Freedom Democrats

Governor Corzine Signs Legislation to Add Gender Identity, Expression as a Protected Class Against Discrimination

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: December 19, 2006
CONTACT: Anthony Coley
Brendan Gilfillan
PHONE: 609-777-2600

GOVERNOR CORZINE SIGNS LEGISLATION TO ADD GENDER IDENTITY, EXPRESSION AS A PROTECTED CLASS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION

Please click here for information in Spanish.

<http://www.state.nj.us/governor/espanol/news/news/approved/20061219a.html> Español

TRENTON – Governor Jon S. Corzine today signed the “Bloodborne Disease Harm Reduction Act,’’ which allows up to six municipalities to establish needle exchange programs as part of a demonstration project. The bill also appropriates $10 million for drug treatment.

“Quite simply, this bill will save lives,’’ said Governor Corzine. “The science is clear: Needle exchange programs have been proven effective in reducing the spread of HIV and hepatitis C and serve as gateways to treatment.’’

The demonstration project requires that municipalities interested in participating adopt an ordinance and that participants in the needle exchange program be given information and referrals for HIV counseling and testing, drug abuse treatment programs and health and social services.

"Today ends New Jersey's dubious reign as our nation's only hold-out on progressive and common-sense policies that will save lives," said Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. (D-Camden). "Now we can begin to reverse our state's near-epidemic rates of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C. The needle exchange programs and enhanced access to addiction treatment we authorize today are a glimmer of hope to many who may otherwise have known only death and despair."

"Today we have taken responsibility to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in this state by making access to clean needles part of our comprehensive strategy to combat this public health epidemic," said Senator Nia H. Gill, (D-Essex), a Senate sponsor of this legislation.
The Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) will establish the parameters of the needle exchange program by regulation. The Commissioner of the Department of Human Services is required under the legislation to develop a plan to create and fund regional drug abuse treatment facilities.

“This is a great day for public health in New Jersey,’’ said DHSS Commissioner Fred M. Jacob, M.D., J.D. “This legislation gives us another weapon in the growing arsenal we now have to fight harder to save lives and prevent HIV transmission.’’

New Jersey has the highest rate of cumulative HIV/AIDS cases among women, the third highest rate of pediatric HIV/AIDS cases, the fifth highest rate of adult HIV/AIDS cases and a rate of injection-related HIV infection that is nearly twice the national average.

The legislation (S-494/A-1852) was also sponsored in the Senate by William L. Gormley and in the Assembly by Francis J. Blee, Reed Gusciora, Wilfredo Caraballo, Peter J. Barnes Jr., Alfred E. Steele and William D. Payne.

Posted by Freedom Democrats at 11:35 AM | Permalink

Zogby Poll: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Not Working
Survey Indicates Shift in Military Attitudes

Please click here for Zoby Article:
http://zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1222

Nearly one in four U.S. troops (23%) say they know for sure that someone in their unit is gay or lesbian, and of those 59% said they learned about the person's sexual orientation directly from the individual, a Zogby International poll of troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan shows.

More than half (55%) of the troops who know a gay peer said the presence of gays or lesbians in their unit is well known by others. According to the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, service members are not allowed to say that they are gay.

These findings come amidst significant changes in the military and political landscape. This week, Robert M. Gates took over as the U.S. Secretary of Defense, and next month, Democrats will take control of the Congress. Some observers expect the new climate to prompt intense examination of all aspects of military policy including potential reinstitution of the draft, which is advocated by some in the new majority's leadership.

According Congressman Marty Meehan (D-MA), "These new data prove that thousands of gay and lesbian service members are already deployed overseas and are integrated, important members of their units. It is long past time to strike down 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' and create a new policy that allows gays and lesbians to serve openly."

The Zogby Interactive poll of 545 troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan was designed in conjunction with the Michael D. Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and conducted by Zogby Oct. 24-26, 2006. It carries a margin of error of +/- 4.3 percentage points.

Of those in combat units, 21% said they know for certain that someone in their unit is gay or lesbian, slightly less than for those in combat support units (25%) and combat service support units (22%). One in five troops (20%) in other units said they know for certain someone is gay or lesbian in their unit. Overall, nearly half (45%) say there are people in their unit they suspect are gay or lesbian, but they don't know for sure. Slightly more than half (52%) say they have received training on the prevention of anti-gay harassment in the past three years. But 40% say they have not received this type of training, which is mandated by Defense Department policy.

