God to Rev. Fred Phelps: “Shut the #&@* up!”

Boy, talk about your “feel good” stories . . . this one sure made my week.  Seems the virulent Rev. Fred Phelps and his kooky clan of misfits from the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas finally got what was coming to them this week (well, at least until they meet up face-to-face with God one day . . .) after all their years of dishing out unspeakable hate to the most defenseless of people — first to the grieving families of AIDS victims, then to the distraught families of gay-bashed murder victims, next to the stunned families of dead coal miners, and most recently to the heartbroken families of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq.  The Phelps clan’s premise is that all these people died as the result of God’s supposed punishment of America because of it’s support of homosexuals.  (Huh?!  Where’s THAT support???)  This week, Phelps and his clan were ordered to pay $11 million to the family of a dead U.S. soldier whom the Phelps clan (might we say “cult”?) victimized further by protesting at the soldier’s funeral.  [Story] 

Of course, this judgement is exactly what the Phelps clan have been hoping for for years — to instigate a lawsuit that will most likely work it’s way to the U.S. Supreme Court where the issues of free speech vs. privacy will be put to the test.  While that will likely take years to play out, I’m happy to rejoice today that a jury has finally had the opportunity to say to the Phelps clan what God has probably been trying to say to them for years:  “Shut the #&@* up!”  While the Phelps clan obviously, through their hateful actions, aren’t listening to God any longer, maybe they’ll hear the verdict issued so loudly by this jury when they all meet up again in bankruptcy court, hopefully someday very soon.

More:
- Phelps Clan Ordered To Pay $11M In Anti-Gay Military Suit
- Matthew Shepard Online Resources – Hate Speech – Rev. Fred Phelps

Will This Battle Over ENDA Ever END?

Bad news; worse news:  The vote on ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act) scheduled for Wednesday of this week has been postponed yet again.  And, to make matters worse, the White House has finally “assumed the position” on ENDA which, unfortunately, adds more complexities to this already overly-compromised bill.  For the latest on why the ENDA vote was postponed and the new arguments against the bill that the President’s senior advisors have announced, check out the Washington Blade’s story. 

If that isn’t enough to piss you off, listen to this interview with Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), the chief sponsor of the original trans-inclusive ENDA bill that he pulled from consideration, according to him, due to lack of support on Capitol Hill — and lack of support from the GLBT community.  What?!?  That’s hard to hear, but maybe it’s true.  Some of us like to think of the GLBT community as a unified community that also includes all our wonderful straight allies.  But, Barney Frank counters that he and others on Capitol Hill really didn’t hear from many of these folks when the original trans-inclusive ENDA bill was originally before the Congress.  In fact, it wasn’t until headlines screaming in the GLBT community press that the “T’s” had been summarily dropped from ENDA and that a “new and improved” slimmer version of ENDA would be put before the Congress for a vote that a groundswell of united support magically appeared and shocked everyone leading the fight on our behalf…especially the HRC (Human Rights Campaign) who apparently were so busy “leading” our fight, they forgot to check-in with us on who they should be fighting for.  But, like the new and improved “T-less” ENDA bill, I digress….

Rep. Frank makes it clear that we, the late-to-the-fight supporters of the original trans-inclusive ENDA bill are living in Fantasyland if we think all our collective efforts should be put soley behind a we-and-the-T’s anti-discrimination employment bill.  He cites past civil rights struggles that “necessarily” left smaller, less strong minority groups to fend for themselves while their larger, stronger counterparts were slowly granted the same rights as the prevailing majority.  Yes, that’s true.  That’s the way it was.  That’s the way it unfolded over many, many years.  But, I have to ask:  Is that the way we WANT it to be?  Is it time that we collectively stand on principle and simply “do the right thing”?  How else do we — the G’s, L’s, and B’s — step on the shoulders of our “T” brothers and sisters and tell them they’ll be able to come up for the fresh air we’re hoping to partake of once we have fully ascended the top of the Equality Train?  How can we — the G’s, L’s, and B’s — look down into their weary eyes and tell them that again, this day is not for them, but instead only for us — and that with patience, their time will come (not that any of us will be there to pull them up as our straight allies are working now to pull us up)?  I simply can’t do that.  And, I won’t.  I’m hoping you won’t either.  It’s time for the G’s, L’s, B’s AND T’s to ascend together…as any fabulously feathered flock would.

More:
- Symbolism or Substance in ENDA Debate?
  An op/ed by Jody M Huckaby, Executive Director of PFLAG National
- PFLAG Phoenix Joins UnitedENDA.org

‘Dear Abby’ Given First-Ever ‘Straight for Equality’ Award!

