Remarks at IWO Annual Brunch

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Mary Griggs, Politics, Voting

One of the organizations I belong to had its Annual Brunch today. The Independent Women’s Organization is a Democratic women’s organization that has its roots back to 1939. I joined when it revived after Hurricane Katrina and recently rejoined the board.

For our event, we had as keynote speaker, Ohio Congresswoman Marcia Fudge. She gave a powerful talk that started with a recitation of the brilliant poem, “And the Women Gathered” by Gloria Wade-Gayles. From there, her speech covered everything from the biblical queen, Esther, to the fictional (but incredibly powerful) Dora Milaje, and served as a call to action for women and Democrats.

I was honored to give the closing remarks for the afternoon’s program.

Photo Credit – Lynda Woolard

Thank you, Congresswoman Fudge.

Building on what she said, I will speak briefly on how we can best use our power heading into November.

Democracy itself is on the ballot. The 2020 census is just around the corner. Our state representatives are the ones who get to redraw the boundaries of their voting districts. And, when we get the chance, we need make sure we vote blue!

There is some good election news. The Louisiana Democratic party reports a Democrat running for Congress in each district. In fact, nearly 300 more Democrats qualified for the ballot than Republicans in the upcoming elections.

We must support Democrats running for office in November. They need our money, our making phone calls, our knocking on doors and mobilizing our friends and colleagues to get to the polls and vote.

Many of y’all are familiar with the phrase, “Vote early, vote often.” Contrary to popular opinion, it doesn’t mean getting the dead to vote. It means making voting a habit.

If we make it a habit to vote, we are much less likely to skip a trip to the polls in the future.

And all habits need feeding. We must make sure we re-register to vote every time we move and check our registration ahead of election season. We must take advantage of early voting hours if we think we’ll be busy or out of town on election day. Heck, we must build standing in line on election day into our lives.

Today’s voting population includes almost equal parts millennials and baby boomers. The big difference is in how many of them voted – in 2016, only 19 percent of those ages 18-29 cast their ballots in the presidential election. In contrast, 49 percent of 45-64-year-olds voted in 2016.

And we are living with the results of that election.

What can we do?

First off, check your voting status. If you have a smart phone, put the GeauxVote Mobile App on your home screen. When you meet your friends for coffee and conversation, have them check their voting status and find out if they know who is running to represent them.

Help them get registered to vote if they aren’t. Become voter buddies – look them in the eye to get a promise that they will vote. Give them the same pledge in return.

Make sure folks with mobility and transportation issues have a way to get to the polls. Check on the homebound in your neighborhood or volunteer for a few hours driving folks to their polling place.

At the heart, elections are decided by who shows up at the polls.

Let’s make sure that it is us.

Thank you!

Geaux Vote!

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Take Their Feet Off Our Necks

Tags

Voting, Women's Rights

Louisiana’s abortion ban (SB 181) passed in the House by a vote of 78-9. The Senate had earlier voted 31 to 3 to pass it on to the House. The bill now goes to the governor.

SB 181 would ban abortions after 15 weeks (down from 20 weeks under current state law). The bill provides no exception for pregnancies that result from rape or incest nor does it allow an exception when the life of the mother is threatened or when there is a fetal abnormality. Further, the bill would impose criminal penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment and between $10,000 to $100,000 on abortion providers who break the law.

As the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) wrote in a letter to the legislature:

SB 181 is extreme legislation that would neither withstand legal scrutiny nor protect the health of Louisiana women. This law blocks a woman’s access to safe healthcare options and unjustly denies her the freedom to make decisions according to her own beliefs and conscience.

Mississippi ratified a similar bill (without the criminal penalties and with exceptions for the life of the mother) whose constitutionality was immediately challenged. Oklahoma passed  similar legislation but their governor (Mary Fallin, who has a long record anti-LGBT bills she is willing to sign) vetoed it on the grounds that it is unconstitutional and against medical advice.

I am furious with the members of the Senate and House who voted for this bill. The personal religious beliefs of legislators should not usurp the medical decision making of private citizens. I am angry that they are putting their fetus fetish over the rights of living, breathing, taxpaying and voting women. Further, with our state facing a budget shortfall of $650 million, this blatantly unconstitutional legislation is just going to waste taxpayer money when the state is forced to try and defend it in the courts.

