(Reposted as part of our staff picks from 2009, originally written by Will Urquhart on 8/23/2009)
One of the panels I attended at Netroots Nation on Day 1, Thursday August 13th, was titled 'The Secret Plan to Defeat the Right Forever'. The panel focused on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). Stewart Acuff does a great job explaining some of the more important details of EFCA:
He also talks a little bit about what it is going to take to get this legislation passed:
And Tanya Tarr explains why EFCA is the secret plan to defeat the right forever:
We've got lots more videos from Netroots Nation available, and we will be releasing plenty more over the coming weeks at the Sum of Change NN09 page.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
The Online Immigration Debate - Netroots Nation '09
(Reposted as part of our staff picks from 2009, originally written by Mitch Malasky on August 19th 2009)
Three of today's video's come from 'Four Perspectives from the Social Change Blogosphere: Case Studies from Civil Rights/ Pro-Migrant Bloggers' a panel at Netroots Nation 2009 in Pittsburgh hosted by Kety Equivel, the New Media Manager for the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), with David Bennion, a non-profit immigration attorney, Prerna Lal, a blogger, youth organizer, and new media consultant, Edmundo Rocha, the Publisher and Content Producer of Para Justica Y Libertad, a latino centered political blog, and Dee Perez-Scott, who runs the blog 'Immigration Talk with a Mexican American'. They all shared stories about their efforts to fight a struggling battle. They were not very optimistic, they all shared depressing stories and sentiments about numerous immigration inequities, but were hopeful and dedicated to getting comprehensive immigration reform passed. While the immigration reform bill in congress has taken a back seat to other issues, such as healthcare, there are millions of people whose lives and well being are being held hostage by the unjust execution of antiquated laws. While positive news on the national scene is hard to come by, these panelists are working to facilitate as many small scale successes as possible. Check back for more stories and thoughts from the panel over the next couple weeks.
We will be releasing lots, and lots, of videos from Netroots Nation over the coming weeks, including some panels in entirety. For more videos, and a list of every event we filmed, please visit the Sum of Change NN'09 page.
Three of today's video's come from 'Four Perspectives from the Social Change Blogosphere: Case Studies from Civil Rights/ Pro-Migrant Bloggers' a panel at Netroots Nation 2009 in Pittsburgh hosted by Kety Equivel, the New Media Manager for the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), with David Bennion, a non-profit immigration attorney, Prerna Lal, a blogger, youth organizer, and new media consultant, Edmundo Rocha, the Publisher and Content Producer of Para Justica Y Libertad, a latino centered political blog, and Dee Perez-Scott, who runs the blog 'Immigration Talk with a Mexican American'. They all shared stories about their efforts to fight a struggling battle. They were not very optimistic, they all shared depressing stories and sentiments about numerous immigration inequities, but were hopeful and dedicated to getting comprehensive immigration reform passed. While the immigration reform bill in congress has taken a back seat to other issues, such as healthcare, there are millions of people whose lives and well being are being held hostage by the unjust execution of antiquated laws. While positive news on the national scene is hard to come by, these panelists are working to facilitate as many small scale successes as possible. Check back for more stories and thoughts from the panel over the next couple weeks.
We will be releasing lots, and lots, of videos from Netroots Nation over the coming weeks, including some panels in entirety. For more videos, and a list of every event we filmed, please visit the Sum of Change NN'09 page.
Vigorous Student Protests at UCLA over UC Tuition Hike
(Reposted as part of our staff picks from 2009, originally written by Rachel Tepper on 11/24/2009)
News of a steep hike in tuition fees at University of California public schools have students riled up at campuses across the UC system.
The UC’s Board of Regents met at UCLA on Wednesday to approve a plan which will raise next year’s undergraduate fees by an astounding 32%. UC President Mark Yudof told The New York Times that the fee increase was the university’s only choice in light of significant state budget cuts in the last decade. Yudof explained that the university system currently receives half as much, per student, as it did about twenty years ago.
Despite current measures in place which have slashed staff salaries, laid off teaching assistants, eliminated free printing for students and cut library hours, the board insisted that the university will be unable to maintain the same level of academic excellence without raising tuition.
Anger within the student body was most acutely felt at UCLA, where students from across the university system rallied outside the board’s meeting. Protests at times turned nasty, leading to the arrests of several students and accusations of police brutality.
