Freedom Democrats

Miami, FL -- At our recent statewide Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus conference in Tallahassee, the State Caucus introduces 3 of our own members who are candidates for public office in Florida. They are:

Elizabeth Campbell is a candidate for the Florida House of Representatives, District 3. Liz is a member of our newly formed Pensacola chapter.

Bryan Worthington is a candidate for Sarasota County Charter Review Board, District 3. Bryan is a Director in Region 6 and President of the Suncoast Stonewall Democrats, our Sarasota chapter.

Ken Keechl is a candidate for Broward County Commisioner, District 4. Ken is a Director in Region 8 and on the Board of Directors of the Dolphin Democrats, our Broward chapter.

Please take a moment to visit each candidate's web site. We'd encourage you to consider making a financial contribution to each. Even a small contribution, when combined with the power of all of us, can help make a big difference in each of these races.

And if you live in the candidate's district, call them and volunteer to help them get the word out to vote Democrat.

Come November 8, we might even have 3 new GLBT elected officials!

A candidate listing here does not represent any endorsement by the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus or The Freedom Democrats. Links are provided for informational purposes only.

Best regards,

Chip Arndt
President
Freedom Democrats
Miami-Dade GLBT Democratic Caucus
www.FreedDems.org

Posted by Freedom Democrats at 9:07 PM | Permalink

Bush's second choice for Vice President to assail GOP over Schiavo, gay rights

John Byrne
Published: Friday September 15, 2006

Exclusive: Republican shortlisted to be Bush's Vice President to lay out most explicit case for gay rights; Blasts Frist, GOP handling of Schiavo case

The former Missouri senator shortlisted to be then-Governor Bush's running mate in the 2000 presidential election -- said to have been second choice only to Vice President Cheney -- will come out vehemently against administration and Congressional Republican policy in a book to be published next week., according to an advance copy obtained by RAW STORY.

John Danforth, who retired in 1995 after four terms in the Senate, briefly served as Bush's ambassador to the United Nations but resigned after Condoleezza Rice was tapped to be Secretary of State. According to CNN, he was second on the list of Bush's potential vice presidential choices in 2000.

In Faith and Politics, to be released Tuesday, Danforth blasts the alignment of the Republican Party with the Christian right, lays out his most aggressive pro-gay stance to date and attacks the handling of the Terri Schiavo case.

"Some people have asked me whether America is a Christian country. The answer must be no, for to call this a Christian country is to say that non-Christians are of some lesser order, not full fledged citizens of one nation." Danforth is himself an ordained Episcopal minister.

Danforth calls the Terri Schiavo case -- where Congress intervened to attempt to keep a severely brain-damaged woman from being taken off life support -- "Big Brotherism."

"That the federal government could intervene in the Schiavo case was a threat to all the families that had seen their loved ones suffer through terminal illness," he writes.

It was a threat to people who were terrified that their own lives might someday be artificially extended in nightmarish circumstances. It was a threat to some of our most heartfelt values. It was Big Brotherism in the extreme, an exercise of the raw and awesome power of the federal government.

"They intervened not in the name of principle, but at the expense of principle," Danforth avers. "They abandoned principle by deciding a medical question without any firsthand knowledge of what they were doing."

Congressional Republicans face specific criticism. An attack on Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) derides the Republican Senate leader for attempting to diagnose Schiavo without seeing the patient.

One views with a degree of pathos the role of William Frist, MD, graduate of Harvard Medical School and potential presidential candidate, who diagnosed a medical condition without examining the patient.

The former Missouri senator also comes out swinging for gay rights -- a cause he has championed since his retirement from the Senate. But in Faith and Politics, he lays out his most ardent support to date. Despite having a gay daughter, Vice President Cheney has remained relatively mum on the issue -- except to say that he disagrees with Bush over a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Danforth goes further.

"I believe that homosexuality is a matter of sexual orientation rather than preference," he writes.

"Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is, in my view, comparable to discrimination on other civil rights grounds. It is wrong, and it should be prohibited by law."

"I think that the only purpose served by the campaign for the amendment is the humiliation of gay Americans, advocated by the Christian right and eagerly supported by its suitors in the Republican Party," he adds. "In reality, it is gay bashing."

Danforth then goes even further, saying supporters' assertions that the amendment would protect marriage is ludicrous.

"America's divorce rate is now over 50 percent, and marriage is under attack from a number of quarters: finances, promiscuity, alcohol and drugs, the pressures of work, cultural acceptance of divorce, et cetera," he pens. "But it is incomprehensible that one of these threats is when someone else, whom we have never seen, in a place where we may have never been, has done something we don't like."

Posted by Freedom Democrats at 11:06 AM | Permalink

Press Release
Thursday, September 14, 2006

Council of Bishops, Elders and Christian Leaders calls for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender inclusion in the church and full equality under the law

MEDIA CONTACT:
Roberta Sklar, Director of Communications
media@thetaskforce.org
646.358.1465

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 — The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force today strongly praised the statement put forth by the Council of Bishops, Elders and Christian Leaders denouncing hostility that uses Christianity against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and opening the doors of their faith communities to all. On the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the Council denounced the “portrayal by Christian extremists of the tragedy of Sept. 11 as God’s judgment on America for the presence of gays and lesbians and all political manipulation in the name of Jesus.” The statement was adopted at the national gathering of more than 25 Christian leaders who represent organizations that reach 98 million Americans, including leaders from conservative groups such as the Evangelical Network.

“This historic statement from the faith community proclaims that discrimination against and rejection and oppression of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families are incompatible with the Christian ethic of love,” said Matt Foreman, the Task Force’s executive director.