The data also indicate that military attitudes about homosexuality have shifted. In the early 1990's, many senior officers argued that U.S. troops could not form bonds of trust with gays and lesbians, according to Dr. Aaron Belkin, Director of the Palm Center, who has written widely on the subject. According to the new Zogby data, however, nearly three in four troops (73%) say they are personally comfortable in the presence of gays and lesbians. Of the 20% who said they are uncomfortable around gays and lesbians, only 5% are "very" uncomfortable, while 15% are "somewhat" uncomfortable. Just two percent of troops said knowing that gays are not allowed to serve openly was an important reason in their decision to join the military.

Some troops believe the integration of openly gay and lesbian service members in the military could undermine cohesion, but those who know at least one gay peer are less likely to believe it would negatively impact morale. Of those who know a gay or lesbian peer, 27% said it has a negative impact on the morale of their unit. By contrast, among those who do not know of a gay or lesbian person in their unit, or are unsure of their presence, 58% said it would have a negative impact on their unit.

Prominent supporters of "don't ask, don't tell" have expressed concerns about privacy in the shower, Dr. Belkin said, but nearly three out of four troops said in the Zogby poll that they usually or almost always take showers privately – only 8% say they usually or almost always take showers in group stalls.

For a detailed methodological statement, please visit: http://www.zogby.com/methodology/readmeth.dbm?ID=1158

For the complete Zogby report on the survey, please visit:http://www.zogby.com/CSSMM_Report-Final.pdf
(12/18/2006)

Posted by Freedom Democrats at 7:57 PM | Permalink

From The Desk of Kevin CathCart, Executive Director

December 19, 2006

What a year 2006 has turned out to be! In the past several weeks alone Lambda Legal has won vital court battles on behalf of our families. Every day we are making the world a better place for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV.

I am tremendously proud of this work and thankful to our members who have helped make it possible. As we approach the final days of 2006, please consider joining Lambda Legal with a generous year-end donation today.

Some of Lambda Legal’s victories this year have been groundbreaking, while others continue to push the law forward. All of them further our primary goal: making the case for equality.

* We secured employee domestic partner benefits at a university in Ohio and continued our triumphant run of defending people who’ve been fired because they have HIV. [Read more workplace success stories.]

* A big win this year allowed a group of charter school students to form a gay-straight alliance after a protracted fight. [Read more LGBTQ youth highlights.]
Help us make the case for equality tomorrow with a special tax-deductible gift today.

* Important victories on the parenting front helped reunite two lesbian mothers with their children and solidify LGBT parenting protections. [Read more parenting achievements.]

*In our successful New Jersey marriage case, the state Supreme Court unanimously ruled that same-sex couples must have equal protection under the law and moved the national fight for full equality to the next level. The decision led to quick passage of a statewide civil unions bill. [Read more on relationship work.]

*We’ve also made remarkable strides on HIV issues, transgender rights, judicial fairness and constitutional issues. [ <http://ga4.org/ct/L1_GIW61fmuy/> Read more about the breadth of Lambda Legal’s work.]

Help us make the case for equality tomorrow with a special tax-deductible gift today.

We will use your gift to build upon our current successes. We will use your gift to ensure that we can answer the more than 5,000 calls our help desk receives each year. We will use your gift to educate communities around the country about the realities of discrimination and inequality in America today.

Please help Lambda Legal help more people than ever before with a gift today.

I’m thankful for so many things: our brave plaintiffs, the dedicated staff I work with every day and our members. Your generosity continues to inspire me. Thank you. Have a wonderful holiday and a very Happy New Year.

Gifts to Lambda Legal are tax-deductible. Join now to take a deduction in your 2006 taxes.

Posted by Freedom Democrats at 4:48 PM | Permalink

New Congress expected to consider gay bills in ’07 (Gay)ENDA, hate crimes most likely to see a vote

As reported in the Washington Blade, www.washingtonblade.com

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. Friday, December 15, 2006

The Democratic-controlled Congress is expected to take up legislation in 2007 aimed at protecting gays and transgender people from job discrimination and hate crimes, but the prospects for bills dealing with other sexual orientation-related issues are less certain, according to activists and Capitol Hill observers.

Supportive members of Congress have introduced at least 10 gay- or AIDS-related bills during the past several years, including a measure to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Other bills call for allowing foreign nationals who are domestic partners of U.S. citizens to enjoy the same immigration rights as married spouses and call for domestic partnership benefits for federal employees.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who will become Speaker of the House in January, is considered one of the strongest gay rights supporters in Congress and has signed on as a co-sponsor to all 10 gay- and AIDS-related bills dropped in the hopper in recent years.

“She has said ENDA and the hate crimes bills have received widespread, bipartisan support,” said Pelosi spokesperson Drew Campbell. “She said they would be expected to come up quickly.”