Darlene Tran, a sophomore at UCLA, received bruises to her chest and wrist courtesy of officers responding to protests outside the meeting. Tran said she was chanting with a mass of students blocking the board members’ exit from a university building. She explained that she and others were demonstrating peacefully, but officers used unnecessary force when they pushed through the crowd to clear an exit path.
“From my perspective, I understand why they did it,” admitted Tran. “But I don’t think they needed to have been so aggressive. It was almost brutal, in a way.”
Tran noted that the Board of Regent’s meeting had originally been scheduled to take place on a day earlier on Thursday. She believes that the rescheduling was a deliberate attempt to thwart students’ plans to assemble. Students representing every institution in the UC system planned to bus to rallies at UCLA, but arrived a day late.
“We thought it was very sketchy,” said Tran.
In a last ditch attempt to convince the board to reverse its decision, some students stormed Campbell Hall, a building on UCLA’s campus, and occupied it from 2 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday in protest.
Tran noted that the protests had hit a particularly sensitive chord with students.
"We’re students, we can not handle this fee increase," said an exasperated Tran. She believes many students will be forced to drop out of school because of the increased fees. "We’re smart and we’re knowledgeable. We know there are other ways, there are other solutions, but we want to be protesting.”
Senior Sharya de Silva said the vigorous demonstration was a unique display of a particularly emotional student body.
“It was more students than I have seen in a long time. When it first started on campus, I would say at least 300 kids [were protesting],” explained Silva. “But then when we walked down Westwood Blvd…another group of students showed up. I think while marching we had around 600 kids.”
She described the scene outside Covel Hall, a building on UCLA’s campus, as “a mad house,” and said she believes about 1000 were protesting there.
Silva echoed sentiments of undue police force against what she described as passionate but nonviolent protest.
“I saw one officer swinging a baton around to try and clear room,” she said. “In the process he hit two guys and almost hit me. This one girl was actually trying to help the cops by calming the crowd down, and they got her. It was sad, she just hit the ground.”
Silva believes the police “didn't know how to handle the volume of students with that much passion,” and their actions were preemptive measures taken in fear that protests would turn violent.
Despite the widespread discontentment in regard to increased fees and the fervor demonstrated by protesters, some students questioned the effectiveness of such displays.
“Everyone is unified in their opinion about it, well, sucking, but not everyone supports the protests,” said junior Nathan Stein. He said the demonstrations are “causing a lot of disturbance to people living in the dorms and not accomplishing much.”
Both Tran and Silva confessed that they believed the decision made by the Board of Regents will likely stick.
Protests have currently died down, though students continue to stew over the possible implications the increase.
For now though, students must turn their thoughts to another problem: finals. Exams for the fall semester will begin taking place in a matter of days. Little time, said Stein, to worry about tuition.
“I think most students are spending their time studying,” he said.
News of a steep hike in tuition fees at University of California public schools have students riled up at campuses across the UC system.
The UC’s Board of Regents met at UCLA on Wednesday to approve a plan which will raise next year’s undergraduate fees by an astounding 32%. UC President Mark Yudof told The New York Times that the fee increase was the university’s only choice in light of significant state budget cuts in the last decade. Yudof explained that the university system currently receives half as much, per student, as it did about twenty years ago.
Despite current measures in place which have slashed staff salaries, laid off teaching assistants, eliminated free printing for students and cut library hours, the board insisted that the university will be unable to maintain the same level of academic excellence without raising tuition.
Anger within the student body was most acutely felt at UCLA, where students from across the university system rallied outside the board’s meeting. Protests at times turned nasty, leading to the arrests of several students and accusations of police brutality.
Darlene Tran, a sophomore at UCLA, received bruises to her chest and wrist courtesy of officers responding to protests outside the meeting. Tran said she was chanting with a mass of students blocking the board members’ exit from a university building. She explained that she and others were demonstrating peacefully, but officers used unnecessary force when they pushed through the crowd to clear an exit path.
“From my perspective, I understand why they did it,” admitted Tran. “But I don’t think they needed to have been so aggressive. It was almost brutal, in a way.”
Tran noted that the Board of Regent’s meeting had originally been scheduled to take place on a day earlier on Thursday. She believes that the rescheduling was a deliberate attempt to thwart students’ plans to assemble. Students representing every institution in the UC system planned to bus to rallies at UCLA, but arrived a day late.
