Scouting For All

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LGBT Equality, Mary Griggs, Rant

(c) by Mary Griggs

On Tuesday, the Boy Scouts of America announced that they would retain their policy of “not granting membership to open or avowed homosexuals.”

This decision is in sharp contrast to the Girl Scouts of America who have policies of acceptance and recently released the statement: “We accept all girls in kindergarten through 12th grade as members. If a child identifies as a girl and the child’s family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts welcomes her as a Girl Scout.”

Back in 2010, under pressure from LGBT activists both outside the organization and within their ranks, the Boy Scouts formed a committee of eleven “volunteers and professional leaders to evaluate whether the policy was in the best interests of the organization.” The committee “included a diversity of perspectives” and engaged in “extensive research and evaluations.” The makeup of the committee and what they studied continue to remain secret.

Discrimination is never the right policy. While the Boy Scouts of America have an absolute right to freedom of assembly, their vaunted oath has nothing to do with being straight. It reads simply: “to live your life with honesty, to be clean in your speech and actions, and to be a person of strong character.”

Gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender individuals subscribe to those very values. However, as the military found out with Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, it can be difficult to live them when you are forced to hide an essential truth about yourself.

Perhaps this is now the time for the Boy Scouts equality movement. Many political movements were started by someone making a personal stand against unfair rules and unjust laws. For example, Rosa Parks’ refusal to move to the rear of the bus launched the civil rights movement.

They already have a few activists already.

Zach Wahls — the Eagle Scout who famously and movingly testified about his two moms during a hearing on marriage equality in the Iowa legislature.

Lesbian Mom, Jennifer Tyrell who was forced out of the leadership of her son’s Tiger Scout den after six months of hard work and praise from the other parents in the troop when she complained about financial irregularities.

And, most recently, 19 year old Eric Jones, an Eagle Scout and camp counselor for the Boy Scouts in Missouri, came out to the camp director was fired. Jones said that while he knew of the Boy Scouts policy against homosexuality, he thought that the director “would overlook it” because he had been working at the camp for nearly five years.

By practicing inclusion, the Girl Scouts serve as a safe place for young girls to grow into themselves without fear of being abandoned or discriminated against. It is time for the Boy Scouts to realize you can’t teach kids to be better adults by teaching them to hate or discriminate.

 

Our Personal IS Political

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LGBT Equality, Mary Griggs, Rant

(c) by Mary Griggs

Mary Cheney wed Heather Poe in Washington, DC in a private ceremony on Friday, June 22. Cheney posted on her Facebook page: “Very happy to announce that as of this morning, Heather and I are legally married (at least in DC). 20 years to the day after our first date.”

Lovely, right? I’ll give you a minute to bask in the irony that the daughter of the former Vice-President, who came to power as part of a vicious right wing campaign to bring voters to the polls by enshrining discrimination against same-sex marriage in constitutions across the United States, was able to legally wed her partner and co-parent of their two children.

Almost immediately after the wedding, the pundits and commentators began to speak. Republican strategist (and close Cheney family friend) Mary Matalin said, “I am certain Mary and Heather have not given one nanosecond of consideration to the electoral season or political impact of their recent union. The Vice President and Mrs. Cheney’s unconditional love and support for their family has also never been remotely predicated on politics.”

Seriously? Didn’t she learn from our feminist foremothers that politics are predicated on the personal?

In point of fact, their very marriage is a political act. Same sex marriage is only allowed in six states (CT, IA, MA, NH, NY, and VT) plus Washington, D.C. It isn’t legally recognized where they live in Virginia.

Further, it is naïve to think that the political animal that is Dick Cheney hasn’t considered every possible ramification of his support for their freedom to marry. While his support might be in opposition to the religious zealots who have hijacked his party, his stand follows traditional Republican values on limited government and individual liberty.

Ted Olson, one of the lawyers on the Prop 8 challenge case wrote an essay entitled The Conservative Case for Gay Marriage. In it, he stated:

“Many of my fellow conservatives have an almost knee-jerk hostility toward gay marriage. This does not make sense, because same-sex unions promote the values conservatives prize. Marriage is one of the basic building blocks of our neighborhoods and our nation. At its best, it is a stable bond between two individuals who work to create a loving household and a social and economic partnership. We encourage couples to marry because the commitments they make to one another provide benefits not only to themselves but also to their families and communities. Marriage requires thinking beyond one’s own needs. It transforms two individuals into a union based on shared aspirations, and in doing so establishes a formal investment in the well-being of society. The fact that individuals who happen to be gay want to share in this vital social institution is evidence that conservative ideals enjoy widespread acceptance.”