But I’m also angry at Democratic governor John Bel Edwards. After the House vote, he was asked by Amy Irvin, Executive Director of the New Orleans Abortion Fund, to put aside his personal beliefs, show leadership and veto 181. He responded “I won’t do that.”

I supported his candidacy for governor. I supported him because he promised to expand Medicaid, to support equal pay and raise the minimum wage as well as fight for fairness for the LGBTQ community.

Before the election, he did not hide that he was pro-life and made clear he would not support reducing any of Louisiana’s current restrictions on abortion. However, in meetings with women’s organizations, he did promise that he would not make abortion a central issue of his office nor would he work to place additional constraints on women’s reproductive rights. I know; I was there.

By saying that he won’t veto this bill, Governor Edwards is putting his personal beliefs over medical experts and ignoring constitutional law. Abortion is legal and is a necessary component  of reproductive justice.

As SisterSong has defined it:

Reproductive Justice is a positive approach that links sexuality, health, and human rights to social justice movements by placing abortion and reproductive health issues in the larger context of the well-being and health of women, families and communities because reproductive justice seamlessly integrates those individual and group human rights particularly important to marginalized communities. We believe that the ability of any woman to determine her own reproductive destiny is directly linked to the conditions in her community and these conditions are not just a matter of individual choice and access.

The fight for women’s equality is inextricably linked to control over reproduction. John Bel Edwards speaks regularly about the necessity for women’s equity in the workplace for a better and healthier Louisiana. If he will only expand his mind to understand that women will not truly be empowered economically until they are able to access the full range of reproductive health services.

I’m not saying I won’t vote for John Bel Edwards again, especially if the alternative is Jeff Landry. However, he will be losing votes and supporters over this. As will the Democratic party in Louisiana that has once again caved to the anti-choice extremists and proved that the rights (and lives) of women matter little to them.

Elections matter. And maybe that is just what these politicians need to learn – there is a wave of progressive women activists coming and we are pissed!

 

***

The title comes from a quote from Sarah Grimke, used to great effect by Ruth Bader Ginsburg in oral arguments before the Supreme Court. I highly recommend seeing the new documentary RBG, in theaters now.

Here is the trailer:

 

Singing Songs About the South-land

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Elections, Politics, Voting

I have roots that go deep in Alabama. My father’s family is from there and is spread all over the state from Birmingham to Mobile. My parents retired to Alabama’s Gulf Coast and my sister moved to the state after her divorce.

I lived there as an infant after they moved us to Montgomery while dad was in Vietnam so we could be near my dad’s parents while he was at war. In 2005, I evacuated there ahead of Hurricane Katrina making landfall and ended up living above my folks’ garage for more than a year while recovering my house and city from the devastating flooding.

There is a lot of natural beauty in the state but the special election for the Senate seat vacated by now Attorney General Jeff Sessions showed a spotlight on the ugly underbelly of Alabama’s strange combination of white nationalism and Christian evangelism.

This is a state Trump won by 28 points just over a year ago.

Yesterday, though, Alabama voters rejected Roy Moore and elected Doug Jones. With 99% of the votes in, Jones had 673,236 votes to Moore’s 652,300. While Moore isn’t conceding, those 20,000 votes will survive a recount.

What can we learn from the numbers coming out?

Most crucially – that African-American women are the beating heart and soul of the Democratic party.

Fifty-eight percent of Alabama women voted for Doug Jones, including a paltry 35 percent of white women. However the difference is that ninety-eight percent of black women voted for him. I hope the party (and those who fund prospective candidates) are paying attention to who got him to victory.

The second lesson is that field work wins elections.

There was a significant boots-on-the-ground, get-out-the-vote effort, especially in the Black Belt, that resulted in turnout higher than the 2012 election (according to exit polling, went for Jones by 92 points. In 2012, African-Americans made up 28% of voters and Barack Obama won them by 91 points).

Money was spent on local billboards in black communities reminding folks of the election date, while a number of organizations prioritized calling all registered voters and educating folks about what to do about voter suppression efforts (checking registration ahead of election day, staying in line no matter how long, not letting the police presence at the polls checking for active warrants discourage voting, procedures for casting provisional ballots when necessary, etc).

