Same-Sex Equality: An Uphill Battle

I am happy to say that we are one step closer to same-sex equality in the United States. In a 10-8 vote, a bill in favour of same-sex rights has cleared the Senate. This bill would entitle same-sex married couples to the same rights and liberties as their opposite-sex counterparts; it would see the 15-year old (and very discriminatory) Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA) replaced by a more liberal Respect for Marriage Act.

The 10 Senate members to vote in favour of the bill were Democrats, while the 8 to oppose were all Republicans. No surprise there! And yet the simple fact that Republicans are - to date - not supportive of this bill could lead to its eventual defeat. It needs to be passed by the House of Representatives, and at this point, that house is dominated by Republicans.

Regardless of whether this bill makes it through this time, I'm confident that we will get there! Americans will, sooner or later, see equal rights extended to gay and lesbian couples, just as we have done in Canada. I'm excited for the day that happens and you can be sure I will be announcing it loudly!

The article I've gleaned this information from is well worth a read, and you can do so here: The Australian Times - US same-sex laws clear Senate hurdle.

- Candice

Work, conference, learning ... yay!

Ok folks, I'm back! After a very busy week of work and then two days at the Central West Opening Doors Conference, I have returned to my computer to entertain and educate you!

If you haven't already read about the near-miss in Mississippi, you should read this post - Phew! Mississippi Personhood Amendment Defeated and learn more about the attempts of Republicans to take away women's rights to terminate unwanted and unsafe pregnancies as well as to use intra-uterine devices (IUDs). If it had passed, the Personhood Amendment could have even created legal problems for doctors offering in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in the case of embryos not surviving. YIKES!

So, back to the conference. First of all, it was a good time! I walked away from it having broadened my network, enhanced my knowledge, and renewed my passion for this work. I learned a great deal about HIV/AIDS - particularly relating to the personal experiences of people with HIV/AIDS (PHAs). I attended a workshop on mindfulness and enjoyed the in-session meditation exercise ... it was a good chance to find my brain surprisingly quiet! :)

In the end, though, what stood out the most was definitely a workshop I attended this afternoon on motivational interviewing (MI). While often used in the field of substance use disorders, MI can be useful to help people with a wide variety of issues. Throughout the workshop I became increasingly excited about the prospect of integrating MI into my own work. Dr. Tim Guimond was an absolutely fantastic session facilitator, and I am excited to learn more and put MI to good use!

I will keep you posted as I learn!

Candice :)

Phew! Mississippi Personhood Amendment Defeated

I read this disturbing (and yet reassuring) article a few minutes ago, and I just had to share it. It's scary how close women in Mississippi came to losing their right to choose. I can't say it better myself, so here's the original article, as found on the Huffington Post. This article is sure to draw attention from both pro-life and pro-choice individuals!

Don't forget to leave a comment below the post!

- Candice

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JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi voters Tuesday defeated a ballot initiative that would've declared life begins at conception, a proposal that supporters sought in the Bible Belt state as a way to prompt a legal challenge to abortion rights nationwide.

The so-called "personhood" initiative was rejected by more than 55 percent of voters, falling far short of the threshold needed for it to be enacted. If it had passed, it was virtually assured of drawing legal challenges because it conflicts with the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a legal right to abortion. Supporters of the initiative wanted to provoke a lawsuit to challenge the landmark ruling.

The measure divided the medical and religious communities and caused some of the most ardent abortion opponents, including Republican Gov. Haley Barbour, to waver with their support.

Opponents said the measure would have made birth control, such as the morning-after pill or the intrauterine device, illegal. More specifically, the ballot measure called for abortion to be prohibited "from the moment of fertilization" – wording that opponents suggested would have deterred physicians from performing in vitro fertilization because they would fear criminal charges if an embryo doesn't survive.

Supporters were trying to impose their religious beliefs on others by forcing women to carry unwanted pregnancies, including those caused by rape or incest, opponents said.

Amy Brunson voted against the measure, in part because she has been raped. She also has friends and family that had children through in vitro fertilization and she was worried this would end that process.

"The lines are so unclear on what may or may not happen. I think there are circumstances beyond everybody's control that can't be regulated through an amendment," said Brunson, a 36-year-old dog trainer and theater production assistant from Jackson.

Hubert Hoover, a cabinet maker and construction worker, voted for the amendment.

"I figure you can't be half for something, so if you're against abortion you should be for this. You've either got to be wholly for something or wholly against it," said Hoover, 71, who lives in a Jackson suburb.

Mississippi already has tough abortion regulations and only one clinic where the procedures are performed, making it a fitting venue for a national movement to get abortion bans into state constitutions.

