VIDEO: Equality Act Introduced

Lambda Legal reacts:

We applaud the introduction of this essential bill. Today, it spotlights the pervasive, unjust, and unacceptable discrimination facing LGBT Americans and their families; when passed, it will be a crucial next step forward in ending that discrimination. Its introduction comes nearly one month after the Supreme Court’s historic decision in Obergefell v. Hodges that made marriage equality the law of the land and just one week after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) landmark ruling in Baldwin v. Foxx that the sex discrimination provisions of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, properly understood, protect employees who suffer workplace discrimination because of their sexual orientation. LGBT equality keeps advancing because fairness is a fundamental American value.

The ACLU reacts:

Today is a historic day that has been decades in the making. The Equality Act would transform the lives of countless women and LGBT people. Our country’s most basic promise of equal treatment under the law will never be real if you fear losing your job, being kicked out of your home, denied access to healthcare or turned away from a business because of who you are. Both the lack of clear and explicit federal protections for LGBT people and the lack of protections for women in core areas of American life are unacceptable. We urge Congress to take up this landmark bill and make our country a more just nation for all.

The Center For American Progress reacts:

This historic legislation would provide clear and vital protections from discrimination for LGBT Americans in all areas of life, from the workplace to the public marketplace. Despite last month’s historic Supreme Court decision, many LGBT people and their families live in constant fear that discrimination could lurk around any corner at school, in the office, or on Main Street. Modernizing our federal nondiscrimination laws to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and, where currently excluded, sex, will bring our laws into the 21st century and ensure that all Americans, including our LGBT friends and neighbors, are judged on their merits, can provide for their families, and live free from fear. The progressive cause in our country has always been about ensuring people can live free of fear regardless of who they are. This bill promises to be a major priority for the LGBT movement and broader progressive community moving forward, and CAP applauds Sens. Merkley, Booker, and Baldwin and Rep. Cicilline for their leadership on behalf of all Americans.

The HRC reacts:

The time has come for full federal equality -- nothing more, nothing less. While America is now a marriage equality nation, the tragic reality is that millions of LGBT Americans face persistent discrimination in their lives each and every day. In most states in this country, a couple who gets married at 10 AM is at risk of being fired from their jobs by noon and evicted from their home by 2 PM, simply for posting their wedding photos online. Congress must pass the Equality Act to ensure that LGBT people and their families are just as safe at work or at school as they are in their marriages. This bill will guarantee all LGBT Americans have the clear, permanent, and explicit protections from discrimination that they deserve.

Rep. Mark Pocan On Hotel/Cruz Flap

"I know there are Republican members of the LGBT community. And there are Republican legislators who support equality, albeit not many. Fine, go ahead and throw them a fundraiser they will remember for a long time. But let's not support those who believe we'll burn in hell because of who we are and who we love. Does a candidate for any office support your existence as a human being? Do they support your quest for full marriage equality? Would they make sure you couldn't be fired from your job merely for being gay or lesbian? Will they help protect our LGBT youth with strong bullying protections? You get the idea. Please add those and other issues to the list of questions you ask BEFORE you invite a candidate over, introduce your friends, raise money for them or post pictures on the internet smiling with them -- because apparently some people will use anyone to get ahead, even if they completely disagree with you as a person." - Rep. Mark Pocan, writing for the Huffington Post.

NOTE: The owners of the NYC's Out Hotel have denied that the event with Sen. Ted Cruz was a fundraiser. The boycott page on Facebook now has over 10,000 members.

Magic Mondays With Rep. Mark Pocan

A former professional magician, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) has launched a weekly video series in which he uses magic tricks to explain the workings of Congress. Now in his second term, Pocan won Tammy Baldwin's former House seat on the day she was elected to the Senate.

RE-ELECTED: All LGBT House Members

The 2014 midterms were not a total disaster, at least for the six openly LGBT members of the US House. Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), Rep. Jared Polis* (D-CO), Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Rep Mark Pocan (D-WI), Rep David Cicilline (D-RI), and Rep. Kysten Sinema (D-AZ) all retained their seats today. 

Openly gay US House candidates who lost their bids today include Oklahoma state Sen. Al McCaffrey, Texas military veteran Louie Minor, North Carolina American Idol finalist Clay Aiken, former Massachusetts GOP legislator Richard Tisei, and New York investment banker Sean Eldridge, the husband of Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes.

The House bid of scandal-plagued homocon Carl DeMaio is too close to call at this writing.

*Not pictured.

WISCONSIN: US Rep. Mark Pocan Slams "Hateful" Action By State Attorney General

"For the first time, LGBT couples received the legal recognition and benefits of marriage from our state. The rights of all LGBT individuals across Wisconsin were upheld by a federal court on Friday and yet today Attorney General Van Hollen is asking a federal appeals court to stop county clerks from issuing marriage licenses.  The Attorney General’s decision to appeal the ruling that struck down Wisconsin’s ban on same-sex marriage is a regressive and blatantly political attempt to revive a hateful and discriminatory law which violates the ideals of liberty and equality in our Constitution.  Society has changed, barriers to equality continue to be broken down; it's too bad our Attorney General is still living in a more hateful day." - Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI), via press release.

Where Does Congress Stand On Syria?

