Reasonably Logical

I strongly suggest you read this article:
Prison guards disciplined for part in gay wedding ceremony for inmates
Katie Fretland | Sentinel Staff Writer
3:13 PM EDT, October 25, 2007

I’ll draw you’re attention to a couple of pieces:
- 1) The prison guards were disciplined for allowing a same-sex wedding. The article makes the point that same-sex weddings are not legal in Florida, but so what? Yeah, the prison doesn’t have to formally recognize it, but how does that make it illegal to have the wedding?
- 2) “It is highly inappropriate to correctional setting because it implies sexual relations, which are illegal in prison.” Excuse me, but how does getting married imply sexual relations? Or more accurately, how does it imply it for a lesbian couple, but not for heterosexuals? This is nothing but straight up homophobia.
- 3) Last but not least is the last line in the article: “The couple was split up by sending one to another institution.” This is nothing but mean spirited revenge and homophobia. I’m sorry, but that is exactly what it was. Grow up, people!

Frankly, I am seriously pissed off about this and hope it gets challenged in court. This is absolutely disgusting!

“Trends in Badware 2007: What internet users need to know.”

I got this out of an Electronic Frontier Foundation newsletter. While this isn’t something really useful to me or other technical folks, I am going to be sending this to several of my non-tech friends. I’ve been looking for something like this for years. I’m constantly getting questions on this stuff.

Thought I might as well post this here. This is the write up for a workshop I will hopefully be presenting at Creating Change in Feb. 08. I just got this submitted today.

Title: Out (or Not) In the Child Welfare System: Foster Care, Adoptions, & Orphanages
Level: all levels
Format: 90-minute workshop (basic info followed by discussion)
Facilitators: Mandy Carter, Philip Reames

Blurb:
LGBTQ individuals have multiple positions within the child welfare system, each with its own set of challenges. This workshop is intended to illuminate the child welfare system as it currently exists (for professionals and new comers alike) and start a discussion on changing it for the better. Come and join us for a discussion of the ways the child welfare system effects us, and the ways we can effect it.

Full Description:
LGBTQ individuals have multiple positions within the child welfare system. Many are youth, going through the system without a place to turn or a safe adult to talk to. Others are prospective foster and adoptive parents, sometimes desperately fighting for themselves and their prospective children. And let us not forget the very social workers and staffers who run the system, many of whom are also LGBTQ.

Each group faces its own set of challenges, some similar, some very different. This workshop is intended to illuminate the child welfare system as it currently exists (for professionals and new comers alike) and start a discussion on changing it for the better.

The facilitators will open the discussion by sharing basic facts & figures such as percentages and numbers of LGBTQ youth in the child welfare system, and then presenting personal stories collected from members of all three groups. Following this introduction, the audience will be invited to share their own perspectives and experiences for the benefit of the group as a whole. Issues up for discussion will include:
- Existing organizations which explicitly serve LGBTQ individuals
- Tips and tactics for surviving as a LGBTQ youth within the system
- The relationship between homelessness and foster care for LGBTQ youth
- Providing services to LGBT youth in non-affirming localities
- Where to get information and assistance as a LGBT foster or adoptive parent
- Working inside the system as an activist (out or not)

Note: This workshop is a companion to the one presented by Pauline Park on inter-country adoption. The two are intended to be presented together, but can be presented separately if need be.

I thought the article below was very interesting. It touches on some of the changes that civil union bills are causing in the legal practice. It also mentions in passing the impact of federal legislation. (Painful.) Overall an interesting read.

Lawyers Building New Niches On Civil Union, Gay Marriage Issues
Clients more forthcoming about protecting estates, loved ones
By Laura Schreier
Hartford Business Journal Staff Writer

For those not aware, there is currently a bill before congress that would ban discrimination on sexual orientation and gender expression. Or at least it used to. Barney Frank, one of the sponsors of the bill and a man who I have great respect for, has introduced a reduced version of the bill that does not cover transgender individuals or gender expression. The reason given was that this reduced bill would stand a better chance of actually passing and provide protection for some of our community, if not all. Honestly, when I first heard this I was extremely torn. I don’t particularly want to abandon any of our community, but the chance of getting something actually passed seemed to almost be worth it. (Not my proudest moment, I know.)

What totally changes things though, was reading Lambda Legal’s evaluation of the new bill. Not just does the new bill not cover transgender folks, it doesn’t cover anyone who is fired based on gender expression. You can’t be fired for being gay, but you could be fired for “acting gay”: talking with a lisp, wearing makeup at work, etc.. While this wouldn’t bother many straight acting folks on first glance, we all know how easily this could be bent. And besides, do we really want to walk away from the rest of our community like that? This new bill really gives us next to nothing.

I honestly do think that Representative Frank introduced this new bill with the best of intentions, but passing it would be a major mistake. I’m extremely proud of our community leaders (NGLFT, Lambda Legal, Triangle Foundation, etc., but NOT HRC) for actively opposing this bill. (Even before I personally was ready to do so.)

Old news, I know. (It was announced last week.) I have met Mr. Montgomery personally, and have been deeply impressed. I look forward to seeing what he does next. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing great things out of him for a while yet.

This Detroit News article describes him and his accomplishments well.

Detroit gay activist transforms Michigan
Monday, October 01, 2007
Deb Price