Find your CA state rep's equal rights score - just download the full PDF list by clicking the link below. Things are generally divided down party lines, big surprise. Don't expect much if your rep happens to be a Republikkkan.. :)

This list will give you a good idea of not only who to support and who to oust in the next round of elections, but also who to target with calls and emails demanding change.



From EQCA:
_____________________________________________________________

EQCA 2009 Legislative Scorecard

Download .pdf >

Despite a tough legislative session and the worst budget crisis in California history, this year has been one of Equality California’s best yet in Sacramento. We passed a record 11 pieces of Equality California-sponsored legislation that will improve the lives of LGBT Californians. Another six bills and resolutions passed their first house or key committee and will be taken up again when the Legislature reconvenes in January.

More action from EQCA:

>>>>>>


Dear EQCA Member,

Maine voters have stripped away the right of same-sex couples to marry, as California voters did one year ago today.

But we didn’t stop advancing our rights then. And we won’t now. We always knew winning true equality and acceptance wouldn’t be easy.

The truth is, people’s lives should never be put up for a popular vote. Civil rights for minority groups should be decided by the sound reason of the legislature and the courts — not by the will and whims of the majority.

Enough is enough. President Obama and other elected officials cannot be allowed to remain on the sidelines any longer. And if they do, there must be consequences.

Urge President Obama to join EQCA and others by filing a brief in the federal court challenge to Prop 8, and ask the court to rule that it is unconstitutional to allow a majority to take away the rights of a minority.

The President has, at best, remained a silent player against marriage for same-sex couples.

    * The day before the election, Organizing for America — formerly Obama for America, and a part of the DNC — sent out an email to its members in Maine urging them to volunteer for the election in New Jersey instead of helping defeat Question 1.
    * Despite pleas to speak out aggressively, Obama and his administration failed to take leadership, and his Attorney General refused to take a position on Question 1.
    * His opposition to ending discrimination in marriage was used by anti-equality extremists in California and other states, yet he refused to denounce their actions.

The failure of President Obama and other elected leaders to actively support efforts to defeat ballot measures designed to take away our rights must end. Our community must stand together and stop endorsing and funding candidates who don’t support our equality 100%. We should only stand with those who do.

Sign our petition to President Obama and his administration. Urge him to join the federal legal challenge to Prop 8. Then, ask everyone you know to do the same. (http://www.eqca.org/site/apps/ka/ct/contactus.asp?c=kuLRJ9MRKrH&b=5574543&en=emJVL9OQLcIQIbPZKgJQJhN1LoJ4JdOVJgK0JfO1KwKfH).

With hope,


Geoff Kors
Executive Director
Equality California

Once again, from EQCA:

>>>>

Dear EQCA Members,

Despite coming under heavy attacks from anti-LGBT groups, Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law three historic LGBT rights bills sponsored by EQCA:

    * The Harvey Milk Day bill, authored by Senator Mark Leno, will honor the slain civil rights leader with the nation’s first “day of special significance” for an openly LGBT person in the country;
    * The Family Protection and Marriage Recognition Act, also authored by Senator Leno, underscores that same-sex couples married out of state are entitled to full recognition in California, and
    * The LGBT Domestic Violence Programs Expansion Bill, authored by Assemblymember John A. Pérez, will expand funding for LGBT domestic violence programs in California.

Through partnerships with terrific legislators, smart and strategic lobbying, grassroots support including the largest LGBT lobby day in state history, over 100,000 emails and petitions signed, more than 10,000 phone calls from our phone banks, and visits to the members in their districts, we made history together.

Our victory today wouldn’t have been possible without the financial contributions of our members who enable us to do our work every day.

But make no mistake, homophobic, extreme right-wing groups will never rest. Make a special gift in Harvey’s memory today so we can continue doing the critical work needed to defend our victories and achieve equality for all.

Our victory is nothing less than historic, and we are truly grateful for your incredible support. For decades to come, Californians will now learn about Harvey’s amazing contributions toward the advancement of civil rights, all married same-sex couples will be treated equally under California law, regardless of whether they married out of state and LGBT survivors of domestic violence will have much needed services.

