Lavender Womyn Lesbian Group Blog

Marriage Matters House Party

Time	Wednesday, April 27 · 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Location	North Star Clubhouse 2601 NE Jack London St. Corvallis, OR
Created By	Jodi Russell
More Info	Please join me, Connie, and Basic Rights Oregon for a conversation on marriage equality. This will be a low pressure environment where you will get to hear my story and why I think this is important work. Come join us for coffee and conversation. Coffee, tea & sweet treats will be provided (gluten free options available). Come get the insider scoop on Basic Rights Oregon’s campaign strategy, hear my story and learn more about what you can do to support this important work. The next few months are going to be critical in the campaign to win the freedom to marry in Oregon. Together we can build the on the ground support necessary to win the first pro-active campaign for marriage in the country! Your friendship and financial support will help us achieve that goal. Please RSVP here: http://tinyurl.com/HousePartyRSVP Can’t make it to the party but want to help? Go to: http://tinyurl.com/HousePartyRSVP and click “No” to donate or volunteer with the campaign.

 

Pear Blossom Parade Walk

Time	Friday, April 8 · 4:00pm - 7:00pm
Location	Pear Blossom, Medford
Created By	Promise Sarai Ku'uanelamaikalani Grace
More Info	Congrats to SOPride for getting accepted to participate in the parade! With the help of all of our supporters, we have a spot in the parade! Yay! I have been informed that folks can walk with SOPride in the parade. I know we all have been outraged with what happened but now is the time to channel that outrage into something positive! Through our efforts, this change was made. Please attend the Pear Blossom this weekend, and do so with POSITIVITY and JOY! NOT WITH Anger or Hostility! Let's show the other communities that we are no different, but lets do it in a positive peaceful manner! PLEASE FRIEND SOPride!!!! For updates on time and such! Time: TBA I'll keep everyone posted! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR EFFORTS AND SUPPORT! LETS MAKE THIS ANOTHER GREAT EVENT!

 

Anti-Street Harassment Community Planning Meeting

Time	Sunday, February 13 · 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location	In Other Words 14 NE Killingsworth Portland, OR
Created By	Joe LeBlanc
More Info	Join us for our next community planning meeting at In Other Words Feminist Community Center on February 13th, moderated by Hollaback PDX! Co-Directors Joe LeBlanc (Q Patrol PDX/BUTCH Voices) and Katie Carter (In Other Words). We will discuss and share resources (both online and in-person) as a group, talk about possible trainings and action events to ending street harassment in Portland.

Know Your Rights for Trans Oregonians

Time	Monday, January 17 · 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Location	Q Center 4115 N Mississippi Ave. Portland, OR
Created By	Basic Rights Oregon
More Info	How do I change my name and gender on my driver’s license? Can my landlord kick me out for being trans? What rights do I have if I’m arrested? Basic Rights Oregon and a team of pro bono attorneys have recently released an exciting guide, “Know Your Rights: Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Trans Oregonians’ Rights.” Free copies of the guide will be available and legal experts will be on hand to answer questions and offer referrals around topics ranging from documentation to housing. Presenters include Beth Allen and Tiffany Harris, top attorneys who worked on the guide, and Sasha Buchert, legal expert and member of BRO’s Trans Policy Working Group. Sliding scale donation-based entry, wheelchair accessible. Questions? Contact tash shatz at 503-222-6151 extension 110 or tash at basicrights dot org.

 

Peter, Paul & Mary stand up to NOM. Will you thank them?

 

Have you heard about how Peter, Paul & Mary -- one of the most famous musical groups of the 1960s -- just stood up to the National Organization for Marriage?

It all started when participants on the Courage Campaign Institute's Prop 8 Trial Tracker web site noticed that NOM was playing Peter, Paul & Mary's version of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" at their anti-equality rallies.

Kathleen Perrin, a frequent commenter on the Prop 8 Trial Tracker, was stunned and deeply offended that NOM was using this beautiful folk song to drown out the chants of equality counter-protesters. Kathleen knew that Woody Guthrie and Peter, Paul & Mary unequivocally supported justice and equality for all. So she contacted Peter Yarrow, one of the performers in the group along with Noel Paul Stookey and Mary Travers (Travers passed away in 2009).