Keith Mason, co-founder of the group Personhood USA, which pushed the Mississippi ballot measure, has said a win would send shockwaves around the country. The Colorado-based group is trying to put similar initiatives on 2012 ballots in Florida, Montana, Ohio and Oregon. Voters in Colorado rejected similar proposals in 2008 and 2010.

Barbour, long considered a 2012 presidential candidate before he ruled out a run this year, said a week ago that he was undecided. A day later, he voted absentee for the amendment, but said he struggled with his support.

"Some very strongly pro-life people have raised questions about the ambiguity and about the actual consequences – whether there are unforeseen, unintended consequences. And I'll have to say that I have heard those concerns and they give me some pause," Barbour said last week.

Barbour was prevented from seeking re-election because of term limits. The Democrat and Republican candidates vying to replace him both supported the abortion measure.

Specifically, the proposed state constitutional amendment defined a person "to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the functional equivalent thereof."

The state's largest Christian denomination, the Mississippi Baptist Convention, backed the proposal through its lobbying arm.

The bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi and the General Conference of the United Methodist Church opposed it.

Bishop Joseph Latino of the Catholic Diocese of Jackson, a church traditionally against abortion, issued a statement neither supporting nor opposing the initiative. The Mississippi State Medical Association took a similar step while other medical groups opposed it.

Mississippi already requires parental or judicial consent for any minor to get an abortion, mandatory in-person counseling and a 24-hour wait before any woman can terminate a pregnancy.

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Source: The Huffington Post - Mississippi Personhood "Amendment" Vote Fails

Want to learn more about the anti-rights efforts by US Republicans? The Huffington Post - Reality Check: Republican Losers Did Not Overreach

 

Race, Religion and Same-Sex Marriage

I am going to be completely honest ... in considering the issue of same-sex marriage equality, the notion of race has never been prominent in my mind. Religion, most definitely; many, if not most, arguments against same-sex marriage are based on some aspect of religion. But race? Not something I'd ever thought about.

Fortunately, I've been enlightened, even if the enlightening was both surprising and a little disappointing. It turns out that many black Americans are less likely to support same-sex marriage than their white or hispanic counterparts. According to an article posted on The Huffington Post, entitled Race, Religion and Same-Sex Marriage:

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(emphasis added)

"Last April, as the successful push for same-sex marriage in New York picked up speed, a survey of state voters by the Siena College Research Institute found that 62 percent of white voters and 54 percent of Latino voters favored it. Only 46 percent of black voters did.

And in Maryland, which is almost certain to debate same-sex marriage next year, a recent poll by Gonzales Research & Marketing Strategies depicted a split among the state’s residents, with 48 percent in favor and 49 opposed. Among black Marylanders, though, support fell to 41 percent and opposition rose to 59."

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I won't claim to understand the complex dynamics underlying the feelings of these - or any - same-sex marriage opponents. That said, I do wish to enlighten you with what I have read:

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"Like Burns, many African-Americans who oppose same-sex marriage do so on religious grounds. “This is a community composed of many Biblical literalists,” Bond said in a recent phone interview, adding that they put a “wrong and wrong-headed” emphasis on certain Biblical references to homosexuality.

But it’s also important to recognize that people lobbying for gay rights have at times given African-Americans pause by appropriating “civil rights” language and arguments in too broad a manner.

Wade Henderson, the president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, noted the existence of phrases like “gay is the new black” and said that attempts to equate the persecution of gay and black Americans can be “deeply offensive.”

African-Americans were enslaved. And during their brutal struggle for justice, they couldn’t make a secret of what set them apart from others, said Henderson, who supports same-sex marriage, during a phone interview Friday.

When gay men and lesbians glide over such details, he said, it feels “inherently disrespectful to the black experience in this country.” "

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In response to the clear lack of support for same-sex marriage amongst black Americans, an organization known as the Human Rights Campaign (H.R.C.) has launched a new effort, called "Americans for Marriage Equality". To date, the H.R.C. has posted three videos - all of which feature prominent black Americans. The key message is simple: Marriage is ... LOVE, FAMILY, COMMITMENT.







You can view the entire article by clicking this link: The Huffington Post: Race, Religion and Same-Sex Marriage

- Candice

ACCKWA Online Charity Auction

Hey folks!

As you may know, I volunteer at ACCKWA - the AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area.  ACCKWA is busy doing lots of great stuff for our community, including educational workshops, advocacy and outreach to people at risk of or affected by HIV/AIDS.

Starting TODAY (NOVEMBER 1) through to NOVEMBER 9, ACCKWA is hosting their annual ONLINE CHARITY AUCTION. This auction helps to raise valuable funds to support ACCKWA in serving our community.

Take a few minutes to check out the items, and maybe bid on a few yourself! Simply go to Ebay and search for "ACCKWA". Place your bid and check back daily to see if you're still in the lead!

Let's raise money for a great organization!

Candice :)