Queer Thoughts: April 2009

4.30.2009

Too Lyttle effort by US Officials

US Security concerns have gone to extreme lengths to deport people, even American citizens. The News & Observer reports that Mark Lyttle, born in Rowan County North Carolina was deported after serving a short prison sentence. Lyttle has a mild mental condition.

L

yttle was deported to Mexico, who deported him to Honduras where he was again deported to Guatemala. Lyttle managed to get to the American Embassy there where officials confirmed his citizenship. He was put on a plane back to the USA where officials again tried to deport him.

Lyttle's Lawyer, Neil Rambana of Tallahassee, Fla., told the News & Observer that Lyttle had no identification but that federal officials could have contacted his family or checked his Social Security number, which he can recite from memory. "A simple phone call could have helped this person who has a mental condition," Rambana said.

Common sense was missing, simple procedures which would have confirmed he was an American were abandoned, all in the hysteria that cloaks itself in Homeland Security.

"I am a politician who is moral."

We've heard that before from better folks than former Washington DC Mayor Marion Barry. Barry is now a Washington, D.C. Council member. Barry's comment above was made at an anti-marriage rally held in Washington DC on April 7, 2009 according to DCist.

Washington DC council earlier voted to support Same-sex marriage in the District unanimously. Barry was absent from the vote.

Barry is the kind of guy that makes you wanna give up on politicians. The DCist article and the Edge San Fransico website give lots of background on Barry's flip flop on same-sex marriage, his support of George W Bush and his shady tenure as Mayor of Washington DC.

The motion to make same-sex marriage legal in Washington DC has to be passed by Congress. That motion will be debated in the near future.

Maine moving along toward equality

Update on New Hampshire and Maine Same-sex marriage.

The Legislation does not require approval of the Governor to become law. The amended Senate bill must now be passed again by the State House. Good for New Hampshire.

Maine is also moving along toward equality. According to MassEquality, "Yesterday, the Maine judiciary committee voted 11-3 that the marriage bill "ought to pass without amendment." The bill will now go to the Maine House and Senate for a full vote. MassEquality is working closely with EqualityMaine to achieve full marriage rights for same-sex couples. This Saturday, May 2nd, we're headed to Maine to go door-to-door to talk with voters about marriage equality."

Alberta Tories move to enshrine gay rights

Okay, be honest everyone, who ever thought a Conservative government would generate this headline in Alberta? Check it out.

Yes its happening after many years of being spanked by the courts the Alberta government is finally doing what the courts have told them to do...

Churches haven't been forced to marry anyone

New Hampshire is the latest Legislature to pass same-sex marriage. The bill passed the House and then the Senate yesterday.

Now we wait for the Governor to act. As we do it may be worth noting that in just weeks Massachusetts will mark the fifth anniversary of gay marriage in that state.

As one person put it in the Boston paper this morning ...

"...Massachusetts hasn't been flooded with sexual predators.

Traditional marriage hasn't been impacted or affected one bit.

There hasn't been a raft of divorces, and children haven't been unusually abused.

Churches haven't been forced to marry anyone in violation of their own faiths.

In fact, the only spreading effect in our society has been other states and countries looking at Massachusetts, deciding that nothing bad is happening after all, and joining the queue. ..."

The world is still here. Amazing right, especially after all those nasty predictions that this was the end of the family.

4.27.2009

Trail of Fears

Trail of Fears

Where will Gordo be today on the Trail Of Fears...

Beer, sex and fast cars in BC

Beer, sex and fast cars in BC

The BC election is on and the Liberals have an interesting variety of folks that make up its Candidate list. The list includes speeders, drunk drivers and gay - homo hating crusaders.

Mary Polack out in Langley is running quietly as a model of perfection, yet holds views widely felt to be outside the mainstream on gay rights. Polak who is infamous for her book banning days as chair of the Surrey School board also banned such groups as Planned parenthood from schools in her efforts to ensure high school kids would know nothing about condoms, preventing teenage pregnancies and safer sex.

Then there is John van Dongen, BC's solicitor-general, the top Cop in BC who recently said in media releases that there is no excuse for excessive speeding. His driver's licence was suspended for guess what, excessive speeding. As The province newspaper columnist Michael Smyth points out, these same Liberals demanded NDP cabinet minister Moe Sihota resign for excessive speeding tickets he incurred back in 1993.

