, especially my grandmother, could hurt me.

It’s beautiful and humble and brilliant. Please read the full essay here. And then, in case you missed it, watch Richard Blanco read his lovely poem at the president’s inauguration yesterday.

Richard Blanco named inauguration poet (rep-am.com)
Read Miami poet Richard Blanco’s inauguration poem, One Today (miamiherald.com)
Richard Blanco, Hispanic and Openly Gay, Delivers Inaugural Poem (politic365.com)

COLORADO: Civil Unions Bill To Be Heard By Senate Committee Next Week

Jan19 by D Gregory Smith

From Joe My God:

English: Great Seal of the State of Colorado (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On Wednesday the Colorado Senate Judiciary Committee will begin hearings on a proposed civil unions bill.

Senate Bill 11 would “authorize any 2 unmarried adults, regardless of gender, to enter into a civil union.” Last year, the Colorado House failed to vote on a civil union bill before the end of a special session of the legislature. This legislative session, democrats control the majority in the House and Senate. House Speaker Mark Ferrandino (D – Denver) says he would like to have a civil unions bill on Governor Hickenlooper’s desk by Valentine’s Day but has acknowledge it may take more time to get the bill through both chambers.

Hot on the heels of Washington marriage equality, and with Wyoming considering marriage equality (and a civil unions bill), looks like the west may be getting more savvy.

Read the rest here

Colorado Senate Committee To Hold Civil Unions Hearing Wednesday (ontopmag.com)
Colorado’s John Hickenlooper Reiterates Support For Civil Unions For Gay Couples (ontopmag.com)

Saturday Inspiration

Jan19 by D Gregory Smith

If you want something inspiring for your Saturday, watch this kid.

Montana Jobless Rate Low

Jan18 by D Gregory Smith

Montana’s unemployment rate continues to fall- to 5.7%.

unemployment (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

“Montana starts 2013 with a strong economy that has been adding jobs and gaining wages for over two years,” said Labor Commissioner Pam Bucy. “Although the national economy faces risks and uncertainty arising from federal tax and spending levels, I am confident that Montana’s economy will have the momentum and resilience to continue growth in the next year. Montana will continue to outperform the nation, with lower unemployment than the national average.”