Equality Begins A‘; Home is Here

Flags Fly in Connecticut, Pigs Fly in New Hampshire,
and People Rally Everywhere

WASHINGTON, DC—March
22, 1999—In Hartford,
Connecticut the rainbow flag
flew over the state capitol on
Monday, raised as a powerful
symbol of equality for the state’s
gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans-
gender (GLBT) community.
Voices calling for GLBT equality
were raised throughout the coun-
try this weekend to mark the start
of Equality Begins at Home
(EBAH), one of the largest grass-
roots mobilizations in the history
of the GLBT rights movement.
Equality meanwhile, as tens of
thousands of people rally
throughout the country this week
for equality, a number of major
pro-GLBT rights bills could see
action. In Alabama, a bill to add
sexual orientation to the state’s
hate crimes law will be presented
to the House Judiciary
Committee on Wednesday. In
Maryland, a civil rights bill will
likely be voted Begins at Home is
the first-ever campaign of actions
in all 50 states to focus attention
on the battle in state legislatures
over GLBT rights. More than 350
events addressing issues of anti-
gay discrimination, violence, and
prejudice are taking place March
21-27. Major events were held
throughout the country this
weekend, including Texas,
California, Washington, DC,
Alabama, and Massachusetts. on
by the full House on either
Tuesday or Wednesday.
Governor Farris Glendenning has
been lobbying hard" for the bill,

and Maryland activists are hope-

ful about its passage.

In New Hampshire, the bill to
repeal the state’s anti-gay adop-
tion and foster care ban may see
more movement. The House last
week passed the measure, and the
Senate is likely to vote on it soon.
Prospects for passage are good,
and Governor Jeanne Shaheen
has already announced she will
sign the measure into law.
Brendan Denehy of Out and
Equal in New Hampshire reports
that the House vote to pass the
repeal of the ban was a highly
emotional and moving event.
Activists who tried 12 years ago
to stop the ban from being enact-
ed had tears streaming down their
faces as it became clear the
repeal would pass. In the words
of one of those witnesses, “The
hate has finally left the State

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House.” Denehy added, “They
said that pigs would fly before
this bill passed the House. Well,
there’s pork in the treetops in
New Hampshire today!”

Proclamations in honor of
GLBT equality were read at
many of the actions this past
weekend.

In New Jersey, Republican
Governor Christine
Whitman’s proclamation recog-
nized and commended Equality
Begins at Home, stating, “we
must remain vigilant against the
bigotry that continues to
denounce gays, lesbians, and
bisexuals, and encourages vio-
lence against members of this
community.”

The Cambridge, Massachu-
setts City Council adopted a
proclamation in honor of
Equality Begins at Home, and
activists in Lander, Wyoming
have asked their-city council to
adopt a similar resolution. The
proposed resolution would state
that the city “would foster a com-
munity that respects and cele-
brates the diversity of human
expression and identity.” The
Lander City Council has not yet
taken action.

For the District of Columbia,
Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton
entered into the Congressional
Record an oflicial statement on
Equality Begins at Home and the
right to D.C. self-detennination.
Holmes Norton also introduced
federal legislation to end the con-
gressional review of the DC bud-
get and laws. Congress has
repeatedly used this review in an
attempt to curtail GLBT rights.

In Chicago on Friday, a letter
in honor of Equality Begins at
Home from Mayor Richard
Daley was read at a very emo-
tional and upbeat pre-EBAH
rally that drew more than 400
people. Even more people are
expected at a rally and lobby day
in Springfield later in the week.
A civil rights bill ‘is before the
Illinois House, and for the first
time all executive officers of the
state, including the governor and
lieutenant governor, have signed
on in support of the measure.

Last week in South Carolina,
the State Senate voted in favor of
a hate crimes bill. The measure
now goes to the Senate. In a bold
assertion of their right to equality,
a contingent of 25 GLBT people,

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including NGLTF’s Urvashi
Vaid, marched in the South
Carolina St. Patrick’s parade on
Saturday. A right-wing religious
fundamentalist marched along-
side the contingent passing out
literature and screaming,
“Homosexuality is a sin, it’s an
abomination.” According to Vaid,
while the abuse was hard to take,
everyone in the contingent kept
their cool, smiled and waved and
chanted, “Happy St. Patrick’s
Day, Equality Some Day.”

In Washington, D.C., approxi-
mately 200 people braved a
steady pouring rain to tell
Congress, “Hands off DC.” The
D.C. city council has been large-
ly supportive of GLBT equality,
only to have Congress block
these laws. Congress has repeat-
edly tried to prohibit adoption by
unmarried couples and blocked
implementation of the city’s
domestic partnership policy, city
spending for needle exchange
programs, and a vote tabulation
of a ballot measure last
November on medical marijuana.
Speakers at the rally included
openly gay City Councilman Jim
Graham and National Organiza-
tion for Women president Patricia
Ireland.

In Alabama, people gathered
on the stepsiof the capitol build-
ing to take a stand against hate
crimes. Joining them were State
Representative Alvin Holmes,
the sponsor of a bill to add sexu-
al orientation to the state’s hate
crimes bill. In Texas, hundreds
of young people rallied against
discrimination in education and
on Sunday, more than 8,000

marched and rallied in support of '

GLBT families. In Nashville,
Tennessee hundreds rallied at the
first- ever statewide rally for
GLBT rights in Tennessee.’
Attendees hailed from all over
the state and participation by
GLBT youth was especially high.

In Tallahassee, Florida, on
Sunday, Barney Frank got a
hero’s welcome from hundreds of
people at a rally at the state capi-
to]. In Oregon 200 young people
convened for the state’s very first
by-youth for-youth conference
on GLBT issues. Hundreds more
attended. a rally at the capitol. In
Nevada, former State Senator

 

EQUALITY, p2l

 

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