Supporting the freedom to marry does not make one a single issue voter. Marriage equality is beyond a mere issue of fairness. It is an economic issue, a religious issue and, damn it all, it is an issue of love.
Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney has signed the pledge from the National Organization for Marriage. The signers of the pledge commit to five points:

• Sending a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman to the states for ratification.
• Defending the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which includes the traditional definition of marriage and bans states from recognizing gay marriage, in court.
• Appointing federal judges and an attorney general who are opposed to a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.
• Appointing a commission to investigate claims of harassment against those people who support marriage as being only between a man and a woman.
• Supporting legislation that would give people living in the District of Columbia the right to vote on marriage.

Politics may be the art of the possible but they are also intensely personal. That is something that none of us should forget in November.

Vote For Women!

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Mary Griggs, Rant, Voting, Women's Rights

(c) by Mary Griggs

We’ve all heard about the war against women. What hasn’t gotten the same amount of press is that the war goes beyond reproductive health to an attack on women’s most basic civil rights.

Ninety-two years ago, the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution granted American women the right to vote in national and local elections. The amendment is beautiful in its brevity and clarity: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”
Women’s suffrage was by no means global when the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in 1948. Article 21 of that document declared that everyone has the right to take part in the government and that the will of the people (which shall be by universal and equal suffrage), expressed in periodic and genuine elections, shall be the basis of the authority of government.

You would have thought the issue of our constructive participation in the political process would be fait accompli, the done-est of done deals.
You would have thought wrong.
For example, Janis Lane, president of the Central Mississippi Tea Party gave an interview to the Jackson Free Press recently. As part of her discussion on where things went wrong, she said: “I’m really going to set you back here. Probably the biggest turn we ever made was when the women got the right to vote. Our country might have been better off if it was still just men voting.”

Perpetual blowhard Rush Limbaugh is not known for his feminist sensibilities. However, even long time detractors were a little taken aback by his blatant disrespect for women after he said on his July 3rd show, “When women got the right to vote is when it all went downhill.”

They are just the latest wave in an all out assault on women voters.

Across the nation, there has been a concerted effort by Republicans to disenfranchise voters. These laws will have a detrimental impact on women. Since the beginning of 2011, at least 180 bills restricting voting rights were introduced in 41 states. While identification requirements for voting are certainly not new, many states have prohibited once-acceptable identification such as student IDs, Social Security cards, utility bills and bank statements in favor of the “strict” or government-issued photo IDs.

Luckily, Louisiana was not one of those states that adopted the new ALEC inspired (and drafted) laws. The Louisiana Secretary of State lists out acceptable Election Day proof of identity: “a driver’s license, a Louisiana Special ID, or some other generally recognized picture ID that contains your name and signature. Voters who have no picture ID may bring a utility bill, payroll check or government document that includes their name and address but they will have to sign an affidavit furnished by the Elections Division in order to vote.”

There are several factors that contribute to a person not having a current and valid photo ID. Such documents expire. Some voters do not drive, therefore a state-issued drivers license is not necessary. Voters move and are unable to obtain new ID prior to registration or Election Day.

Strict photo-ID requirements and proof-of-citizenship laws particularly affect women who change their name after getting married or divorced. Because updating documentation takes time and money, these laws create an additional barrier for low-income women. According to the Brennan Center, only 48 percent of voting-age women with ready access to their U.S. birth certificates have a birth certificate with their current legal name. The same survey showed that only 66 percent of voting-age women had ready access to proof-of-citizenship documentation with their current legal name.

The transgender community is also greatly affected, since many of those who have transitioned to another gender are unable to update their IDs to their current gender because of difficulty satisfying state requirements on changing gender markers. According to a recent national survey, only 59 percent of trans people have updated photo IDs.

So why do some folks wish that women didn’t have the right to vote? Why, in the face of virtually non-existent voter fraud, do the Republican continue to push to keep women away from the polls?

Simply put, the numbers don’t lie. Women have been a majority of the total vote in every election since 1984. According to poll data from the Pew Research Center, women comprised 53 percent of the overall electorate in 2008, 54 percent in 2004 and 52 percent in 2000.

And Republicans haven’t fared well with women voters. The same poll data shows that if you lose the women’s vote by any more than 11 points, it’s difficult for a Republican to get elected to the White House. Not since 1988 has a Republican presidential candidate won the women’s vote.

It is not just the White House that is at stake. Most of the biggest challenges to women’s reproductive health choices are being made at the state level. Expansion of anti-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity are being passed at the city level. Challenges to the teaching of scientifically proven evolution as being made at the local school board level. Further, changes to state constitutions (like to advance marriage equality) are decided by individual voters.

Electing tomorrow’s decision makers begins with us today. Because if you don’t vote, you don’t count. Don’t just get mad, get registered and vote!