“We thought it was very sketchy,” said Tran.
In a last ditch attempt to convince the board to reverse its decision, some students stormed Campbell Hall, a building on UCLA’s campus, and occupied it from 2 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday in protest.
Tran noted that the protests had hit a particularly sensitive chord with students.
"We’re students, we can not handle this fee increase," said an exasperated Tran. She believes many students will be forced to drop out of school because of the increased fees. "We’re smart and we’re knowledgeable. We know there are other ways, there are other solutions, but we want to be protesting.”
Senior Sharya de Silva said the vigorous demonstration was a unique display of a particularly emotional student body.
“It was more students than I have seen in a long time. When it first started on campus, I would say at least 300 kids [were protesting],” explained Silva. “But then when we walked down Westwood Blvd…another group of students showed up. I think while marching we had around 600 kids.”
She described the scene outside Covel Hall, a building on UCLA’s campus, as “a mad house,” and said she believes about 1000 were protesting there.
Silva echoed sentiments of undue police force against what she described as passionate but nonviolent protest.
“I saw one officer swinging a baton around to try and clear room,” she said. “In the process he hit two guys and almost hit me. This one girl was actually trying to help the cops by calming the crowd down, and they got her. It was sad, she just hit the ground.”
Silva believes the police “didn't know how to handle the volume of students with that much passion,” and their actions were preemptive measures taken in fear that protests would turn violent.
Despite the widespread discontentment in regard to increased fees and the fervor demonstrated by protesters, some students questioned the effectiveness of such displays.
“Everyone is unified in their opinion about it, well, sucking, but not everyone supports the protests,” said junior Nathan Stein. He said the demonstrations are “causing a lot of disturbance to people living in the dorms and not accomplishing much.”
Both Tran and Silva confessed that they believed the decision made by the Board of Regents will likely stick.
Protests have currently died down, though students continue to stew over the possible implications the increase.
For now though, students must turn their thoughts to another problem: finals. Exams for the fall semester will begin taking place in a matter of days. Little time, said Stein, to worry about tuition.
“I think most students are spending their time studying,” he said.
Thousands in Berkeley Mobilize to Save Public Education in California
(Reposted as part of our staff picks from 2009, originally posted by Laura Gilbert on 9/24/2009)
An estimated five thousand people gathered to rally on Sproul Plaza at the University of California, Berkeley.
Among the protesters was a contingent representing student-parents. They held a banner that asked, "Where's the affordability you promised us?"
Representatives from the Student Worker Action Team (SWAT) and the SOLIDARITY Alliance, among others, lead the march through the Berkeley campus and downtown Berkeley.
Marchers returned to campus via Bancroft road.
The marchers staged a sit-in at the intersection of Telegraph and Bancroft across from the Sproul Plaza entrance of the Berkeley campus.
Both UPTE (University Professional Technical Employees) and CUE (Coalition of University Employees) chose to strike in solidarity with the UC Faculty Walkouts on September 24th. Union members and supporters picketed at the Berkeley campus entrances throughout the day.
As night fell, a General Assembly was held for anyone who wanted to help organize to continue the fight to save public education.
Despite three relocations of the General Assembly due to a lack of open University facilities, hundreds moved together and finally settled in Lower Sproul Plaza on a chilly night to continue organizing.
On Thursday, September 24th, an estimated five thousand people attended a rally on Sproul Plaza at the University of California, Berkeley. The rally and subsequent march through campus and downtown Berkeley—scheduled to coincide with and planned in support of the University of California (UC) Faculty Walkout that took place on all ten UC campuses—brought together undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, university workers and alumni to protest the budget cuts at Berkeley and stand up for public education across California.
All in attendance protested the enrollment cuts, layoffs, faculty furloughs and threatened department cuts outlined in a plan pushed through by the UC administration this summer in the aftermath of a reduction in state educational funding to the tune of more than $637 million—or 20% of the 2009-2010 budget. But it is perhaps the already imposed 9.3% increase in student fees for the 2009-2010 school year, as well as the proposed 32% fee increase to be partially imposed mid-year that has invigorated the masses. Many feel these increased fees will effectively privatize California’s public schools, making higher education inaccessible to countless California residents—including those already enrolled in the system. One Berkeley first-year, Magali Flores, currently pays her own fees but expressed worries of having to ask her mother for help if the 32% increase proposal passes, help she is not sure her single mother of five will be able to provide.