Significant efforts were also put on getting people out to vote by arranging carpools and rides and organizing in black churches to get “souls to the polls.”

Those efforts paid off big time.

There are also lessons that need to be taken to heart. For all those thinking about running for office, remember that focussing on kitchen table issues can win elections, especially when the opponent only has hyper-partisan dog whistles and no substantive policy positions (other than wanting to jail LGBT people, kick all Muslims out of public life, and a dream to return the country back to the greatness of slavery).

Furthermore, personal integrity is still crucial to a lot of voters. The GOP lock on family values has taken a serious blow, especially in light of the number of supposed pro-lifers (and GOP funders) who were willing to champion an accused sexual predator.

We are also seeing how much a state’s urban/rural divide is being exacerbated by gerrymandering (large numbers of votes came from the counties housing Alabama’s five biggest cities). We must not allow our state legislatures to pass further laws to suppress the vote.

Each and every vote was crucial, so all those who love democracy should shift their focus to 2018 and getting out the vote. All 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives and 33 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate will be contested, as well as numerous governors and state races.

We can win. And, for a change, Alabama is leading the way.

 

***

Essay title comes from Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Don’t Disappoint Me

Tags

Voting

Last night was a watershed moment, with progressive electoral victories across the nation and plenty of firsts: first lesbian mayor of Seattle, six out transgender people elected, first African-American mayor of Charlotte, a Sikh mayor in Hoboken, a Liberian refugee winning mayor of Helena, MT!

This is how we take back our country. City by city, state by state, every damn election.

But we can’t win if we don’t show up on election day, though.

There are 2,974,434 registered voters in Louisiana. For the October 14th primary election only 401,499 of us voted.

That is 13.5% of voters.

Here in New Orleans where we had a mayor’s race as well the city council and judges, the turnout rose to 31.9%.

The Louisiana General/Orleans Municipal election is November 18. Early voting runs through November 11th.

If yesterday showed us anything, it was this: good people can win but it only happens when we stop bitching and moaning about what is happening to our country AND get to the fucking polls.

You want to make a difference? GO VOTE.

When we show up, we beat Trump’s picks and the other right-wing extremists holding this country hostage.

We must vote in EVERY election. Not just the presidential races. Every election, even if the only thing on your ballot is State Treasurer.

We can take back our country. Block by block, town by town, city by city, state by state, election by election.

Elections matter. Every single election matters.

Geaux Vote!

We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest

Tags

Elections, Politics, Voting, Women's Rights

Women’s March New Orleans winds down Decatur Street. Photo by Paul Broussard

I spent yesterday afternoon at the Women’s March-New Orleans. It was one of over 600 sister marches to the Women’s March on Washington, DC that followed the inauguration of Donald Trump as 45 President of the United States.

The news reports pegged the numbers in DC at half a million and over 10,000 here in New Orleans! About 3 million all told around the country and world.

It was marvelous being surrounded by so many who are passionate about their resistance. I had to wonder, though, where was all this passion in November?

Did you know 110,450,842 members of the eligible voting population did not vote?

The crowd in New Orleans was pretty diverse but there were more white women than any other demographic. It made me reflect on those in the state of Louisiana and across the nation who voted for Trump.

Did you know that 62,979,636 total votes for Trump were cast, of which 53%  were from white women?

People joked prior to the election about writing in Mickey Mouse on their ballots. I wonder how many of the people didn’t even vote for the top of the ticket.

Did you know that 2,395,271 people voted but didn’t vote for president?

Sexism was a strong theme to the season with Trump being openly misogynistic and many others mansplaining away their issues with Clinton. While I adore the feminist men who are marching in solidarity today, I can’t help considering the bros who trolled me on Twitter in support of third party candidates.

Did you know Gary Johnson brought in 4,484,244 votes while Jill Stein took another 1,454,244 votes?

I had so many negative discussions about the election and I believe that, more than the bad media coverage, those conversations might have convinced many in crucial swing states to stay away from their polling place on election day.

Did you know that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by 2.86 million votes, which is unfortunately irrelevant as only the Electoral College matters?

Of course, many of those who didn’t vote did so because they had been disenfranchised by Republican led attacks on voting rights.