Now to add to the speeding Liberal Cabinet woes, Bill Bennett, in the Kootenays was going to host a free beer party for one all. Free beer? That hasn't been allowed since it was determined to be a means of "buying" votes. It was canceled as soon as the media got wind of it. Seems the Liberals just can't buy a vote like they want too.

It gets worse, Liberal candidate Jesse McClinton admitted to a drunk driving charge in 2006. The charges were reduced after McClinton made a plea bargain and was convicted of driving without reasonable care and attention. Liberal leader Campbell also refused to resign several years ago when he was convicted of drunk driving in Hawaii and spent a night in jail as a result.

Finally, just

to ensure that Mary Polack has more company in the homo hating caucus, the BC Liberals have chosen Marc Dalton in Maple Ridge. Dalton made his views on homosexuality known in an email. His views must have been well known to the federal Conservatives (who are experts at weeding out those that have said stuff about gay rights these days) as they rejected him as a candidate.

Perhaps Polak has friends in the provincial BC Liberal candidate selection committee.

4.26.2009

A crazy Police Chase

A crazy Police Chase

A police chase in Orange County California

4.22.2009

naked Swedes have talent too!

4.21.2009

Towel Power, Raise a little hell

Here in the Centre of the Universe, I find myself as a lonely hockey fan. So I went tripping through some hockey sites and found my brother in-laws Raisealittlehell.com. He's a Canuck fan like me. Its questionable who is the biggest fan in spirit,

there's no question he's bigger than me in person, must be all that good cooking my sister Darla puts out. (Just kidding Steve).

So Steve reminded me of a couple good times the flowed out of the Canucks history. Like 1982 when the Canucks went onto the Stanley Cup final. The road was hard and also the beginning of what is now a honoured NHL tradition today. Towel Power. Its standard fare in hockey rinks now. Everyone has towels to wave. It all started with the Canucks, on the losing end of a ton of penalties and a disallowed goal against Chicago/ The Black hawks won that game, Canuck coach Roger Neilson was tossed and the Canucks came back to win the series.

Canuck Broadcaster and players recall the event

So as you watch the playoffs, think about the team that was given no chance to make it bye anyone let alone the Stanley Cup final. The power of a towel!

Carbon tax and the dark secret behind it in BC

Carbon tax and the dark secret behind it in BC.

Just who is supporting the carbon tax in BC. It has become a very tangled web, one which sees some green folks joining Premier Gordon Campbell in one of the biggest environmental shams ever. The effort is similar to the slick "Clean Coal" campaign in the USA. We all know you can not make progress on the environment by making the coal a little less toxic. You have to stop using it. Big Business is behind that campaign and I think I have found some big business supporting the Carbon tax and the more sinister aspect of the environment in BC, the privatization of BC Hydro and our rivers.

The BC Liberals are being painted as environmentalists because of the carbon tax. Its as if the privatization of BC Rivers, seeing high premium payments to private companies to create power for profit using BC rivers did not happen.

More later but in the interim check out this...

4.09.2009

Sex Reassignment Surgery Funding in Alberta

Please take a moment to read about this important issue, and join me in signing the petition. It takes just 30 seconds, but can truly make a difference.

We are trying to reach 10000 signatures - please sign here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/re-list-sex-reassignment-surgery-funding-in-alberta

Once you have signed, you can help even more by asking your friends and family to sign as well.

Blair it from the Pew

Tony Blair says the Church (the Catholic kind) should listen to its members and accept homosexuality. According to a recent article in Attitude and reported on by the always objective folks over at "The Christian Post" , Blair says, "There are many good and great things the Catholic Church does, and there are many fantastic things this Pope stands for, but I think what is interesting is that if you went into any Catholic Church, particularly a well attended one, on any Sunday here and did a poll of the congregation, you'd be surprised at how liberal-minded people were."

The Rt Honourable Tony Blair and I have had some disagreements on a couple of issues, primarily Iraq and standing a little too close to George W Bush on other things. But then again Tony's government did bring in civil unions for gay people and lowered the age of consent for gays to the same age for straights.

Blair converted to the Catholic Church soon after he stepped down as Prime Minister. He pretty much had to be an Anglican while holding down the top job in the UK. It is ironic that Blair also prevented Catholic Adoption agencies from barring gays from adopting children. It's a good thing Blair did all these things before becoming a Catholic.

All's forgiven after a few hail Mary's right? Or is that a few bloke marry's?