Ricardo Gomez, a third-year at Berkeley, says the fee increases will not affect him personally because he receives scholarship; however, “I know for a fact that students will be priced out—particularly undocumented students.” Another student held a sign that said, “’UC’ me now…you won’t see me after 32%”.
After the proposed increase, fees will amount to over $10,000, before room and board. With such high costs, “the line between public and private blurs,” says Alex Tarr, a graduate student in geography at Berkeley and head steward of the Local 2865 UAW which represents 12,000 student employees, grad-student instructors, readers and tutors.
But it is not just students who have something to say about the fee hikes. Paul (who declined to give his last name), a Spectroscopist and member of the University Professional Technical Employee union (UPTE), expressed concern that the University was no longer following its mission, laid out in the 1960 California Master Plan for Higher Education—specifically, the principle that higher education should be accessible to all regardless of one’s economic means. “The whole mission of the University of California was so anyone could come here, to a public university that was as good as Harvard or Yale. The irony is that it is cheaper now to go to either one of those schools than to one of the UC’s”—referring to the ability of many Ivy League schools to run needs-blind admission and finance the education of any admitted student who is unable to pay. Personally, he said, he has two children he hoped to send to the University of California system, but with rising costs he is exploring options in other states.
Tamar (who declined to give her last name), a Berkeley alum and an UPTE member (a union which chose to strike on the 24th in solidarity with the Faculty Walkout after itself engaging in 19 months of negotiations with the University with no contract), wanted to bring greater awareness to the day-to-day changes brought on by these budget cuts. “Professors are being forced to furlough classes, to work harder in less time with less salary. Facilities and departments have fewer open hours or may close entirely. Essentially, students will be paying 32% in increased fees for reduced services.”
Tamar—and many others—argue that such drastic budget cuts are unnecessary. Many expressed a belief that the money is there, despite the reduction in state funding, but it is being allocated disproportionately to executive salaries for the Regents, the Cal football coach and especially President Mark Yudof, towards whom a great deal of the protesters’ ire was directed. (An objective observer may become sympathetic to such ire after reading Yudof’s snarky responses to Deborah Solomon’s questions in the September 24thNew York Times interview.) Those who place most of the blame for the budget crisis on the University leadership demand budget transparency and democratization of the Board of Regents.
Others believe the blame for the current budget crisis should lie primarily on the state, whose priorities they question. They cite statistics that show that over the past 20 years, state expenditures on education have gone down from 17% to 7% while state expenditures on the prison system have gone up from 3% to 10%. As Ruben Canedo, a representative of the SOLIDARITY alliance and one of the organizers of the march, put it, “The message that the state is sending to kids is that it is more prepared to send you to the prison system than the education system.”
And still others believe the fact is there is simply not enough tax revenue to sustain public education in California. Those carrying signs that said, “Repeal Prop. 13” said the current state budget crisis was foreseen long ago. “Once Prop. 13 froze property taxes at 1970’s rates, a future budget crisis was inevitable,” said California State University, Monterey Bay campus Professor C. Menning. Originally intended to protect elderly residents from being taxed out of their homes, “it was the corporations who benefited most” from Proposition 13, Menning said. In 2004, in an attempt to preempt the public education crisis, Governor Schwarzenegger, then UC President Robert C. Dynes and CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed created The Higher Education Compact that put forth a plan to mitigate the budget gaps by raising student fees and increasing private fundraising. This is the crux of the argument that California public higher education is being privatized. Or perhaps even the smoking gun.
An estimated five thousand people gathered to rally on Sproul Plaza at the University of California, Berkeley.
Among the protesters was a contingent representing student-parents. They held a banner that asked, "Where's the affordability you promised us?"
Representatives from the Student Worker Action Team (SWAT) and the SOLIDARITY Alliance, among others, lead the march through the Berkeley campus and downtown Berkeley.
Marchers returned to campus via Bancroft road.
The marchers staged a sit-in at the intersection of Telegraph and Bancroft across from the Sproul Plaza entrance of the Berkeley campus.