But, our work to achieve full equality is far from over. The Governor vetoed two EQCA bills, one that would protect LGBT prisoners and another that would solidify recent court victories that allow transgender people born in California to get corrected birth certificates. Along the way, anti-LGBT forces will be there every step of the way, trying to strip us of every right we gain.

Togeher, we will prevail.

In solidarity,


Geoff Kors
Executive Director
Equality California

Sorry to everyone who hasn't been able to read the NoOnH8 listings blog.... although we've been doing this blog for over a year now, Myspace suddenly decided that our posts were to be labeled "private," no matter what we did to set them as public. It basically wouldn't save our settings, and things would go back to private.

It seems that the problem has been cleared up for now, but we'll see. Given MS's ongoing desperate attempts to update their horrible system to keep up with FB's horrible system and remain somewhat relevant, we're not holding our breath. It's been hell trying to even get to our inbox or notifications half the time (page not available, almost every time we check). Gee, you'd think that a large, well-established network with vast resources wouldn't be so f'd up and down so much... but hey, I guess that makes them more like FB after all, huh?

This hasn't been the first time that our blog has been mysteriously messed up... I wonder if this has anything to do with MS being owned by Newscorp...? We all know how supportive they are of our kind, don't we?

Sorry again, and we'll try to keep tabs on it.

NoOnH8

As Obama said during the campaign...

E N O U G H !

Send this back to all your crazy relatives and friends that spam you with right-wing propaganda about the health reform issue: http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/.



http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/

Enough of the lies. Enough with the propaganda. Enough of the misinformation and ignorance. Get the facts straight.

Pass it on!

Twitter this now!

From whitehouse.gov:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-at-LGBT-Pride-Month-Reception/

From our friend G.Moynier:


Hi All,

I am sending out this email in hopes that someone may know of a location/venue that could be used for the Get Engaged Tour. As you may or may not know, I have become a member of Equality Inland Empire (EQIE) and am part of the Events Planning Committee. We are coordinating to meet a call put forth by several organizations, including Marriage Equality USA.

This is a link for more information: http://equalityevents.ning.com/  I have been asked to find a location in which we could hold a town hall style meeting to disseminate and collect information. I need a venue in Moreno Valley that could accommodate at most 50 people and has capability to display a PowerPoint presentation. Please let me know if you know of a location, are a member of a church that has capability, or are a member of another organization that has a facility that meets these requirements. Please email us at getengaged@marriageequality.org as soon as possible with the location and contact information.

Thank you for your help.

Artist Scott Terry's Prop8 art piece was on display at the Sacramento Pride festival this month, courtesy of the www.YesOnGayMarriage.com group. It will next be seen at the San Francisco Pride festival, and then in September at the 5000-member convention of the Service Employees International Union in Los Angeles, as part of their anti-discrimination, NoOn8 stance.

This piece is comprised of 250 wooden blocks, some wrapped with Yes on 8 propaganda and others wrapped in biblical text. They are arranged in a chronological and topographical order, beginning with a miniature Bible in the center and yellow blocks rising out of the chaos and winding their way through a sea of scripture.

Terry took the words of the fundamentalists and re-printed them on Yes on 8 yard signs and bumper stickers. He gathered the quotes, statistics, history, and headlines and re-arranged them on yellow and blue Protect Marriage material...and then wrapped the remaining blocks with selected pages torn from the Bible and Book of Mormon.

A poster of the piece (pictured above) can be purchased for $5.

For more details and photos of the piece, you can check out his website at www.ScottTerryProjects.com

from EQCA - www.eqca.com

Operation DOMA Flip-Flop
Obama must decide by June 29!
Please join the campaign!

Presidents have the option refusing to defend a law they view as unconstitutional on its face, of which there is no clearer example than DOMA (Defense Of Marriage Act). President Obama himself has called the law "abhorrent" and he's a constitutional law professor. Given these premises, we feel that President Obama refuse to defend DOMA and should instead instruct his Department of Justice to join GLAAD in this historic lawsuit. There is a deadline of June 29th for President Obama to make his decision. For a more detailed analysis, please read the open letter and legal memo at http://domaflipflop.com/.