4.08.2009

Trans done in again in Alberta

The Alberta provincial government is cutting funds for Gender Reassignment Surgery. Alberta Health and Wellness pays approximately $700,000 each year out of its $12.9 billion budget toward this program. I am told this funds between ten to eighteen surgeries per year. As one person put it, that is only 19 cents for every person in Alberta for the year.

If you would like to partake in raising this with the Alberta government you could send your 19 cents to your MLA or the Minister of Finance and or the Premier. Alberta Trans.org posted a short article on why this kind of surgery is important. Check it out, it may help you in writing letters or emails to the Alberta Government.

People upset with the Alberta Government's decision have set up a facebook group called Reinstate Gender Reassignment Surgery Funding in Alberta. If you are affected or want to support this effort, join the group and get in on the discussions and planning taking place.

Taking the government to court is one action being planned as this note asks if others want to join in...

"... I am planning on filing a civil lawsuit against the province of Alberta for sexual discrimination, and breach of the canadian charter of rights and freedoms and for human rights. If there are enough people who want to join to make it a Class Action civil suit let me know."

This latest assault on the Trans community comes just a few weeks ago, the Alberta Government proposed adding sexual orientation to the Human Rights Code but said they would not be adding gender identity to the code (Alberta Human Rights, Citizenship, and Multiculturalism Act).

see also the Calgary Herald, Rights complaint to be filed over Alberta's gender surgery cut

and

Rights complaint to be filed over Alberta's gender surgery cut

EDMONTON — Furious members of the transgendered, gay, lesbian and bisexual community are readying themselves for a human rights complaint after the Alberta government delisted gender reassignment surgery from its funding coverage.

May Day! May Day!

Some readers that have got to know me know I am an avid Hockey fan. Toronto Maple Leaf hockey player Brad May plays is 1,000 game tonight against the team that drafted him, the Buffalo Sabres. May has had quite a hockey career with a number of teams. I recall his time in Vancouver and of course his triumph with the Ducks and a Stanley cup.

His most famous contribution is one that Buffalo Fans know well and remember fondly. May who never came to be a scorer expected of a 14th overall first round pick. He did become a character guy, not your go to guy. For moment in time however he became that guy when he scored this goal in overtime of the fourth game in the 92/93 opening round playoff series. It was significant as the Sabre's had not won a a series for sometime and they were playing the mighty Boston Bruins. The goal won the game and the series.

Current Leaf General Manager Brian Burke seems to like this guy. He went out and got May to help the Canucks and when Burke headed to the Ducks he brought May along. Now in Toronto, Burke grabbed May again to add a little character here in Toronto.

Congratulations Brad May.

Washington DC and Iowa the same sex?

Washington DC and Iowa have same-sex?

Iowa Governor Chet Culver has made a good decision on same-sex marriage...

Culver has indicated he thinks its wrong to pass a constitutional amendment to do something the State Supreme Court has said is discriminatory...

...the Supreme Court of Iowa, in a unanimous decision, has clearly stated that the Constitution of our state, which guarantees equal protection of the law to all Iowans, requires the State of Iowa to recognize the civil marriage contract of two people of the same gender. The Court also concluded that the denial of this right constitutes discrimination. Therefore, after careful consideration and a thorough reading of the Court’s decision, I am reluctant to support amending the Iowa Constitution to add a provision that our Supreme Court has said is unlawful and discriminatory. ...

Read the whole statement here and see Towerland's lengthy blog article here.

An Iowan blogger had this to say ...

"Here's to the governor for doing the right thing. Republicans will hammer Culver for not doing "whatever it takes to protect marriage between a man and a woman," but they weren't voting for him anyway."

... And in Washington DC the city council voted 12 - 0 to extend same-sex marriage rights. It will go to a final vote on May 5. After the May vote, the City will need to have the US Congress pass it to become law in the City. The time is as right as it ever has been. If this Congress can not pass the bill, then they are a bunch of cowards.

A Congressional defeat of this local proposal amounts to the same as the veto used by Vermont Governor Douglas. The only difference is that legislators in Vermont had an appeal process to defeat the veto. Stateless Washington DCers have no such access to democracy.

4.07.2009

Snowmobiler survives massive avalanche

While Vermont legislators had to climb quite a hill to achieve equal marriage, a snowmobile group in Valemont British Columbia climbed new heights in stupid. And they got it on tape.

here it is ...

and CBC had this to say... CBC

Vermont did it!

AWESOME
America is right on here! Take that Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage, Gay marriage is coming to a State near you and me!