Both UPTE (University Professional Technical Employees) and CUE (Coalition of University Employees) chose to strike in solidarity with the UC Faculty Walkouts on September 24th. Union members and supporters picketed at the Berkeley campus entrances throughout the day.
As night fell, a General Assembly was held for anyone who wanted to help organize to continue the fight to save public education.
Despite three relocations of the General Assembly due to a lack of open University facilities, hundreds moved together and finally settled in Lower Sproul Plaza on a chilly night to continue organizing.
The Equality March: As Missed by the MSM
(Reposted as part of our staff picks from 2009)
Lots more pictures available at Sum of Change
Over the weekend, you probably heard about tens of thousands of people standing up for LGBT rights at the Equality March in Washington, DC. It got some decent coverage, mostly on C-SPAN, but for the most part, the MSM really missed the scene. They missed the personal stories attached to this event. Our own Laura Gilbert was there to speak with the protesters.
The march coincided with President Obama's speech to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). In his speech, President Obama reiterated campaign promises to end discrimination against homosexuals in the workplace, in the military, and in marriage. These promises were made absent any timelines, a fact that did not escape the protesters.
David Mixner, Author and Democratic strategist, expressed the frustration shared amongst many gay rights advocates: "When people tell me to be patient, when people tell me 'Oh Lord, not now,' all I can think about is how many more tears should be shed so that some politicians in a back room can figure out when it's convenient to join us and to fight for our freedom?"
Cindy, marching with her wife Gillian and son Jack, age 3, traveled from Cincinnati, OH for the march. "We are tired of not being represented properly. We want to be part of the visibility of the movement." Cindy is pregnant and due in Novemeber. "Even though we consider ourselves to be married, we are unable to legally wed. In Ohio, we don't have dual adoption and as a result, the non-birth parent has no rights." The New York Times found that, in a best case scenario, a gay couple with two children will pay an extra $41,196.00 simply because they are not a legally married couple. "Our ability to marry has no impact on those who oppose it. But the fact that we cannot marry affects us everyday."
Billie Tadros, seen in the picture above embracing fellow Susquehanna University student Katie Falvo, said "I'd like to have the option to marry the woman I love one day. We're not interested in settling for anything less." Billie "came to be a part of history and work towards equality."
This fight, "is definitively a process, not a one day thing" Billie's girlfriend, Katie, added with a laugh.
Jeremy Griffin, from Ogunquit, ME said, "I am so far from marriage right now. But I'd like to think it will be there for me when I'm ready. I know so many couples who have been together forever and they just don't have the same rights available to them." Jeremy had questioned traveling to DC for this event, seeing as Maine is facing its own version of Prop 8 right now. He decided he would attend this event to bring visibility to Question 1 in Maine and the Protect Maine Equality campaign (this campaign was a featured topic of discussion at the Netroots Nation panel 'From Prop 8 to Full Equality in all 50 States'). Question 1 is up for a vote on November 3rd. If the Protect Maine Equality campaign can pull out a victory here, it would be the first time marriage equality has won at the ballot.
Cynthia Nixon, actress from Sex and the City, hammered the point home:
Marriage equality was not the only subject on people's minds this weekend. Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) was also prominently featured. Michael Bedwell, of San Francisco, told us that he came to the event in part to remind and inform younger people about his hero and friend, Leonard Matlovich (Seen on the cover of Time magazine in the picture below), a pioneer in the gay rights movement. "It empowers the LGBT community, especially the youth, to know their forebears. Public schools don't teach about these figures."
Lt. Dan Choi, a Unites States Army combat veteran who served in Iraq and the founder of KnightsOut, wasn't born when Leonard first fought the ban on gays in the military. "I hope people understand and decide what they're going to do if Obama is still making promises with no action in 6 months... Until we disrupt their lives and give them motivation to act, I sadly fear the situation is not going to change. It doesn't bode well when nothing is happening, in a situation in which we have such a liberal president, and Democrats have control of both houses of Congress."
The calls for action were partnered with a call to come out as well. Christine McIntire, a law student from Cleveland, OH, said, "I want to encourage people to be brave and come out to their families. Change starts at home." Bruce Babson, a member of the Board of Directors at the HRC, echoed that sentiment in his speech, "Our friends, family and coworkers need to know that when they vote for these bigoted politicians, they vote against us."