“The religious right's tactics of using Christianity to divide and oppress lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are unpatriotic, anti-democratic and unfair. We applaud the courage of the many faith leaders who in this powerful statement reject bigotry and discrimination veiled in the false cloak of piety. We reaffirm our commitment to working with welcoming faith communities to create a more just and peaceful world for all.”

The resolution adopted at the Council of Bishops, Elders and Christian Leaders calls for five critical steps to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people:

Realize that the “relationships of same-gender loving couples are equal” and are worthy of both the right to civil marriage and the rites of Christian marriage.

Reaffirm the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to full equality under the law, including adoption rights, employment and housing protections, and the right to serve openly in the military.

Refute the “ex-gay notion that sexual orientation and gender identity can and should be changed.”

Refuse to cooperate with or support political or religious leaders who condemn the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Reclaim faith and speak boldly on “God’s call for justice, wholeness and peace,” working on behalf of all oppressed people.

To read the full statement, go to www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/Statement_Bishops_EldersCouncil.pdf.

*****

The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community from the ground up. We do this by training activists, organizing broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and by building the organizational capacity of our movement. Our Policy Institute, the movement’s premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., we also have offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis and Cambridge.

Posted by Freedom Democrats at 11:14 AM | Permalink

Press Release

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

MEDIA CONTACT:Roberta Sklar,
Director of Communications
media@thetaskforce.org
646.358.1465

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 — The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force applauds the National Latino Congreso for the passage of a historic resolution calling for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights equality and civil rights protections. The resolution was adopted at the Latino/a community gathering on Sept. 6–9 in Los Angeles, Calif. The Task Force also praises the work of the many Latino/a LGBT activists and allies who promoted this resolution, including Bienestar, Equality California, Lambda Legal and the Latino Coalition for Justice–Los Angeles.

“The passage of this historic resolution brings new meaning to the concept of ‘familia’ for the Latino community,” said Matt Foreman, the Task Force’s executive director. “The acknowledgment behind this resolution is that no one should be left behind and that when the Latino community speaks about ‘familia,’ it is talking about embracing everyone, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Latinos. We are deeply grateful to the activists and organizations that made possible this resolution and we honor the courage of the Latino Congreso in putting out such a powerful statement to the Latino community.”

“True equality, full justice and our community’s well-being can only be achieved through a unified front,” said Oscar De La O, president and CEO of Bienestar. “As an organization that advocates for Latinos, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Latinos, we are pleased to see that the broader Latino community is placing the well-being of all Latinos on the agenda.”
Resolution co-author Marlon Morales, of the Latino Coalition for Justice–LA, said, “Passage of this resolution represents not only a historic moment, but in practical terms assures that Latino policy-makers have a mandate to consider how their future policies and legislation will contribute to securing full human and civil rights for LGBT Latinos.”

“Equality California was thrilled to collaborate with Bienestar, Lambda Legal and the Latino Coalition for Justice–LA in presenting this important resolution to the Latino Congreso,” said Dannie Tillman, Equality California's director of communications and coalitions. “We are ecstatic that the Congreso voted to stand up for equality and fairness and to oppose discrimination against any family or individual.”

The resolution was adopted at the largest convening of the Latino/a community since 1977 and calls for, among other things, the expansion of legal benefits, protections, responsibilities and privileges for all families and individuals; support for national, state and local legislation and policies that would protect Latinos/as from discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity; opposition to restrictions on parenting and adoption by LGBT people, same-sex couples and unmarried cohabitating couples; support for Latino/a LGBT persons to openly serve their country in the military; support for legislation and policies that would enable LGBT Latino/a same-sex couples to sponsor their loved ones for purposes of immigration rights and benefits; support for giving LGBT Latinos/as the choice to legally marry; opposition to anti-same-sex-marriage constitutional amendments; and rejection of efforts to exclude LGBT Latinos/as from the larger Latino/a United States familia.

“We created this coalition for particularly this type of opportunity — to show that the Latino community stands behind their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Latino community members,” said Francisco Dueñas, co-chair of the Latino Coalition for Justice–LA, adding that representatives from Latino/a organizations from across the country overwhelmingly showed their support for their Latino/a LGBT familia against discrimination and inequality.

For more information on the Latino Congreso, visit http://www.latinocongreso.org/.
For more information on Bienestar, visit http://www.bienestar.org/.
For more information on Equality California, visit http://www.eqca.org/.
For more information on Lambda Legal, visit www.lambdalegal.org.

*****
The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community from the ground up. We do this by training activists, organizing broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and by building the organizational capacity of our movement. Our Policy Institute, the movement’s premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., we also have offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis and Cambridge.

Posted by Freedom Democrats at 8:45 AM | Permalink

Referring to the controversial docudrama Path to 9/11, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is calling on ABC/Disney to reveal "who funded this $40 million dollar slanderous propaganda," in a DNC press release:
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=72062

"It's deeply disappointing that ABC would put something on the air that has been proven to have factual inaccuracies about one of the most important events in our nation's history," said Dean in the press release. "ABC should not air this distortion of history."

Path to 9/11 writer/producer Cyrus Nowrasteh "has ties to an evangelical Christian group whose goals include 'transform[ing] Hollywood from the inside out,' according to research by readers of prominent blogs," Justin Rood reported for TPMmuckraker earlier today.
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001491.php

"Path director David L. Cunningham is also involved in The Film Institute, an offshoot of the Hawaii-based global evangelical group, Youth With a Mission."

"The fact that the writer/producer of the piece is a well known conservative raises additional concerns and questions," said Dean. "The American people deserve to know who funded this $40 million dollar slanderous propaganda."

"Use of the public airwaves is a privilege conferred upon broadcasters in the public interest," Dean continued. "It comes with a responsibility to the American people and a responsibility to the truth."
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=72073

Posted by Freedom Democrats at 2:29 PM | Permalink