1. Visit Operation DOMA's website http://domaflipflop.com/
2. Print out your very own FLIP FLOP CARD (with writing on it) or print out a blank FLIP FLOP CARD and write your own message on it
3. Mail your Flip Flop Cards to the White House from now until June 29th (which is the deadline for President Obama’s decision)

Join the fight today!

Radio Jocks Slam Transgendered Youth on Sacramento Radio Show

from contributor William:

"Radio Station KRXQ F.M. in Sacramento California have a morning talk show called Rob, Arnie and Dawn. What they are in reality are Bigots. This week they have begun promoting the beating and other violence to children and teens that are gay or transgendered. Of course; being a radio show and of a right wing nature, the hate speech and hate crime laws won't be applied to them. And if a gay child or teen is murdered...oh, well. Rob, Arnie and Dawn aren't responsible; are they?

I think they are and I want to urge you to call, write and demand they be taken off the air. Write you representitives and their advertisers as well.

They air on satellite as well as locally so if you don't live in the Sacramento area it doesn't matter. Stop the hate."

http://www.krxq.net/
Business Line: (916) 334-7777
5345 Madison Avenue
Sacramento, California 95841
http://www.krxq.net/pages/3765890.php


More info, from Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-rowe/on-air-abuse-of-transgede_b_212121.html



Radio Show Temporarily Off Air For Remarks (6/08)
CBS13 - http://cbs13.com/local/transgender.remarks.krxq.2.1035820.html

Controversial comments have forced local radio show off of the air.

KRXQ posted a letter to its fans on its website in regards to recent comments made on the Rob, Arnie & Dawn Show. In it, D.J. Rob Williams publicly admitted that he he failed listeners when, last week, the three made offensive comments about transgendered people then defended those comments when criticized by viewers.

"We presented our opinions on a very sensitive subject in a hateful, childish and crude fashion," they say.

The D.J.s plan to address the issue Thursday, but say they will remain off the air until then. The Sacramento Bee has reported that companies Bank of America and Chipotle have pulled their advertising as a result of the statements.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)



Update: 6/08

Calif radio hosts to address transgender issues
Associated Press - http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12547882

The hosts of a Sacramento radio program who were criticized for making anti-transgender remarks are planning to air a special segment this week featuring transgender advocates.

Rashad Robinson of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation said Monday that the general manager of station KXRQ-FM told him that talk show hosts Rob Williams and Arnie States also plan to apologize during Thursday's show.

During their May 28 program, one of the men said he would hit his son with his shoe if he wanted to wear high heels. The other quipped that a boy who asked to wear a dress was "a little idiot."

Several companies threatened to pull advertising from the station after GLAAD launched a letter-writing campaign against the comments.

Williams issued a statement Sunday calling his and States' statements "hateful, childish and crude."



Update: 6/09

At Active Rock KRXQ/Sacramento, multiple advertisers have pulled their spots from the station in protest of morning show Rob, Arnie & Dawn, which made derrogitory remarks about transgendered people last month. A note has been posted on the station's website by co-host Rob Williams, saying, "We have failed you. As a show, as people, as broadcasters, we have simply failed on almost every level. We presented our opinions on a very sensitive subject in a hateful, childish and crude fashion; and then, given the opportunity to retract those remarks, we defended them." Williams added that "We have reached out to various groups and asked for a chance to make this right; to respond, with their participation, to the education that our audience has provided us. That opportunity has been graciously granted this Thursday morning, June 11th. At 7:30a." He added that the morning show will air best-of episodes until Thursday. http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=1360706

Just an example of the kind of letters we get here on occasion... A perfect example of the loving, Christ-like nature of the opposition. With their philosophy so deeply rooted in the teachings of Jesus, it is no wonder they say things like this, eh?

The letter is presented verbatim. The name has been removed from the letter, since we don't want anyone out there to react hatefully back at the author. We actually practice what we preach.

