The pathetic pimping e-blasts continue. NOM is trying to spin the New Hampshire House of Representatives rejection of the revised marriage amendment bill as some sort of victory. Oh, come on, some of those votes against the measure because of the perceived overkill of religious protections that Gov. Lynch requested as a condition to sign the bill into law. NOM's Brian Brown doesn't fail to put in that pitch for buxxx - after all, Maggie needs her 42% cut for the month...
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| BREAKING NEWS! New Hampshire House Rejects SSM Bill! | May 20, 2009 |
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| HUGE victory for marriage in New Hampshire!!! A few minutes ago, the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted by a 2-vote margin (188-186) to reject amendments to the same-sex marriage bill that had been required by Governor Lynch as a condition of his signing the bill. Same-sex marriage advocates were SHOCKED! As one blogger wrote: "We were hardly even watching since we thought the vote was such a sure thing." State Democratic Party chair Ray Buckley has been pressuring legislators for weeks in an effort to push this bill through. I'm told the shocked look on his face after the House vote today was unforgettable! There is already talk of the parliamentary wrangling to come as proponents seek to salvage the bill. More details will follow, but we need to keep the pressure on, urging Governor Lynch to keep his word and veto the bill today! ACTION NEEDED! If you live in New Hampshire, please email Governor Lynch again today. Urge him to make good on his promise to veto the same-sex marriage bill. The House refused the religious liberty amendments. Now it's time for him to keep his word, veto the bill, and move on. Click here to send a message to Governor Lynch! Then forward this message to anyone you know who lives in New Hampshire! SUPPORT NOM'S STATE CAMPAIGNS TODAY! Working closely with CPR Action on the ground in New Hampshire, NOM has helped sponsor grassroots organizing efforts and hard-hitting TV ads that played a major role in today's victory. (Click here to watch our latest New Hampshire ad!) For the first time, supporters of same-sex marriage are feeling the heat from their constituents, and Governor Lynch knows that the people of New Hampshire oppose same-sex marriage -- because thousands and thousands have called or e mailed to tell him. Today's victory is further evidence of the success that we can achieve, even in the Northeast. But the fight is far from over, and we have other battles on our hands yet this year. Please consider your most generous donation to support NOM's work in New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey and elsewhere. Or better yet, become a regular supporter of marriage by pledging a monthly contribution. Right now, every dollar makes a difference as our opponents are in full-court press trying to push same-sex marriage throughout the Northeast. With your help, we will hold the line and then watch the momentum begin to turn as the American people are awakened to the fact that same-sex marriage affects all of us. Please use this hyperlink to make a secure online donation today.&day. |
Faithfully, |
President Barack Obama meets with Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard, in the Oval Office Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
The White House press release also urged reporters to take note of the President's position on the legislation.
This week, the House of Representatives is expected to consider H.R. 1913, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. I urge members on both sides of the aisle to act on this important civil rights issue by passing this legislation to protect all of our citizens from violent acts of intolerance - legislation th at will enhance civil rights protections, while also protecting our freedom of speech and association. I also urge the Senate to work with my Administration to finalize this bill and to take swift action.So the Qs of the Day :
Will hate crimes legislation pass? If so, will it be by a wide margin?
Is that all we're going to see in terms of equality legislation in 2009? Is that "the plan"?
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By the way, I emailed the White House contact about whether there was going to be any follow up for the media regarding Kerry Eleveld's question at the 5/18 presser when she asked Robert Gibbs if the President had a timeline for initiating a push to repeal DOMA. My email:
I noticed that Press Sec Gibbs took a questionstion about DOMA today; he hadThe answer I received --
no idea about the timeline on action on DOMA and said he would "check on it" -- I'd like to follow up to request that timeline. When will this be addressed?
"Looking into this."I guess I need to be specific and ask for a timeline on a question about a timeline.
Well, this one occurred in central Maine:
AUGUSTA, Maine - The Maine Human Rights Commission decided Monday that a transgender woman was discriminated against at a Denny's restaurant in Auburn when management would not let her use the ladies room until she had sex reassignment surgery.While the lawyer representing the Denny's owners said that the 3-2 decision could have far-reaching, negative consequences for all Maine businesses with shared restroom facilities, it was hailed as a civil rights victory by the Maine Civil Liberties Union and advocacy organization Equality Maine.
"It's important to know that people have rights, including transgender [people], and that businesses are not free to discriminate," said Zachary Heiden, the legal director of the MCLU.
More below...
Of course the usual predatorial fear-mongering technique was attempted- but fortunately it was unsuccessful.
The incident in question happened on Oct. 25, 2007, when Brianna Freeman of Lewiston - formerly known as Bruce - used a locked stall in the ladies room while "dressed clearly" as a woman, according to the investigator's report.
Another customer complained to the manager about sharing a public restroom with a man, said attorney Chad Cloutier, who represents the Rockport company Realty Resources Hospitality LLC.
"The customer was very upset, was irate, had threatened to call police," he said. "A few days later, managemennagement decided that it would be in the best interest of Denny's to ask the customer to use the men's room until sex reassignment surgery."
Freeman was a regular customer of the restaurant. After being banned from the ladies room, Freeman filed a complaint with the commission on April 17, 2008.
Cloutier argued to the commission that a discrimination decision would require that Maine businesses essentially decide whether a person is transgender or if they might want to use a particular restroom or locker room for purposes of "sexual perversion."
Making this accommodation is a violation of a woman's right to privacy, he said in a press release, as well as a "significant risk to the health and safety of [the restaurant's] customers, particularly children."
"It's almost an untenable position for businesses," he said. "It really is a slippery slope. This claimant may be perfectly safe and use the bathroom in a perfectly normal way, but what's to prevent a person of some devious intent ... the right not to share a bathroom?"
For the millionth time, people- what the bloody hell do you think people DO in a restroom? Can you show documentation of attacks occurring in public restrooms? Can you demonstrate a real risk?
No- because NONE EXISTS. A person goes into a restroom to relieve themselves, not on the off-chance of being able to attack a woman or child.
But perhaps EqualityMaine's Betsy Smith said it best:
"How does it pose a risk to children that someone uses the bathroom? That assumes that that person somehow harms children," she (Equality Maine executive director Betsy Smith) said. "It's so outrageously discriminatory."
Smith said that forcing a transgender woman to use a men's room is not safe.
"This company needs diversity training to understand what it means to be gender-nonconforming," she said.
Absolutely true.
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