The Legislature voted Tuesday to override Gov. Jim Douglas' veto of a bill allowing gays and lesbians to marry. The vote was 23-5 to override in the state Senate and 100-49 to override in the House. Under Vermont law, two-thirds of each chamber had to vote for override.

see Washington post

Lets make Michael Savage puke some more

Lets make Savage puke some more

Michael Savage is driving his ratings up or is this just what you get on Talk Radio in Savage Nation?

That's more than a good reason to support same-sex marriage in Iowa and Vermont. Today legislators in Vermont will attempt to over-ride the governor's veto of marriage equality. Once that happens you will see marriage equality break out all across America. Some States will hold out but it won't be long before more States are added to the marriage equality ledger.
Lets make Savage puke some more.

Vermont Legislators can get a twofer today by outraging Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage.

Check out Media Matters for more insane stuff puked out by Rush, Michael and more right wing media monkeys...

Ten Democrats can change Vermont

Ten Democrats Can Change Vermont

Its not too late. This is the chance to make the difference in Vermont. Ten Democrats voted against marriage equality. Only five of them are needed to pass the marriage bill in Vermont. You can find a list of those ten here.

Write or call, calls are better and it will take 5 to 10 minutes to do this. Tell them personal stories, tell them to do the right thing and support marriage equality.

If you are from the State make sure to tell them you and your friends will remember how they voted come election time.

Kenneth Atkins, D-Winooski katkins@leg.state.vt.us, kwa138@aol.com (802) 655-1280
Sonny Audette, D-South Burl. (802) 862-4236
Clem Bissonnette, D-Winooski cbissonnette@leg.state.vt.us, clembi@comcast.net (802) 655-9527
Cynthia Browning, D-Arlington cbrowning@leg.state.vt.us, cynthiab@sover.net (802) 375-9019
Tim Corcoran, D-Bennington tcorcoran@leg.state.vt.us (802) 447-0929
Michel Consejo, D-Sheldon mconsejo@leg.state.vt.us, mconsejo@wildblue.net (802) 524-0305
Debbie Evans, D-Essex ekevans@aol.com (802) 878-4317
Richard Howrigan, D-Fairfield (802) 827-6513
David Potter, D-Clarendon shadmtn@msn.com (802) 438-5385
Robert South, D-St. Johnsbury vtrepsouth@gmail.com (802) 748-0873
Jeff Young, D-St. Albans City jeffeyoung@yahoo.com (802) 524-5284

4.06.2009

Vermont, its time to ACT

If you live in Vermont there is no more important time than today to act to defend liberty and support same-sex marriage at the same time. The vast majority in both State Houses have voted to allow marriage between sa

me-sex couples. The Republican Governor has stated he will veto the bill despite the overwhelming endorsement of the elected members of these houses.

Act now to send a message to your legislators urging them to override the governor's veto.

To assist you, use HRC's E-Action Form to contact your representative and state senator.

See more at Pam's House Blend and The Power online

4.05.2009

Six gay men killed in Iraq

Its more than disturbing... Perverts and Puppies

Six gay men were shot dead by members of their tribe in two separate incidents in the past 10 days, an official with Iraq's Interior ministry said. In the most recent attack, two men were killed Thursday in Sadr City area of Baghdad after they were disowned by relatives, the official said. The shootings came after a tribal meeting was held and the members decided to go after the victims.
On March 26, four additional men were fatally shot in the same city, the official said, adding that the victims had also been disowned by their relatives. The official declined to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media. - CNN.com

So in Afghanistan a new law says that a woman must submit to her husband for sex at least once every four days. The West is horrified and rightly so. The law goes much further in stating the women must also have a good reason for being outside the home (read, she has to have her husband's permission).

"Two young men were killed on Thursday. They were sexual deviants. Their tribes killed them to restore their family honor," a Sadr City official who declined to be named said.

The police source who declined to be named said the bodies of four gay men were unearthed in Sadr City on March 25, each bearing a sign reading "pervert" in Arabic on their chests. - Reuters UK

According to PINK News UK the grave with four men in it was unearthed. They found the words Pervert and Puppy written on the bodies of the dead gay men.

I'm waiting to hear the righteous indignation of the west over these killings of gay men in Iraq.

Don't hold my breath you say...

Nursing student story is too "cute" to be true.

Update:

Another reader on another blog made the following discovery...