Mary Ann Bell, of Virginia said that, "We must all have courage and face what diversity really means. And that means orientation; it means culture; it means race." Mary Anne was one of the seven women to fast only on water for 37 days in front of the Illinois State House to support the ratification of the Equal Right Amendment in 1972. She told us that she fasted "to make the point, to witness, that equal rights should be for everyone. And here we are 25 years later, still fighting."
This sentiment was also expressed by Tanner Efinger, founder of Postcards to the President. "We are, all of us, an unrepresented, motley crew of underdogs, who have gathered in struggle from every class, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and background to say that we are done with waiting. And while there is a certain pace to change the we are told we must abide by, our children are on the streets, our lovers are in early graves and our family are in hospital beds all by themselves and they don't have time to wait for politicians."
-Written by Will Urquhart, reported by Laura Gilbert
More pictures available at Sum of Change
Lots more pictures available at Sum of Change
Over the weekend, you probably heard about tens of thousands of people standing up for LGBT rights at the Equality March in Washington, DC. It got some decent coverage, mostly on C-SPAN, but for the most part, the MSM really missed the scene. They missed the personal stories attached to this event. Our own Laura Gilbert was there to speak with the protesters.
The march coincided with President Obama's speech to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). In his speech, President Obama reiterated campaign promises to end discrimination against homosexuals in the workplace, in the military, and in marriage. These promises were made absent any timelines, a fact that did not escape the protesters.
David Mixner, Author and Democratic strategist, expressed the frustration shared amongst many gay rights advocates: "When people tell me to be patient, when people tell me 'Oh Lord, not now,' all I can think about is how many more tears should be shed so that some politicians in a back room can figure out when it's convenient to join us and to fight for our freedom?"
Cindy, marching with her wife Gillian and son Jack, age 3, traveled from Cincinnati, OH for the march. "We are tired of not being represented properly. We want to be part of the visibility of the movement." Cindy is pregnant and due in Novemeber. "Even though we consider ourselves to be married, we are unable to legally wed. In Ohio, we don't have dual adoption and as a result, the non-birth parent has no rights." The New York Times found that, in a best case scenario, a gay couple with two children will pay an extra $41,196.00 simply because they are not a legally married couple. "Our ability to marry has no impact on those who oppose it. But the fact that we cannot marry affects us everyday."
Billie Tadros, seen in the picture above embracing fellow Susquehanna University student Katie Falvo, said "I'd like to have the option to marry the woman I love one day. We're not interested in settling for anything less." Billie "came to be a part of history and work towards equality."
This fight, "is definitively a process, not a one day thing" Billie's girlfriend, Katie, added with a laugh.
Jeremy Griffin, from Ogunquit, ME said, "I am so far from marriage right now. But I'd like to think it will be there for me when I'm ready. I know so many couples who have been together forever and they just don't have the same rights available to them." Jeremy had questioned traveling to DC for this event, seeing as Maine is facing its own version of Prop 8 right now. He decided he would attend this event to bring visibility to Question 1 in Maine and the Protect Maine Equality campaign (this campaign was a featured topic of discussion at the Netroots Nation panel 'From Prop 8 to Full Equality in all 50 States'). Question 1 is up for a vote on November 3rd. If the Protect Maine Equality campaign can pull out a victory here, it would be the first time marriage equality has won at the ballot.
Cynthia Nixon, actress from Sex and the City, hammered the point home:
“Our right to marry is of paramount importance, whether you as an individual gay person listening to me right now, want to get married now or ever. It is important because when a country has different laws for different categories of people, it sends its population a message that the different group of people with lesser rights are somehow inferior and less deserving of respect, and are, in fact, not wholly human. And that message is heard loud and clear by the worst elements in our society. And it instructs them that if they are looking for someone to bully, or beat, or even kill; if they are looking for someone vulnerable to prey upon, gay people are a ready target.
Marriage equality was not the only subject on people's minds this weekend. Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) was also prominently featured. Michael Bedwell, of San Francisco, told us that he came to the event in part to remind and inform younger people about his hero and friend, Leonard Matlovich (Seen on the cover of Time magazine in the picture below), a pioneer in the gay rights movement. "It empowers the LGBT community, especially the youth, to know their forebears. Public schools don't teach about these figures."