Did you know that fourteen critical states enacted laws restricting voter access including cutting back early voting, restricting voter registration, and imposing strict voter ID requirements? Such laws disproportionately harm students, the poor and people of color. A report from the Williams Institute found that around 34,000 transgender voters may be effectively blocked from voting in states that require photo IDs because the IDs may not accurately reflect their gender. In 2014, the Government Accounting Office attributed a 2 to 3% drop in voter participation that was attributable to changes in voter ID requirements. (GAO-14-634).

I am very concerned that many of the people who seem so energized this weekend won’t vote in the next election. Here in Louisiana, we have a municipal election on March 25 in addition to the fall election.

Did you know that voter turnout in mid-term elections drops significantly and is getting worse? In 2014, just under 37% of eligible voters turned out to vote, the lowest level seen in a midterm since World War II.

I cling to the hope that our anger from the presidential election lasts beyond the time it takes us to disperse to our individual homes. Echoing the speakers, I implore all who were inspired by the sheer number of people in the streets to step up now. Trust me, the real work of resistance hasn’t yet begun.

The Women’s March page has ways to get folks started with their 10 actions in 100 Days.

We must build on our numbers in order to stop harmful legislation as well as to get beneficial legislation passed. If you can’t make it to Baton Rouge (or your state capital) or Washington, DC, during the legislative session to have your voice heard, please support the organizations on the front lines doing so with financial contributions and/or volunteer time. A number of these organizations are members of Louisiana Legislative Agenda for Women (Greater New Orleans NOW, NCJW New Orleans, ACLU-LA, IWO, WWAV-NO, Louisiana Progress, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, Greater New Orleans AAUW, etc, etc) and could use your support.

We must engage with our elected officials! Here in Louisiana, the Secretary of State has lists of all elected representatives – go to the Find Elected Officials page and search the database or download the excel file. If those in Congress or in State legislatures or on City councils or serving on school boards prove unresponsive to We the People, gird your loins to work on electing someone else who will be. I also hope that some of those in the crowd considering running for office themselves.

Most crucially, I implore each and everyone of you to vote in the next election. And the one after that.

Please? For the sake of all of us, we must vote.

******

The title of this post comes from the Sweet Honey in the Rock song “Ella’s Song: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest Until it Comes”

What I want from Trump supporters

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Elections, Voting

You know that whirring noise we’ve been hearing?

It is all the dead presidents spinning in their graves. The cartoon from the New Yorker, with George Washington’s face palm nails exactly what many of us are feeling.

I mean, just consider that every single one of the still living presidents (whether Democrat or Republican) has stated that they do not support Trump.

Seriously – the very people we have elected in the past, who have served our nation, do not think he should be president.

As Hillary Clinton said in the second debate:

You know, with prior Republican nominees for president, I disagreed with them on politics, policies, principles, but I never questioned their fitness to serve.

Donald Trump is different. I said starting back in June that he was not fit to be president and commander-in-chief. And many Republicans and independents have said the same thing. What we all saw and heard on Friday was Donald talking about women, what he thinks about women, what he does to women. And he has said that the video doesn’t represent who he is.

But I think it’s clear to anyone who heard it that it represents exactly who he is.

Not just his fitness but his mendacity is a concern for me and many others. I’m genuinely surprised by those who continue to endorse him. I have real questions for those who usually speak about family values but now flat out ignore his demonstrated misogyny and immorality. In fact, many of the warriors of the fight against marriage equality are doubling down on their support of a man who has failed to honor his own marriages or those of others.

This goes beyond politics. It is intensely personal to me. And I have to wonder about those on the other side who tweet that I shouldn’t be so emotional about this election.

How can I not?

I don’t understand those who ignore Trump’s rampant misogyny. Don’t try to deflect with the sexual misconduct of Bill Clinton (there is no denying it is a long and shameful list but it is not hers) nor is it comparable to Donald Trump’s own or his weak-ass non-apology that it is locker room talk. How on earth does her record of working for women and children around the globe matters less than what Trump has committed over his lifetime of predatory behavior against women and girls?

I don’t know how anyone who is or knows or loves someone who is LGBTQ could vote for a person who signed a pledge to reverse marriage equality and has a running mate with some serious homophobia issues. Explain to me why I shouldn’t be scared when the Republican nominee surrounds himself with those who believe discrimination against me and people like me is justified by their religion and who make using the bathroom a life or death situation?