Campbell was referring to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA, which is expected to call for banning job discrimination in the private sector workplace based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

He also referred to the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, which calls for giving the federal government authority to prosecute hate crimes based on sexual orientation, gender identity and disability.

The hate crimes measure has passed in the House and Senate in separate years only to be defeated in House-Senate conference committees at the urging of conservative Republican leaders.

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay political group, has said it will join forces with other groups to make ENDA and the hate crimes measure its top priority.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), one of two gay members of Congress, said ENDA and the hate crimes bill would likely receive the highest priority among supportive members of Congress because they affect the largest number of people subject to discrimination.

In the House, the two bills will come before the House Judiciary Committee, whose chair, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), is a strong supporter of both. In the GOP-controlled Congress that just ended, Republican leaders blocked the bills from moving out of committee, ensuring that they would not be considered for a vote.

Frank said the Democratic-controlled Congress also could be expected to block gay-related bills, but only those that seek to take away rights. He said the Federal Marriage Amendment, which calls for amending the U.S. Constitution to ban gay marriage, will not come up for a vote in the new Congress.

Activists say this will free gay rights supporters to work on as many of the 10 gay- and AIDS-related bills as possible.

“None of these are a slam dunk,” Frank said. “There is still opposition. The important thing is for people to start lobbying.”

HRC legislative director Allison Herwitt said that HRC will give priority to ENDA and the hate crimes bill, but others won’t be far behind.

“While we focus on these two immediate priorities, simultaneously we’re going to continue to highlight the failure of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and look for legislative opportunities to advance critical benefits and protections for GLBT families,” she said.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a national group that advocates on behalf of gays in the military, has called on Congress to pass the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. But SLDN spokesperson Steve Ralls acknowledges that this remains a hot-bottom issue that could trigger strong opposition.

Rep. Martin Meehen (D-Mass.) introduced the bill into the House the last Congress but was unable to line up anyone to introduce the measure in the Senate. Ralls said a Senate version of the bill is expected in 2007.

“I don’t think we would see a vote on this any time soon,” Ralls said. “What we would like to see is hearings on this in the new Congress.”

The Uniting American Families Act, which calls for giving immigration rights to domestic partners of U.S. citizens who are foreign nationals, also faces uncertain prospects.

“We could not get any immigration bill passed,” said Frank, who added that adding gay immigrants to the mix is likely to stir up more opposition.

Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said the Democratic leadership in the House and Senate are aware of the support that gay voters have historically given to the Democratic Party. She said she is certain that ENDA and the hate crimes bills will move forward in the upcoming months.

“We have to produce for this community because this community has produced for us,” Norton said.

Top 10 gay bills in Congress

Gay-supportive members of Congress have introduced these bills at the request of gay rights or AIDS advocacy groups in recent years. All of them have died in committee after Republican leaders in the House and Senate refused to bring them up for a vote. The new Democratic-controlled Congress is expected to be more sympathetic toward the 10 bills, but Democratic leaders chose not to place any of them on their agenda for their first 100 days in office.

Employment Non-Discrimination Act: Calls for banning private sector employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act: Calls for giving the federal government authority to prosecute hate crimes based on a victim’s sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

Military Readiness Enhancement Act: Calls for repealing the U.S. military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy so that gay male, lesbian and bisexual troops would be allowed to serve openly.

Uniting American Families Act: Calls for amending the U.S. Immigration & Nationality Act to allow foreign nationals who are same-sex domestic partners of U.S. citizens to apply for the same immigration rights offered to foreign nationals who legally marry U.S. citizens. Similar to the existing law’s application to heterosexuals, the bill calls for prosecution of same-sex couples who fraudulently form a partnership to enable a foreigner to obtain immigration rights.

Domestic Partner Health Benefits Equity Act/Tax Equity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act: Introduced respectively in the Senate and House, the identical bills call for amending the Internal Revenue Code to end taxation of health insurance benefits for domestic partners. Under the current IRS Code, legally married employees do not pay taxes on their employers’ contribution to their health insurance benefits that cover their spouses and dependent children. But gay and lesbian employees must pay taxes on similar benefits as if they were ordinary income.

Domestic Partners Benefits & Obligations Act: Calls for providing health insurance and other benefits to same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners of federal government employees. Under current law, these benefits are only available to legally married spouses of federal employees. The bill sets various requirements to define a domestic partnership, including an affidavit that the partners live together, are not relatives, are over 18 and are not married.