NoOnH8


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Subject: i know you don't know me

but a marriage is between one man one woman and it has always been that so don't you damn fucking dare change or do away with the same sex marriage ban there.i hope you get what's coming to you and i hope that somebody that is against faggots/lesbians getting married to each other comes to your house and throws raw rancid stinky nasty eggs at you,your house and your vehicles.i hope that they steal the tires,rims and the other things on your car and maybe even your vehicles takes them to the lake or the river puts them in drive and lets them sink with your faggot/lesbian loving ass in it.i hope that every single faggot/lesbian that lives in California gets brutally viciously murdered and their bodies get burned just like burnt black toast.you best keep the ban legal and don't you damn fucking dare say that the ban is illegal cause it's not.but same sex marriage/same sex civil unions is illegal and the bible says that it's not right for a man to lay with another man and it says that it's not right for a woman to lay with another woman.i hope that you and all the democrats that support same sex marriage/same sex civil unions get your mouths stapled shut and your eyes stapled closed if y'all don't quit your shit.

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Hello my name is Erin I live in Castro Valley California and im writing to vent!

Our High School for the past 9 years has done diversity day once a school year and this past one sparked some controversy. I think it being so close to the passed election of prop 8 as soon as a lesbian came into a math class during DIVERSITY week some student went home and falsely accused her of trying to turn people gay.

The anonymous parent then sent a letter to all the parents at the school telling them the School had some gay agenda trying to make the students gay! It's ridiculous. Our local news paper reported it and many angry people came to the defense of the school and had to clarify that this was not just some random day a random person came into a random math class to talk about being gay as the anonymous writer made it sound to scare parents. That same week many spokes persons came in to talk in random classes whether about religion, veterans, native American Indians and so on… So now time has passed thinking people woke up and moved on, No now 31 parent have joined to file suit against our School District demanding some kind of paperwork relating to the day in question. Looking for what specifically I have now clue! No other spokesperson is being looked at from that day but the gay one and it infuriates me the hate.

I myself am not gay but my mom is and I also have many homosexual friends. I’m so sick and tired of these pointless witch hunts. I don’t even know the point of telling you this I just feel helpless and feel like something needs to be done! Below is the recent article from our local paper will explain more.

Thank you for your time.

Erin




CVSD Sued For ‘Diversity’ Information
By : Robert Souza : 5/12/09

The Castro Valley School District is facing a new legal challenge over the recent Days of Diversity program held at Castro Valley High School.
A storm of controversy erupted over the program after an anonymous email was distributed to hundreds of parents denouncing the appearance of a lesbian minister during one of the presentations.


A group of 31 parents have filed suit against the district seeking more information about the minister, Arlene Nehring, of Eden Church in Hayward.

The parents are being represented by the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) of Sacramento which bills itself as a nonprofit law firm that defends the rights of individuals, families and churches without charge.

The firm sent a public records request to the school district seeking all records related to the minister’s presentations, as well as any records demonstrating the connection between the minister’s talk and the math and science curriculum.

“It’s a mystery to us why the district chose to take such a hardline approach with these parents who simply wanted all the information they are entitled to about this minister’s visit,” PJI Chief Counsel Kevin Snider said in a press statement.

But Interim School Superintendent Jerry Macy said PJI had asked for a substantial number of items “and our legal counsel advised us what was releasable and what was not. They are challenging on the basis of what we released to them.”

The PJI statement said parents “have a strong right under California law to examine the curriculum and materials associated with in-class presentations, and we intend to vindicate that right.”

Macy said that within 10 working days of receiving such requests for public records, the school’s attorneys determine which documents can be released in accordance with the California Public Records Act.

Macy said district officials are preparing a response to the petition which most likely will lead to out-of-court discussions for resolution of the issue. However, it could be set for a court date where witnesses would be brought forward to testify.

“We are focused on the process and believe we have responded to their request for public access to documents and they are exercising their legal rights to bring this before a court of law,” Macy said.

The Days of Diversity program at the high school, which began nine years ago, has routinely included presentations on topics ranging from the state of Jewish-Muslim relations and the experiences of Vietnam veterans to sexual orientation issues.