I, like all of you, have felt the heaviness borne of mindless violence and tragedy in the wake of the bombings in Boston. My birthday was April 15, and now that date will be remembered for yet another national horror. In the days since the attack, I can’t help but think about the very different world my kids are growing up in. Their reality of life in this country is shaped by far too many moments like the nightmare in Boston. Now we, like most every other family blessed with health,...
Our Voices
So it’s over. Two days that are now part of LGBTQ history. Two back-to-back arguments at the United States Supreme Court, with most of the country paying attention—hearing about our lives, our relationships, and how discriminatory government policies and voter initiatives mark us as inferior, unequal, and vulnerable. In today’s case, the issue was section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which withholds federal protection and recognition from same-sex spouses. Once again,...
Dear Friend of NCLR, Most of us have been through the experience of coming out to family. We approach it with some fear, worry, and trepidation. We hope for the best, expect the worst, and sometimes we get lucky, with our family embracing, accepting, and reaffirming their love for us. And sometimes we are not so lucky, and then we move on and hope for better moments as time passes. Many of us only have to worry about our family’s judgment of us. But what if your family member was in a...
Sometimes you just have to sit back and say wow. I am writing this at a desk in our Washington D.C. office, but just a few hours ago, I was sitting in the courtroom of the United States Supreme Court, listening to oral argument in the challenge to California’s Proposition 8. I will get to my impressions of the argument and where I think we might be headed in our Prop 8 saga in a bit. First, though, I want to take a moment just to breathe and acknowledge the history-making nature of this...
In December I was pretty sure I would not be going. But by January, I knew I couldn’t miss it. I’m talking, of course, about oral argument in two of the most important LGBTQ cases ever to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court—the challenges to Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). As soon as the dates of the arguments were set—back-to-back on March 26 and 27—I could not imagine NOT being there. I have never witnessed a Supreme Court argument in person. Back in 1995, I tried to...
Marriage equality is coming to New Mexico! I am delighted to let you know that today we, along with our colleagues at the local and national ACLU, filed a lawsuit seeking the freedom to marry for same-sex couples in New Mexico. We have been working towards this moment for quite some time in New Mexico, and we’ve spent many months preparing the strongest possible case. And, as you likely have heard, it just so happened that on Tuesday, Santa Fe Mayor David Coss asked county clerks to...
I have been lucky enough to have had many mentors who led by modeling the adage “we are all in this together.” At a time of such tremendous gains for the LGBTQ community in this country, I am mindful every day of the importance of that mindset. There is an often unseen—but nevertheless unbreakable—link between all civil rights and social justice movements. At our best, we learn from and lean on each other, and together we reinforce the ethic of a true commitment to justice. When I was asked by...
It’s been an incredible few weeks. President Obama made history last month when he announced his plan to bring humanity and decency to our nation’s immigration policy, and underscored the urgency of coming together to bring major reform now. The President’s speech outlined his vision for a clear path toward citizenship that includes a streamlined pathway for DREAMers, those young women and men who came to America as children and know only this country as their home. They have waited for the...
I saw President Obama today. I am in Las Vegas, where the President came to unveil his proposal for overhauling our inhumane and frequently—and justly—criticized immigration system. So of course, I was joined by hundreds of others, and with millions of others who watched online and on TV, but still, I saw the President today. And I got to see him do something that made me honored and moved to be among those present for this historic speech—and among those who voted for him. I have been...
I am elated beyond words! President Obama has been re-elected. Marriage equality prevailed in ALL four states—Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington—that faced ballot measures. AND Tammy Baldwin is now Senator Baldwin, the first out LGBTQ person voted into the U.S. Senate. So many victories, including the Iowa Supreme Court justice who supported marriage keeping his seat and a host of openly LGBTQ folks being elected to public office. Mark this moment. We see a new future. Anything is...