Clarification of Federal Employment Protections Act: Declares that, “federal employees are protected from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation” and “[repudiates] any assertion to the contrary.” Gay-supportive members of the House of Representatives introduced the bill to overrule a controversial decision by U.S. Special Counsel Scott Bloch not to enforce a longstanding federal employment policy banning sexual orientation discrimination against federal workers.

Family Medical Leave Inclusion Act: Calls for amending the Family & Medical Leave Act of 1993 to allow government and private sector employees to take leave to care for a domestic partner who has a serious health condition. The bill also would allow medical leave for the care of a same-sex married partner or the parent-in-law, adult child, sibling or grandparent of a same-sex partner who has a serious health condition.

Responsible Education About Life Act: Calls for creating a $206 million federal grant program to award funds to states for comprehensive sexuality education that is not linked to advocacy of abstinence-only-until-marriage. Supporters say the bill is needed because existing sexuality education programs funded by the federal government are linked to abstinence-only policies.

Early Treatment for HIV Act: Calls for allowing low-income, childless adults with HIV to become eligible for Medicaid coverage before they develop full-blown AIDS. Under current law, people who meet the income requirements for Medicaid are ineligible for the federal health program if they have HIV but are not “disabled” by having AIDS.

Posted by Freedom Democrats at 3:31 PM | Permalink

December 15, 2006

The United Nations Economic and Social Council granted consultative status to three LGBT organizations on Dec. 11.

[ Get more details ]

Posted by Freedom Democrats at 5:10 PM | Permalink

FROM THE NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASKFORCE

December 15, 2006

New Jersey civil union bill clears Legislature:

The Task Force applauds Garden State Equality for strengthening the measure to better protect lesbian and gay families. Read Matt Foreman’s statement.

Task Force hails passage of New Jersey bill prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and expression. With the governor’s signature, New Jersey will become the ninth state with clear and strong transgender protections. Read our press release.

(Photo: Garden State Equality’s Steven Goldstein prepares to testify at last week’s Assembly Judiciary Committee hearing on the New Jersey civil union bill. Credit: Kelly Anthony)

Posted by Freedom Democrats at 5:08 PM | Permalink

FROM THE NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE

December 15, 2006

Policy Institute report: Epidemic of homelessness among LGBT youth

Angelika Santiago speaks to a packed press conference at New York City Hall about her experience of becoming homeless. The Dec. 14 conference marked the release of the Task Force Policy Institute’s 192-page report, Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth: An epidemic of homelessness, produced in collaboration with the National Coalition for the Homeless.

Read the press release and download the report.

[ Read coverage by the Associated Press and Metro ][ Watch Telemundo’s Spanish-language broadcast coverage on YouTube ](Photo, left to right: Policy Institute report author Nicholas Ray, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Angelika Santiago, Councilman Alan Gerson. Credit: Inga Sarda-Sorensen)

Posted by Freedom Democrats at 5:06 PM | Permalink

NJ Assembly Judiciary Committee passes civil unions bill;Task Force urges a more thorough deliberation of critically important measure

MEDIA CONTACT:Roberta Sklar, Director of Communications

media@thetaskforce.org

646.358.1465

“A rush to judgment here would be a profound insult to the state’s Supreme Court, to the deliberative process in which the Legislature is supposed to engage, and to thousands of lesbian and gay families.” — Matt Foreman, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 — The New Jersey Assembly Judiciary Committee today passed the Civil Unions Act by a 4-to-2 vote. The legislation filed late Monday and made available to the public Tuesday is the response of key Democratic lawmakers to the state Supreme Court’s Oct. 25 ruling that New Jersey must extend all privileges of marriage to same-sex couples within 180 days. If enacted into law, the measure would provide limited legal benefits and economic protections to same-sex couples and their children.

Statement by Matt Foreman, Executive DirectorNational Gay and Lesbian Task Force

“This bill will have lifelong repercussions for those entering into civil unions in New Jersey. It deserves careful legal analysis and ample opportunity for those who will be most affected by it to be heard. Almost immediately after the court’s ruling, New Jersey’s political leadership voiced its desire to jam a civil unions measure through the Legislature ASAP. We deplore any political rush to judgment on this critically important issue, and urge the full Assembly to resist this misguided impulse.

"Other states that have passed civil unions have recognized the monumental nature of such an action. The process to get civil unions passed in Connecticut took more than two years as lawmakers took the opportunity to fully debate the issue.

“A rush to judgment here would be a profound insult to the state’s Supreme Court, to the deliberative process in which the Legislature is supposed to engage, and to thousands of lesbian and gay families.”

**********

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 11:39 AM | Permalink