Graphically:
Original screenshot:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36800888@N02/3391775680/sizes/o/in/set-72157615921627243/

Missing pixels from 'y' and 'g':

http://i41.tinypic.com/11u7n87.jpg

Incorrect text alignment:

http://i43.tinypic.com/29xg1td.jpg

Hypothesis: the instructor's email address in the 'from' field was cut from another screenshot (hence the missing pixels), and pasted into this one (hence the wrong alignment). Classic c&p. (cut and paste)

------------------------------------

I was a little concerned about it when I posted it. Still Salon.com has the post up on their site.

If you look at the email purported to be from the Nursing Faculty member to the aggrieved one, you see the email is a rogers.com email, not an email from the school. Anyone with a Roger's account could set up any name they want for an email address. It would seem odd that a teacher would use her home email to communicate with a student.

I have removed my story on this until I can confirm more of the facts...

The Salon post is here and the blogger that has written about it is here

As one of my readers stated...

The story about the lesbian nursing student appears to be a complete sham. There was a lot of Internet detective work going on behind the scenes by some active web users and it would appear the prof/instructor is being trashed and her reputation destroyed by a person that should be in a psychiatric hospital and not a place of higher education. ...

As I read the story published by salon.com it appeared too over-the-top to be real. It definitely had shock value. I'm very surprised salon.com ran it without doing any further research and getting official statements seeing as it's posting real names/contact info that would likely result in some pretty nasty hate-mail, etc.

4.04.2009

Dirty tricks again

It seems the Conservative party of Canada has taken a page out of the Moral Misogynists play book and have decided that if they can't win students over with their policies, the next best thin

g is to go undercover, infiltrate student groups and help to tone down or change Student organizations objections to Conservative party policy.

And guess who was leading this effort, none other than Transport Minister John Baird, the mouth piece for Harper, when Harper lets him speak, and oft companion/escort for one Laureen Teskey Harper, wife of our Prime Minister.

The escort duties may come from the Prime Minister's complete faith in John's unlikeliness to take a crack at Loreen. Or like McGuinty in Ontario, the PM choose the colourful guy as his pitbull. They like to be acknowledged and are even more likely to be extremely loyal. Okay, only some of us would do that sort of thing...

Anyway, for more on the Conservative Party's secret efforts check out Ryerson Free Press and Wikileaks.

What's Wrong With Our Newspapers?

What's Wrong With Our Newspapers?

The good folks at rabble.ca turn 8 this month. Rabble is a great place to get the news and opinion on the days events. This group is growing and providing people with an alterantive view of the world seen everyday in the mainstream media.

Editorial and content control in Canada's newspapers suggest that such an alternative is required. Want to get engaged,celebrate or support the efforts of Rabble.ca

Check out the April 16 event in Toronto. With Peter C. Newman, Linda McQuaig, Wayne Macphail and hosted by rabble.ca board President Duncan Cameron you can expect some thought provoking ideas and opinion.

Rest assured if you work for one of the MSM papers, your paper will not attend to report on why someone thinks they are not doing the job...

April 16th in Toronto:

What's Wrong With Our Newspapers? A lively discussion with Peter C. Newman, Linda McQuaig, Wayne Macphail and hosted by rabble.ca board President Duncan Cameron

Thursday April 16, 7:30 (doors 7:00)

Koffler Auditorium
569 Spadina Crescent
Toronto, ON

$10 or PWYC FREE for rabble.ca members!

Seating is limited, reserve your seat at: events@rabble.ca

This event is sponsored by the University of Toronto OPIRG.

Thanks to our Media sponsors: Ryerson Free Press and NOW Magazine.

“He’s a faggot. He deserved it,”

“He’s a faggot. He deserved it.”

It happens more often than society admits. A gay man gets bashed by a straight guy because the gay man is at the wrong place at the wrong time. The latest occurring in Vancouver in a popular gay bar.

A gay man was assaulted in the bar by a construction worker who apparently had come into the pub a few times to have a drink and lunch while working on a project near the bar. That gay man is now in hospital, clinging to life and survival likely meaning a severely diminished mental state.

"He’s a faggot. He deserved it," Lindsay Wincherauk alleges the man accused of punching 62-year-old Ritchie Dowrey in the face at The Fountainhead Pub Mar 13 told him after the alleged assault. - Xtra West

The crown still does not take these things seriously. The Attorney General for BC, Libcon Wally Oppal has so far refused to direct the crown to lay hate charges. The end result is the crown has decided to treat this as common assualt. An assualt that likely would not have happened had the victim not been gay.