Internationally syndicated advice columnist ‘Dear Abby’ was chosen to receive PFLAG National’s first-ever ‘Straight for Equality’ award at the PFLAG National Convention in Washington, DC.  ‘Straight for Equality’ is PFLAG’s new program for straight allies who have no direct connection to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) community, but who desire to help GLBT individuals achieve equality.  As the person who single-handedly propelled PFLAG’s nationwide growth in the early ’80s (by a mere mention of PFLAG in her column when a parent wrote to her after learning her child was gay), and her continued support of GLBT individuals and their families in the ensuing years, there is no better deserving recipient of this prestigious award.

And, with Dear Abby’s latest public stance on same-sex marriage (she’s just announced that she’s solidly in support of same-sex marriage), being at the PFLAG Convention where she received her award and spoke in support of our families was a very special moment for all.  Dear Abby continues to educate people who are alarmed at learning that they have a GLBT child that the problem lies with the person who is alarmed, not the person who is GLBT.  We at PFLAG know that many parents and family members have initial reactions that are, well, less than desirable.  PFLAG is there to provide support and education to these families so that they too come to learn that being GLBT is completely natural and is nothing to be alarmed about.  Please join us as we celebrate the many years of support Dear Abby has given to our families and our community!

Pictured above are PFLAG National Executive Director Jody Huckaby, PFLAG National President John Cepak, and Dear Abby.

More:
- Dear Abby Supports Gay Marriage, Honored By PFLAG

Arizona’s “Fab Four” Storm the U.S. Capitol, Demand Equality!

PFLAGers from three Arizona chapters joined together on Capitol Hill on Thursday, October 11th (National Coming Out Day) for PFLAG National’s Capitol Hill Lobby Day.  Making up the PFLAG Arizona team were (from left to right, starting with front row) Diane Steen (PFLAG Tucson), Kim Pearson (PFLAG Lake Havasu City), and Dan Loven and Mike Crum (PFLAG Phoenix).  With pending legislation on hate crimes and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) before the Congress, our intention was to lobby as many Arizona congresspersons as time (and access) permitted.  However, just prior to our arrival in Washington, D.C., the original ENDA legislation was pulled from consideration by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and a weaker version which excludes employment protections for our transgender brothers and sisters was introduced by Congressman Barney Frank.  That last-minute “switcharoo” changed the focus of our Capitol Hill visits, and we were requested by PFLAG National to focus mostly, if not completely, on getting our message across that PFLAG **ONLY** supports the fully-inclusive original ENDA legislation, and fully **OPPOSES** any legislation that would leave any of our GLB or T family members out to fend for themselves.  As PFLAG Executive Jody Huckaby stated, we will not break our families apart to pass a watered-down version of ENDA.

More:
- Read more about our day on Capitol Hill here.

PFLAG Announces ‘Straight for Equality’

PFLAG, the national organization of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians And Gays, has announced a new program called “Straight for Equality” which seeks to give voice and tools to the many straight people who do not have a direct connection to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) community, but who believe that GLBT people should have the same rights as any other U.S. citizen.  Many of these straight allies read and hear the daily news stories of GLBT people being discriminated against or denied rights, but without that direct connection to the GLBT community, they don’t know how they can help. 

Straight for Equality is the perfect place for straight allies to learn about how they can take actions, both large and small, to make a difference in their own communities.  I encourage all fair-minded straight allies to check out their brand new website (www.StraightForEquality.org) and to take the simple actions listed there to help GLBT people achieve the equality afforded all other tax-paying Americans.

Pictured here is multiple-award-winning musician Cyndi Lauper who joined PFLAG in Washington, DC on October 11, 2007 to promote the project and sign the Straight for Equality Pledge.

More:
- PFLAG Helps Straight Allies Come Out with the Launch of Straight for Equality
- Importance Of Straight Allies To Gay Movement

Hello World!

Mike here, from PFLAG Phoenix (that’s the Phoenix chapter of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians And Gays…and Bisexuals and Trangenders too!).  Yes, like many of you, I’m wondering what this whole “blog” business is all about.  All I hear these days is blah, blah, BLOG!  Well, if you can’t beat ‘em….  So, let’s just take the plunge together (sorry, swim suits are required…) and see if this new PFLAG Phoenix Blog baby sinks or swims.  Having just returned from the 2007 PFLAG National Convention in Washington, DC, I’m feeling like it’s going to be an upstream swim to bring you all the news, tidbits, and more we brought back from the convention.  Ahhh, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in this little gay world of ours, it’s definitely ‘one stroke at a time’….