LGBT: HRC Wedding Registry Offers Gifts with Equality

Support the work of HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN while celebrating your marriage! You've seen charity wedding registries, honeymoon registries, gift card registries...why not sign up for an equal rights wedding registry?

"Each couple gets their own page with their personal story and photo. Loved ones can donate to HRC in their honor and help us move toward the day when all people can marry, no matter who they love."

For more information, go to HRC's wedding registry page.

NEWS: First Openly LGBT Assemblymember is new Speaker!

Another barrier for the LGBT community was shattered as Assemblymember John A. Pérez became the state’s first openly gay Speaker yesterday. 

"Like Harvey Milk, Speaker Pérez is more proof that being LGBT does not preclude a person from achieving greatness or making the world a better place for others, " said a statement from Equality California (EQCA).  The statement went on to say they look forward to working with Speaker Pérez as they push forward with an aggressive legislative agenda to propel California closer to full LGBT equality. They also look forward to working with him to ensure that the state has a budget that protects the critical health and human service needs of ALL people, especially those most in need.

NEWS: Civil Marriage Religious Freedom Act... and Prop. 8

i recently received this email (excerpted) from EQUALITY CALIFORNIA:

As we’ve seen in the federal challenge to Prop. 8, our opponents have deliberately misled Californians on the distinction between civil and religious marriage, claiming that that clergy who refuse to perform marriages for same-sex couples would be punished and places of worship would lose their tax-exempt status. Thousands of EQCA volunteers who go door to door talking to people about marriage have reported that many Californians do not know that there is a difference between civil and religious marriage.

To alleviate confusion and to ensure our Constitution’s promise of religious freedom, Senator Mark Leno (D – San Francisco) introduced a bill today, sponsored by Equality California and co-sponsored by the California Council of Churches IMPACT, that protects clergy from being forced to perform any civil marriage that is contrary to the tenets of his or her faith and protects faith institutions’ tax-exempt status.

Regardless of party or ideology, every California legislator should support religious freedom. Email your representative and ask them to become a co-author of the Civil Marriage Religious Freedom Act.

When this bill is enacted, it will provide incontrovertible evidence that civil marriage for same-sex couples will not impact clergy or the freedom of religion.Email your representatives right now and ask them to become a co-author. If you’re registered with EQCA’s Action Center, you can reply to this email and a message will be sent automatically, or can log on to add a personal message.

Take action now and ask your representative to support religious freedom in marriage!

As you know, i am a strong advocate of equal rights for everyone, as i am sure you are.  Please take the time to show your support!  Thank you.