Peter Yarrow responded to Kathleen, saying use of the song by NOM was "heartbreaking" and then sent a cease-and-desist to NOM, telling them to stop playing their song.

Ted Olson's Billiant Interview on FOX News

via www.couragecampaign.org

Judge Walker's Prop 8 decision in the Prop 8 trial is the beginning of the end of discrimination against LGBT families. This victory was made possible through the tireless efforts of Chad Griffin and the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and their legal team, headed by Ted Olson and David Boies.

They are heroes -- and like any true heroes, they deserve our ongoing support. Let's show them we've got their back as the fight for equality all the way to the Supreme Court.

Please sign the Courage Campaign's "Thank You!" card to Ted Olson, David Boies, and everyone at AFER.  Click here...

URGENT: Breaking Prop 8 trial news

Judge Vaughn Walker just released his decision, ruling that PROP 8 IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL!
 
Judge Walker's federal court decision is an historic milestone in the fight for full equality, but it is only a first step: The decision will inevitably be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

After denying Americans the opportunity to watch this historic trial on television, Prop 8 campaign leaders and extreme right-wing organizations like the National Organization for Marriage and Focus on the Family will stop at nothing to delegitimize this decision before it ever reaches the Supreme Court.

But this time, we're fighting back by launching our biggest campaign ever -- an unprecedented online storytelling project to bring the Prop 8 trial into the lives of the American people and transform the debate over marriage equality.

As the next phase in our year-long "Testimony: Equality on Trial" project, our new campaign will empower same-sex couples, their families, and allies to fundamentally change the conversation about same-sex marriage in America -- establishing today's ruling as the social and cultural foundation for victory in the Supreme Court.

To defend Judge Walker's historic decision, we need to go on offense against the Prop 8 campaign, NOM and Focus on the Family. That's why Tom Dolby and Drew Frist, just married last year, have pledged to contribute $25,000 if our community can match it in the next 48 hours. Will you help us make the match and defend Judge Walker's decision in the court of public opinion? Click here to contribute $25, $50, $100 or more right now! DEADLINE: FRIDAY, 11:59 PM:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/DefendTheDecision
 

Proposition 8 Ruled Unconstitutional!

Breaking News: Today, a federal judge ruled that Prop 8 is unconstitutional. The ruling in the federal trial challenging California’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples held that it’s unconstitutional to have one set of laws for some Californians and another for others. While we join in feeling encouraged by such progress, we know that there is far to go for the freedom to marry; the ruling is expected to be held up on appeal for some time.  Click here to read more from Basic Rights Oregon...

Winning The Freedom to Marry

Watch the video and then sign the pledge at:  http://www.freedomtomarry.org/page/s/pledge

It's LGBT Pride month. That makes it the perfect time to start a conversation about why marriage matters to gay and lesbian couples. To get you started, we've created a short video that you can use to help spread the word among your friends and family. 

via www.freedomtomarry.org

Testimony: Equality on Trial

We're thrilled to share this message with you from Academy Award-winner Marisa Tomei, who has generously devoted her time to help us kick off "Testimony: Equality on Trial" -- the most important campaign for full equality we have ever waged. Today, we're launching Phase 1 of "Testimony" to bring the Prop 8 federal trial into the lives of Americans. We can only do that together. Please check out our brand new web site and bring the trial to life yourself: http://www.EqualityOnTrial.org Rick Jacobs Chair, Courage Campaign

They thought they could get away with it. With your help, we can prove them wrong.

Supporters of Prop 8 tried to stop Americans from watching one of the most important trials in a generation, televised for all to see on TV. They didn't want the public to see the pain caused by decades of discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.

The Supreme Court let it happen, overruling U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's decision to televise the Perry v. Schwarzenegger trial.

But you have the power to change it. You can bring this trial to life, just like I did a few weeks ago in a park with my friend and fellow actor Josh Lucas.

Please join me in participating in Phase 1 of "Testimony: Equality on Trial" -- a national, year-long volunteer-driven campaign to get the truth out about the Prop 8 trial.