Trump began his career fighting against one of the biggest federal housing discrimination suits brought in the 1970’s and he continues to defend disproven and unconstitutional policing practices like Stop and Frisk. If you have any interest in addressing, much less healing the racial divisions that are tearing apart our country, how can you vote for him?

While Trump used to be pro-choice, he recently advocated punishing women who get abortions (and his running mate has actively tried to restrict access, de-fund Planned Parenthood and signed legislation to force women who miscarry to pay for funerals for their fetuses). I’m flummoxed by any woman who can support them and am desperate to understand your reasoning.

I just can’t see how anyone can look at the flood ravaged parishes in Louisiana and vote for someone who denies climate change. How anyone who has driven down past Cancer Alley would be willing to vote for someone who has pledged to end environmental protection as we know it. Can you explain it to me?

Will a Trump supporter tell me how your access to military grade weaponry could possibly outweigh the lives that are lost to the senseless mass shootings? Simple steps like closing gun show loopholes and improving background checks aren’t an infringement for law-abiding gun owners (of which I am one). First though, you should maybe take a moment to review the process to repeal the 2nd amendment and see just how little power (or interest) the president has to take away your guns before answering.

Please, please give me some reasons that I can share with those I love who have disabilities on why you’re helping to empower a man so fond of mocking them (and kicking them out of his rallies). While you’re at it, tell me just how patriotic it is to support a man who has denigrated veterans (as well as dismissed POW’s and insulted Gold Star families) by a man who dodged the draft?

I ask because it seems that your hatred of Hillary Clinton is more powerful than your love for me and for the country we share.

Please tell me I’m wrong.

Please tell me that the vote you’re casting tomorrow is for a better future for us all and not the first of seven trumpets heralding the end of the world as we know it.

Nasty Women and Bad Hombres Vote!

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Elections, Voting

Don’t think that any post-debate/pre-election surge in the polls means you can stay home on November 8. Despite his insane statements about not conceding at the third and final debate, the number one threat to democracy in the United States is not Donald Trump.

It is apathy.

We must mobilize voters across the nation to make it abundantly clear that the will and power of the people is behind Hillary Clinton.

Frankly, it isn’t enough to just elect her President of the United States. We have to elect her with a landslide. We must send Hillary Clinton to DC with such a colossal vote margin that it will stand for all time as our condemnation of the racist, misogynistic, anti-immigration and all other alt-right prejudices that Trump’s rhetoric has advanced. Only by beating him very soundly at the polls, will we provide her with a mandate to continue the forward momentum of President Barack Obama and forge her own path.

Additionally, we have a chance to flip enough seats in the Senate and House of Representatives to turn them blue. With a Democrat led Congress, ending the deadlock on judicial seats, including those on the Supreme Court will be possible. It is a terrific opportunity to advance the course of fairness and equality for all.

Once eligible voters get out there and get counted, the loser won’t be able to claim the media or corporations rigged the election. Besides the fact that rigging the election is nigh impossible (this article outlines why), the far bigger issue is now, and has been, voter disenfranchisement, which has been part of the Republican party strategy for years. In fact, several GOP controlled states have even refused to comply with court orders to stop suppressing the vote.

So, I call on you, you nasty women and bad hombres! Exercise your hard fought for right to vote on November 8. Raise your voice by casting your vote.

As assistance this election, here are links to some of the organizations I support who have made endorsements or have provided guidance on the ballot measures.

Forum for Equality

Independent Women’s Organization

League of Women Voters of Louisiana

Public Affairs Research Council

If we all VOTE, we can harness our power and effect positive change.

Early voting in Louisiana begins on October 25 and runs through November 1st (excluding Sunday) from 8:30am to 6pm.

Election day is Tuesday, November 8. Polling place hours are 6am to 8pm. All voters in line at 8pm have the right to vote.

For questions, go to the Voter Portal of the Louisiana Secretary of State.

Don’t let anyone intimidate you and keep you from voting. Through the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline (866-687-8683), Election Protection helps all American voters, including traditionally disenfranchised groups, gain access to the polls and overcome obstacles to voting. For more information about Election Protection, please visit: www.866ourvote.org.

