Political IQ Again: The ghost of Jerry Falwall

This is funny. I delayed posting my previous Political IQ column for so long, that the next one has just been published, so this is a two-fer day.

This one's called Undermining the Religious Right, wherein I discuss Jerry Falwell's ghost, the hate crimes bill, religious freedom, marriage equality and my own inability to embrace optimism.

A Good Day! Two legislative victories for LGBT America

The U.S. House just passed a bill adding LGBT citizens to the federal hate crimes statutes. The vote was 249-175 with 18 Republicans voting yes and 17 Democrats voting no. (This is per my viewing of the live coverage on C-Span.)

Meanwhile, The New Hampshire Senate ignored a committee recommendation and passed a same-sex marriage bill today. The bill has already passed the New Hampshire House.

Both measures face obstacles.

The hate crimes debate now moves to the U.S. Senate where a proposal introduced by Sen. Ted Kennedy and Sen.Patrick Leahy will be considered. This bill has more than 30 co-sponsors, including a handful of Republicans and newly minted Democrat, Sen. Arlen Specter. The question now will be whether it can get either a majority or the magic 60-vote margin to end a possible filibuster. The Senate moves sloooowly, so don't expect immediate action.

In New Hampshire, the marriage bill will go to a conference committee, which has to iron out differences between the proposals passed by the two legislative chambers. Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat, hasn't said whether he will sign the bill, and he has indicated opposition in the past.

All in all, a very good day for fairness in the United States of America, but much remains to be done.

Angie Zapata gets justice

It only took a Colorado jury two hours yesterday to convict Allen Andrade of murder, and to determine that his actions were a hate crime. Andrade beat Angie Zapata, an 18-year-old transgender woman, to death with his fists and a fire extinguisher. Andrade was sentenced to life without parole. This marks one of the first times hate crimes have been applied to a murder case involving a transgender citizen.

For the best coverage of the case, see Pam's House Blend and particularly the work of Autumn Sandeen, a transgender woman and Blender who traveled to Colorado to cover the trial in person.

Here's all of the Blend's Angie Zapata coverage.

Some have criticized the LGB blogosphere and LGB media for ignoring the case. Another blogger on how most LGB bloggers missed an opportunity.

Here at In This Moment, I can only raise my hand and plead guilty. I didn't give Angie Zapata the coverage she needed and deserved. Click on the links to the material by and about Sandeen. She did a marvelous job of raising the visibility of the case, and educating the mainstream media about transgender issues.

Clergy Call for Justice -- Hate Crimes and Workplace Discrimination

By Pamela K. Taylor

Yesterday saw a victory for what should be no-brainer legislation; a bill that would extend federal hate crimes legislation to include the glbt community passed in the House. The Senate is expected to take the matter up soon, and I urge everyone to call their senators and ask her/him to support this bill.

I also encourage you to talk to both your senators and your representative about legislation that would make workplace discrimination against glbts expressly illegal. This legislation is expected by the end of the year, and is desperately needed as it is still legal in 36 states to fire someone simply because they are gay.

I had the honor to participate two weeks ago in a lobbying effort by religious leaders in support of the bill. Organized by the Human Rights Campaign, the Clergy Call for Justice brought over 225 religious leaders from every major faith tradition (and a few smaller ones) and every state in the union to support the right of members of the glbt community to live in safety, just like any other human being in this country.

The religious right have long tried to impose the notion that if you are a person of faith, you cannot be a liberal. They have tried to claim that the far right has the cornerstone on morality. That Tuesday morning, two weeks ago was a proud day for the religious left. A day where we stand up and said, "No! Our faith teaches us that every human is loved by God. Every human has the same inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That we should want for our brothers and sisters what we want for ourselves, and that is moral. That is just."

If you are a person of faith -- please, please call and let your elected officials know that you are a Christian or a Jew or whatever you are, and that your faith calls for equality for all
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When not raising a boisterous family and blogging at In This Moment, Pamela participates in The Washington Post/Newsweek On Faith online discussion.

Hate crimes bill passes House, Bush threatens veto, life remains the same

By Diane Silver

The U.S. House has passed the bill adding sexual orientation to existing federal hate crimes law. George Bush, of course, has already threatened to veto it.

Neither the House nor Senate seem to have the voters to override a veto, and so life remains the same.

Andrew Sullivan has the best take on why this is all very two-faced, and Sullivan doesn't even like hate crimes laws!

Call Congress today about the proposed hate crimes law

By Diane Silver

The far right is ramping up it's attack on proposed legislation giving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered citizens hate crime protection. That's the same protection that religious groups enjoy.

The attacks being mounted today are absurd and misrepresent the bill.

The U.S. House is supposed to vote on this tomorrow. Contact your representative today. We should particularly focus our efforts on Kansas Democrats Dennis Moore and Nancy Boyda.

Here is the Human Right Campaign's video, explaining the proposed bill and responding to the far right's attacks.

Kansas pastor lobbies for fair laws for gays

By Diane Silver

[updated 12:15 a.m.]
Yup, there's only one Christian viewpoint on gays. Just don't tell that to the Rev. Josh Longbottom, an associate pastor at Plymouth Congregational Church in Lawrence.

He just got back from visiting Washington, DC, and talking to Kansas' representatives and senators about the Matthew Shepard Act and a bill to end discrimination in employment.

The first bill would add sexual orientation to existing federal hate crimes law that already protects people on the basis of their religion and protects minorities. The second bill would ban workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Clergy from 50 states went to Capitol Hill last week to lobby for the bill.

I'm surprised only one minister came from Kansas. Given the many pastors who support fair laws for lesbians and gays in this state, I suspect the turnout had more to do with organizing than support. I worked with clergy during the 2005 campaign to defeat the marriage ban and was overwhelmed by their commitment to fairness and their anger at anti-gay ministers.

PHOTO: Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese speaks at the Clergy Call for Justice and Equality. More than 220 clergy from every state in the country called on Congress.

Kansas Congresssman Todd Tiahrt stands firm for the right to bash

By Diane Silver

Gay Kansas writes to his congressman about hate crime legislation and gets a reply. Oh my.

Gay Kansas writes:

Did he really say/imply that hate crime legislation would infringe upon the the basic liberty to bash my head in because I'm gay?

The newest hate crime proposal -- now called the Matthew Shepard Act -- wouldn't do anything more outrageous than add sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability to existing federal law that gives the federal government authority to investigate and prosecute violent crimes. Tiahrt doesn't call for repealing the existing law, but seems to think that adding gay folk to any hate crime law amounts to sending in the thought police. Uh sure.

The Human Rights Campaign reports:

This authority already exists for crimes committed because of the victim’s race, color, religion or national origin and because the victim was attempting to exercise a federally protected right. The bill ensures a federal backstop to assist local law enforcement in those cases in which they request assistance or fail to adequately investigate or prosecute these serious crimes. The bill would also provide assistance to local law enforcement for investigating and prosecuting bias-motivated violent crimes.

Yup, that's pretty radical, or at least, Tiahrt thinks so.
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Photo: Republican Todd Tiahrt