In Louisiana, go to the Secretary of State website for information on how to register to vote, as well as links to important information about ballots, voting and elections. Remember, Geaux Vote.com!

Summer Agenda

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Mary Griggs, Organizing

(c) by Mary Griggs

Participating in democracy by voting is just one part of how the citizens of a community and nation can make change. The part that is often overlooked, or under appreciated, is that your voice can make a difference. Use the summer months for more than a holiday from the daily grind – use the time to constructively engage with your elected officials.

In July and August, take the time to share your thoughts with the people who represent you in the Louisiana legislature and in Washington. The Louisiana Legislative session ended in June and you can meet in person with your elected officials when they are in their district offices. In August, the United States Senate and House of Representatives have a session break and many will come back to their home districts then.

Visit www.legis.state.la.us/ or www.house.gov or www.senate.gov/ to find contact information for the local office of your congressperson.

You can also use these sites (or Open Congress) to refresh your memory about how they voted on pay equity, anti-bullying, education, abortion, or other bills of particular interest to you.

Call and ask for the scheduler and set up a date and time for the meeting. Don’t be disappointed if the first time you can only get a meeting with a staff member—be aware that many legislative aides wield considerable influence.

Be sensitive to their time constraints and only plan on 15 minutes for your presentation. Many times they will set up blocks of thirty minutes but might be running late or want to talk about something else first. Be polite but firm to express the essentials of your point of view in the time allotted.

Have a few written points that you want to convey at the meeting. Sharing your personal story will usually prove most persuasive, so don’t rely entirely on facts and statistics.

If your elected official has been in opposition, prepare a few rebuttal points for the most likely arguments they may use against you. If your elected official is supportive, thank them and let them know if you are available to testify on behalf of this issue when it comes before committee.

It is always a good idea to have something to leave behind so that they or their staff can refer to it afterwards. Try to localize the talking points or fact sheets to Louisiana or to their district – for example, saying this measure will help kids who are being bullied isn’t as powerful as saying, “Last year, there were 33 suicides in St. Tammany Parish, 5 of whom were individuals under 19 years old. If bullying played even a minor part in those young people’s deaths, shouldn’t we do everything we can to prevent anyone else’s family from suffering?”

Make sure your address and other contact information are with the packets so they know whom to contact for more information. If there are groups or organizations ready to mobilize on this issue, include that information, as it shows that you are not alone.

Collect business cards from everyone in the room and remember to send a thank you note after your meeting. Follow up with them prior and during the next legislative session, so that they know that you are a committed constituent.

In Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau wrote: “Cast your whole vote, not a strip of paper merely, but your whole influence.” I hope this post will help you use your whole influence on your elected representatives this summer.

Religious Freedom Matters

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Faith, Marriage Equality, Mary Griggs, Rant

(c) by Mary Griggs

When I was a kid, my family was stationed overseas in Germany. Back then, Armed Forces Radio and TV network provided the only English language programming. They were limited in the amount of children’s programming and only had two hours of cartoons on Saturday.

At the end of our tour, we flew back to the States and were on base in Ft. Dix, New Jersey. It was early on a Saturday when my sister and I snuck down to the common area of the visitor’s quarters and turned on the TV.

We were awestruck.

There was station after station of cartoons. More than any one kid could possibly watch. There were old style Looney Tunes, weird animations from Japan and sophisticated cartoons mixed with live action. There was even an entire network dedicated to cartoons.

And that is what freedom means to me: having more choices than I could possibly use with everything for any taste available and no parent telling me what to watch.

That is the how I look at religion, too. There is a faith smorgasbord out there and belief (or not) is a personal decision.

I’m not alone. The very foundation of our republic is based on religious freedom. The Declaration of Independence in 1776, stated unequivocally that “all men are created equal… endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” Not a one of those basic rights and liberties that our Founders outlined came with a requirement to affirm any religion.

Further, the United States Constitution begins with the establishment clause. Not only is the government not allowed to force any religious organization to adhere to any particular theological, spiritual and moral convictions, no religious institution can use the government to impose its particular views on the American public by means of law. In the second part of that clause, the free exercise of religion requires that we respect the conscience and convictions and the many religious traditions and non-religious people across the nation.

The United States government recognizes marriage with a properly authorized, government-issued marriage license. No religious ceremony is necessary for the legitimacy and the legality of a marriage recognized by agencies of American government.

At heart, marriage equality is among the constitutional rights granted to all citizens. While particular scriptures can be used to condemn same-sex love, law, not scripture is the foundation of government regulations regarding marriage in the United States.

What many who use a religious argument against marriage equality do not realize is that the same First Amendment that protects their religious liberty protects everyone else’s as well.

Religious freedom matters. Marriage equality matters.