Now, get out there and GEAUX VOTE!

Let’s Get To Work

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Elections, Mary Griggs, Politics, Voting

I wish I could say I’m surprised at the number of people who have a hate on for Hillary Clinton but, after an an almost thirty year, very well-funded campaign against her, I can’t. While the crowd’s heckling during the Republican National Convention was (unfortunately) what passes as partisan politics these days, Chris Christie’s mock witch trial was pretty low even for the new normal.

I admit I do find it surprising when the same sort of vitriol is repeated by those on the progressive side of the political spectrum. Especially by folks like Jill Stein, who has actually argued Trump and Clinton would be equally harmful to the causes she as a Green holds dear.

Frankly, I just can’t understand those who claim there is no difference between the two presidential candidates; who assert that choosing between them is like deciding between cholera and gonorrhea.

There are miles and miles of differences between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Those who say otherwise are exhibiting a very selfish kind of privilege, the kind which lets them overlook mountains of evidence to the contrary because they think they would be safe from the negative repercussions of their support for Trump or a third party candidate.

Those of us lined up in the cross hairs, know we are targets. We know there are lives on the line this election.

• We’ve heard his rhetoric against undocumented workers, refugees and asylum seekers. He has been plain as day with his talk of walls and banning Muslims even traveling to the United States. In contrast, Hillary speaks of a path to full and equal citizenship and how American has always built our economy with the efforts of immigrants.
• The LGBTQ community has every reason to be concerned about how fairly we will be treated if Trump becomes president. Besides running on his party’s tremendously anti-LGBTQ platform, Trump has vowed to appoint judges to overturn marriage equality and has expressed support for the so-called First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) which would lead to more discrimination. Clinton vows to fight for full equality (including transgender equality) both here and abroad.
• And it is of vital importance for the health of the nation and the lives of our African American brothers and sisters that we confront racial injustice and enact police reform. Can you even envision addressing systemic racism in a world where Trump is president? After Trump has encouraged his supporters to attack protestors of color and after he said Black Lives Matter activists instigated the recent killings of police officers? Clinton has had missteps but she has started a dialogue and stated she would seek to overhaul of drug sentencing laws, prohibit racial profiling, end private prisons and detention centers and “ban the box.”
• Just think about those of the most vulnerable among us like those with impairments or disabilities – how many vital social programs will he work to cut? Remember, Trump openly mocked the differently abled while Clinton fights for expanding Medicare, protecting Social Security and disability rights.
• Equal pay and reproductive justice are two of the many issues facing women and families in the upcoming election. While Trump may be wishy washy on abortion access, his running mate is clearly not. Hillary Clinton has been an advocate for women and families her entire career and makes such issues a cornerstone of her campaign.
• Even the Pentagon recognizes that environmental issues impact national security. Trump, on the other hand, calls global warming a “hoax” and claims climate science is “bullshit,” while Clinton has a ten year plan to address climate change and advance clean energy.

I could go on but I’d rather have you seriously consider that even if you are personally protected from the consequences of a Trump presidency if you would be willing to risk the actual lives of your fellow Americans?

Hillary Clinton might not be the candidate you want, but she’s the most qualified candidate we have and is definitely the most prepared to work for best for the country.

As Senator Bernie Sanders said:

Hillary Clinton will nominate justices to the Supreme Court who are prepared to overturn Citizens United. Her Supreme Court appointments will also defend a woman’s right to choose, workers’ rights, the rights of the LGBT community, the needs of minorities and immigrants and the government’s ability to protect the environment.

If you don’t believe this election is important, if you think you can sit it out, take a moment to think about the Supreme Court justices that Donald Trump would nominate and what that would mean to civil liberties, equal rights and the future of our country.

Exactly.

Hillary Clinton has put forth achievable policy prescriptions for a lot of issues I care about. Check here for her statement of positions. Despite the accusations to the contrary, she has one of the most progressive voting records in her time in the Senate, putting her to the left of Obama and 93% in line with Sanders. As she said during one of the debates, “I’m a progressive, but I’m a progressive that likes to get things done.”

And we can get it done if we get out the vote.