Lt. Dan Choi, a Unites States Army combat veteran who served in Iraq and the founder of KnightsOut, wasn't born when Leonard first fought the ban on gays in the military. "I hope people understand and decide what they're going to do if Obama is still making promises with no action in 6 months... Until we disrupt their lives and give them motivation to act, I sadly fear the situation is not going to change. It doesn't bode well when nothing is happening, in a situation in which we have such a liberal president, and Democrats have control of both houses of Congress."
The calls for action were partnered with a call to come out as well. Christine McIntire, a law student from Cleveland, OH, said, "I want to encourage people to be brave and come out to their families. Change starts at home." Bruce Babson, a member of the Board of Directors at the HRC, echoed that sentiment in his speech, "Our friends, family and coworkers need to know that when they vote for these bigoted politicians, they vote against us."
Mary Ann Bell, of Virginia said that, "We must all have courage and face what diversity really means. And that means orientation; it means culture; it means race." Mary Anne was one of the seven women to fast only on water for 37 days in front of the Illinois State House to support the ratification of the Equal Right Amendment in 1972. She told us that she fasted "to make the point, to witness, that equal rights should be for everyone. And here we are 25 years later, still fighting."
This sentiment was also expressed by Tanner Efinger, founder of Postcards to the President. "We are, all of us, an unrepresented, motley crew of underdogs, who have gathered in struggle from every class, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and background to say that we are done with waiting. And while there is a certain pace to change the we are told we must abide by, our children are on the streets, our lovers are in early graves and our family are in hospital beds all by themselves and they don't have time to wait for politicians."
-Written by Will Urquhart, reported by Laura Gilbert
More pictures available at Sum of Change
From Prop 8 to Full Equality in all 50 States
(Reposted as part of our staff picks from 2009)
We at Sum of Change have been releasing lots of videos from Netroots Nation. We have released some 40 highlights videos, but today we release a panel in entirety for the first time. This was the first panel I attended, bright and early at 9:00am on Thursday, August 13th.
Thanks
From Prop 8 to Full Equality in All 50 States - Netroots Nation Day 1 from Will Urquhart on Vimeo.
We at Sum of Change have been releasing lots of videos from Netroots Nation. We have released some 40 highlights videos, but today we release a panel in entirety for the first time. This was the first panel I attended, bright and early at 9:00am on Thursday, August 13th.
From Prop 8 to Full Equality in All 50 States: Fighting for Marriage Equality and LGBT Rights Across AmericaI hope you enjoy this video. We will be releasing more coverage over the coming weeks. Visit the Sum of Change Netroots Nation page to see all our NN09 videos and a list of every event we covered. We do not have footage up from every event that we filmed yet, but we are making updates every day, and we will have at least one video from every event that we filmed. Once again, you can find a full list of everything we filmed in Pittsburgh at our NN09 page.
Thursday, August 13th 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM
Panel, 311
Time: Thursday, August 13th, 9:00am - 10:15am
Room: 311
From the passage of Prop 8 to the election of Barack Obama to the White House, the 2008 election had a profound impact on the fight for full LGBT equality in all 50 states.
This panel will tackle how we win and defend marriage equality state-by-state and how we build momentum for full LGBT equality across America. What are the lessons learned from the Prop 8 loss in California that Maine and other states can learn in their battle for marriage equality? How will we restore marriage equality to California? And how can the netroots help win these battles?
PANELISTS: Pam Spaulding, Monique Hoeflinger, Michael Wilson, Julia Rosen
Thanks
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Seyyed Ali Mousavi Killed in Iran Protest
Over the weekend, and grossly underreported, Seyyed Ali Mousavi, the nephew of the former Presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi, was killed during protests in Iran. It is reported that he was shot by Iranian Security officials. This comes amidst numerous reports of fatalities during demonstrations.
It has yet to be reported whether he was targeted intentionally or shot randomly.
The Gulf Daily News is reporting:
Video footage showed an enraged crowd carrying away one of the casualties chanting, "I'll kill, I'll kill the one who killed my brother." Witnesses said one victim was an elderly man who had a gunshot wound to the forehead. He was carried away by opposition supporters with blood covering his face.
All the while, our main stream media cannot find anything to talk about other than a man who spent too long in the bathroom on an airplane.
The video below apparently shows Seyyed Ali lying in the streets:
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