The Washington Post has created an interactive graph which notes the known positions of Congress members on a possible US strike on Syria. So far only two Senate Democrats have said that they oppose US intervention: Sen. Chris Murphy (CT) and Sen. Tom Udall (NM). Perhaps the most notable House Democrat to oppose intervention so far is Rep. Alan Grayson (FL), who has been very active on social media with his objections. Listed as "leaning no" are openly gay House members Rep. Mark Pocan (WI) and Rep. David Cicilline (RI).  On Saturday, openly gay Sen. Tammy Baldwin (WI) issued this statement:

"I am pleased that the President is seeking Congressional authorization for any potential strike in Syria. I still believe there must be a strong and convincing case made to the American people and we must work to build an international coalition before we lead or join any military response. My judgment on any military action in response to the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons will be based on whether clear, focused and achievable objectives and goals are set.”

Rep. Gwen Moore Files To Add LGBT Youth To Homeless & Runaway Youth Bill

The Runaway & Homeless Youth Act, which was first passed in 2008, is due to be reauthorized. Rep. Gwen Moore has filed a new version of the bill that would explicitly include LGBT youth in its coverage. Moore's bill is co-sponsored by openly gay Rep. Mark Pocan.

I ran away from home when I was an adolescent,” said Rep. Moore. “It was the first and last time. Living on the streets is a difficult and dangerous experience – one that no child should have to endure. Unfortunately, homelessness is the reality for hundreds of thousands of youth each year. According to some studies, LGBT youth account for up to 40 percent of all homeless youth. LGBT homelessness is an issue that negatively impacts our children, our families and our communities."

LGBT youth advocate Cyndi Lauper reacts via press release:

No young person should ever be homeless, let alone because they are gay or transgender, but when they are, we need to ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect when they seek help,” said Cyndi Lauper, Co-Founder of the True Colors Fund. “I applaud Representatives Moore and Pocan for championing the Runaway and Homeless Youth Inclusion Act. Every young person, no matter who they are, deserves an even break and should never be turned away. If we want a strong future, we need to invest in all of our youth.”

Here's some background on the bill:

Currently, the legislation omits language relating to LGBT youth. The Runaway and Homeless Youth Inclusion Act (RHYIA) would help ensure that LGBT youth are not discriminated against and that grant recipients have the cultural competency to effectively serve these youth. In addition, RHYIA would take important steps to provide family support services for those struggling with the sexual orientation or gender identity of youth in their families.

Half Of Congress Files DOMA Brief

Almost half of the sitting members of Congress today filed a joint Supreme Court brief in the support of the overturn of DOMA. Via press release:

Today, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Ranking Constitution Subcommittee Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) in the House, and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) in the Senate, along with House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Ranking House Judiciary Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), are filing an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court in U.S. v. Edith Schlain Windsor, a landmark challenge to Section 3 of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).  Section 3 defines marriage for purposes of federal law as “only a legal union between one man and one woman,” excluding same-sex couples from all marriage-based federal responsibilities and rights.  A total of 172 Members of the House and 40 Members of the Senate – including LGBT Equality Caucus Co-Chairs Jared Polis (D-CO), David Cicilline (D-RI), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), and Mark Takano (D-CA), as well as Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) – signed onto the brief.

These 212 Members decided to participate as amici in this case because they want the Supreme Court to hear the full story from Congress, and to explain why they believe that Section 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional.  They disagree with the arguments being made by lawyers hired to defend DOMA in court by the House Majority following the divided 3-2 vote of the House Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG).  The amicus brief filed today makes clear that BLAG does not speak for Congress, and that many members believe that Section 3 should be struck down because there simply is no legitimate federal interest in denying married same-sex couples the legal security, rights and responsibilities that federal law provides to all other married couples.  As the brief explains: “DOMA imposes a sweeping and unjustifiable federal disability on married same-sex couples.”

Hit the link for the full list of signees.

Gay House Rep. Mark Pocan Sponsors Amendment To Overturn Citizens United

Openly gay freshman House Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) today announced his co-sponsorship of a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, the landmark 2010 Supreme Court ruling that permits unlimited political spending by corporations. The lead sponsor of the amendment is Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN). Via press release:

In making the announcement, lead sponsor Rep. Rick Nolan (DFL-Minnesota), said: “It’s time to take the shaping and molding of public policy out of corporate boardrooms, away from the corporate lobbyists, and put it back in city halls – back with county boards and state legislatures – and back in the Congress where it belongs.” Ben Manski, a spokesperson for Move to Amend, agreed, saying: “Today, members of Congress join a movement that insists on the fundamental equality of all Americans, and that rejects the idea that the corporate class should have special protections against We the People.” The Move to Amend coalition was formed in 2009 in preparation for the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision. Today, the coalition of nearly 260,000 people and hundreds of organizations has helped to pass nearly 500 resolutions in municipalities and local governments across the country calling on the state and federal governments to adopt this amendment.

Here's the text of Section One of the amendment.

Section 1. [Artificial Entities Such as Corporations Do Not Have Constitutional Rights] The rights protected by the Constitution of the United States are the rights of natural persons only. Artificial entities established by the laws of any State, the United States, or any foreign state shall have no rights under this Constitution and are subject to regulation by the People, through Federal, State, or local law. The privileges of artificial entities shall be determined by the People, through Federal, State, or local law, and shall not be construed to be inherent or inalienable.

Photos Of The Week

 

Via Buzzfeed, above are two of the new gay members of the U.S House being sworn in with their partners by their side. TOP PHOTO: Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, right, and his partner, Randy Florke, along with their children. BOTTOM PHOTO: Rep. Mark Pocan, right, and his husband, Philip Frank.