As First Lady Michelle Obama said in her speech at the DNC:

In this election, we cannot sit back and hope that everything works out for the best, we cannot afford to be tired or frustrated or cynical. Hear me: Between now and November, we need to do what we did eight years ago and four years ago. We need to knock on every door, we need to get out every vote, we need to pour every last ounce of passion into electing Hillary Clinton as president of the United States of America. Let’s get to work.

Agreed. Let’s get to work because Election Day is Tuesday, November 8th – just 100 days away!

RNC to the World: “We are the Mendacious, My Friends”

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Elections, Politics, Voting

The first day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland was a doozy. There was plenty of fodder for a myriad of blog posts, especially when they blasted “We are the Champions” by Queen as Donald Trump brought his plagiarizing wife to the stage.

On Monday, the Republican party adopted a platform which has been called one of the most extreme and anti-LGBT in recent history. It includes planks against marriage equality (three separate statements) and bathroom access and planks supporting businesses that seek to discriminate against LGBT customers and conversion therapy for LGBT kids. Later on the same day, they played an anthem that was written and performed by the proudly out musician Freddy Mercury, who died in 1991 of bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS.

What did we learn from this?

That the GOP will capitalize on the creations and efforts of LGBT people while they unequivocally stand against recognizing the humanity of their gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters. To that end, they’ll wrap themselves in religion to justify ignoring the parts of the Constitution they disagree with and while supporting a candidate who makes a mockery of the Christian values they espouse. This same candidate who chose as his running mate a man whose signing of an extreme anti-LGBT law seriously damaged Indiana’s reputation and economy (in the aftermath, the state lost 12 large conventions and one study estimated that the total economic cost of Pence’s RFRA has been $250 million).

In this election, being a lesbian is going to make voting quite easy. There is a party actively trying to strip from me my dignity as a human being and there is another that isn’t. Even if I could have agreed with other parts of their platform, how can I possibly vote against my own status as an American citizen deserving of equal rights and equal protection under the law?

For most Republicans, I realize that it doesn’t matter what LGBT people think of the platform, their presumptive nominee or his running mate. They know we’re not going to vote for Trump anyway.

But anyone who understands how elections are won, knows it does matter what moderate Republicans and Independents think. For many of them, using religion as a pretext for discrimination is a bridge too far.

Just look at the response over the extremist RFRA’s (Georgia, Indiana, Arizona, Louisiana, etc) that were specifically designed to protect businesses which discriminate. Or the negative reaction against North Carolina’s HB2 or the backlash to Mississippi’s HB 1523. Residents and tourists alike realize being unwelcoming is a bad idea (check out Forum for Equality’s Louisiana’s Equality Means Business page for plenty of reasons why diversity and equality is good for businesses).

This election, you need look no further than the platforms of the parties (Democrat vs Republican) when making your decision. I urge you to read them. And I urge you to vote in November.

It is about more than just the presidency. There are a number of down ballot candidates who are seeking to win on a platform of “Take America Backward Again.” (ht to HRC)

We can’t let them.

Geaux Vote On March 5th, Louisiana!

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Elections, Voting

On Saturday, the Louisiana Presidential Primary will be held. It is very important as not only are state party officials on the ballot but the 51 pledged Democratic delegates and 43 pledged Republican delegates for president will be determined on March 5th. Learn more about the value of your primary vote here.

Check out the 2016 Presidential Preference Primary information sheet from the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office.

During this busy campaign season, review this handout on How to Pick A Candidate from the League of women voters

Visit GeauxVote.com for polling place, ballot and other election information. Or, if you’re not opposed to strong language, you can find your polling place here.

The Independent Women’s Organization has a number of members running for Democratic party positions. Check out their list for suggestions on who to select on Saturday.

On election day, the Krewe of Hillary will be doing campaigning and phone banking for Hillary Clinton at the Hillary for Louisiana Office at 1516 Thalia Street. Here is the Facebook event information.

 

Hill YES! Or why I support Hillary for President

Tags

Elections, Voting, Women's Rights

Hillary Clinton at a the Louisiana Leadership Institute on 9/21/2016

I’m supporting Hillary Rodham Clinton for President of the United States. I believe she is the most qualified and I want to share some of my reasons for supporting her candidacy.

I was first made aware of her during the sh*tstorm which followed her comment about staying a home and baking cookies during Bill Clinton’s 1992 run for the presidency. My nascent feminist consciousness was outraged by those who ignored that she was fiercely and vocally supportive of women having the choice of full-time career, full-time motherhood or some combination thereof.