Its pretty clear to me this event is a bashing motivated by hate. Its time the BC Libcon goverment took a good look at this and did the right thing. Its easy for the BC to pass hate crime laws, for the federal government to pass hate crime laws. Its another matter when we have to hold them accountable for enforcing those laws.

If you are in Vancouver on Synday, tomorrow, whatever your sexual orientation, step out and march in the west end and demand the government enforce the law as they said they would do when they poassed it.

Rally to take back OUR West End
Sunday, April 5
2pm, gather at east end of Nelson Park
March down Davie to Davie and Denman

The violence has to end! Gaybashings need to be treated as hate crimes.

Vancouver courts have heard five gaybashing trials in the last eight years. But the Crown has only sought a hate crime designation in one.

Come out to the rally. Spread the word. Call on the attorney general to seek hate crime designations for gaybashings.

It's time to stop the cycle of anti-gay violence. Enough is enough.

4.03.2009

BC Rail Scandal

or is it the corruption of Gordon Campbell...

In 1996, the Liberals lost the election in BC. It was seen by many as theirs to lose. The drummed up scandal around Bingo and Premier Harcourt, a good honourable man that had nothing to do with the Bingo stuff, was forced to resign.

In 1996 the Gordon Campbell Libcons were promising to sell BC Rail. This did them in as the NDP held onto enough seats in the interior of BC to squeak out a majority government. The Liberals, having seen victory stolen from them, ran in 2001 against a further scandalized NDP government promised many things. First was that they would not sell BC Rail and second that they would honour contracts with health care workers.

In both cases the Liberals lied to voters. Most folks in BC are aware of the promises to honour workers contracts with government. That all ended soon. Rapid de-unionization of health care took place. The second broken promise saw BC Rail was turned over to CN Rail for a pittance, one billion dollars.

The LIBcons tried to tell us they were selling the rolling stock and operations, keeping the right of way so they were not in fact selling BC Rail. Well, it was a sale of the railway and although British Columbia remains the owner of the land and tracks that BC Rail uses, CN Rail has a 900 plus year lease on its use.

No British Columbian could be faulted for feeling they had been had. The Libcons had in fact taken great effort to deceive us.

So much for trusting the Libcons. It turns out that the Libcons were planning the sale of BC Rail prior to the 2003 and likely entered the 2001 election understanding they would sell BC rail.

Read more at Bill Tieleman's blog. He has been following this scandal for several years now and has the latest.

You will also find much more from Libcon exposer, The Gazetteer.

So, gay marriage is now legal in Iowa. Did I read that right? Iowa? What's next? Alberta?

It had to happen didn't it. Alberta is going to write 'sexual orientation' protection from discrimination into

provincial law. Imagine, Iowa and Alberta leaping forward in one giant bound together. Next we will see Alberta bringing in $5.00 a day child care and adopting the green shift...

Is Alberta going pink?

hat tip to RJ on twitter RJTorontoSo, gay marriage is now legal in Iowa. Did I read that right? Iowa? What's next? Alberta?

Gay Marriage win in Iowa

As Iowa goes, so does the Nation...

Gay Marriage has become law in Iowa. Same-sex couples took the State to court and won the right to marry after the Supreme Court struck down the law limiting marriage to a man and a woman.

Iowa is America we

see depicted in the movies we grew up with. The wholesome goodness of America's dream.

You can expect challenges to this, charges of activist Judges and a referendum or two.

If you're looking for the all American corn fed farm boy, better snatch him up soon, as California has shown us, winning in court only works till the next referendum is held. Read more here.

Lambda Legal filed this case in 2005 on behalf of six same–sex couples who were denied marriage licenses in Iowa, and on behalf of three of their children. Read more at Lambda Legal.

• Read the summary: Iowa Supreme Court's decision on same-sex marriage.
• Read the full opinion: Iowa Supreme Court's decision on same-sex marriage.

4.01.2009

Gordon Campbell's broken promises

The BC Health Coalition needs your help in sending 5000 letters to Premier Campbell by April 14 - the day the provincial election campaign begins - demanding quality and accessible health care for seniors and people with disabilities!

The BC government has broken its promise to build 5,000 new not-for-profit residential care beds by 2006 and continues its drive towards private for-profit care despite clear evidence that for-profit facilities maintain lower patient-to-staff ratios and quality of care.

No more broken promises! Click here to send your letter NOW!