I watched her during her time as First Lady, bucking against the trend of merely being a host for state dinners by taking a proactive role in trying to pass health care legislation in 1993. Later, I cringed at seeing her the butt of so many jokes when she decided to honor the vows her husband abused.

Every time she was mocked, her spine got a little straighter and she became more determined. While pundits called her calculated and ambitious, I saw the courage it took to keep going, to keep putting her considerable skills to work for this nation despite all the efforts to tear her down.

I was very impressed by her actions at the 2008 Democratic Convention when she stopped the roll call vote. Not only was that a class act, it shows the limits of her ambition. She choose party unity around Barack Obama instead of forcing a floor fight. See the video here:

As a feminist, I find her passion for women rights throughout her career inspiring. I was just out of graduate school when she delivered her remarks to the U.N. 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing. She kept women and family issues on the forefront while in the Senate including protecting access to family planning and abortion, pay equity, and defending the Violence Against Women Act. As Secretary of State, her actions in defense of women and girls and her call for fair and equal treatment and an end to violence against women were much needed on the international stage.

It takes guts to evolve and she has definitely done so on issues important to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, most notably on marriage equality and transgender rights. I was very proud of the speech she gave as Secretary of State on LGBT rights being human rights. She has continued to make non-discrimination and justice for all a cornerstone of her campaign.

Hillary Clinton has the most experience of all the candidates. She can win in November and she’ll be the leader the United States needs.

I’m going to be voting for her and I hope you do, too.

The Louisiana Presidential Primary is Saturday, March 5th. Early voting is February 20-27.

Check out the 2016 Presidential Preference Primary sheet from the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office.

Go to GeauxVote.com for polling place and other election information.

If you’d like to get more involved with her campaign, they’ve opened up an office in New Orleans. Sign up to volunteer (and donate) today! Follow her on Twitter and tell the world #ImWithHer

It Matters!

Tags

Elections, Voting

Iowa has done its national, quadrennial duty of putting the candidates for President of the United States through their caucus system. The turnout was pretty high (180,000 Republicans and 171,109 Democrats voted) and the results (Hillary Clinton only 1 percentage point ahead of Bernie Sanders and the GOP top 3 being Cruz, Trump and Rubio) means that things are heating up between the frontrunners.

In only a few short weeks, Louisiana has its presidential primary (March 5) and it is very important that you check your voter registration. Presidential primaries are closed meaning only Democrats can vote for Democratic candidates and only Republicans can vote for Republican candidates. Voters not affiliated with a party will not be able to vote for a presidential candidate (although they can still vote in the general election on November 8).

Wednesday, February 3rd is the deadline for registering for the March 5th primary. Go register online at geauxvote.com or go visit your registrar of voters.

Our democracy would be a lot more representative (and more progressive) if more people voted – read this report for more details. The census data bears it out:

Census data on the 2014 midterm elections quantifies some of these gaps. While 52 percent of those earning more than $150,000 voted, only 24 percent of those earning less than $10,000 went to the polls. That divide is further magnified by age. Among 18-24 year olds earning less than $30,000 turnout was 17 percent in 2014, but among those earning more than $150,000 and older than 65, the turnout rate was nearly four times higher, at 65 percent. There were also racial gaps in voter turnout. In 2014, 46 percent of white voters turned out to vote, compared to 40 percent of black voters, and just 27 percent of Asians and Latinos.

Less than a hundred years ago the suffragettes won the vote by showing they were prepared to die. A little over fifty years ago, civil rights activists were beaten, arrested and murdered before the passage of the Voter Rights Act in 1965 applied a nationwide prohibition against the denial or abridgment of the right to vote. And, right now, in countries around the globe, people are literally dying to vote.

Please don’t throw away your hard fought rights by not registering or by not voting.

There are fundamental differences between the parties and between the rhetoric of the candidates. Listen to what they say, what their chosen mouthpieces say (Sarah Palin for Trump and Phil Robertson for Cruz, for example), fact check them and then get out there and exercise your right to vote!

It really does matter.

 

 

What a win!

Tags

Elections, Louisiana, Voting

It was a hard election season that saw a sitting, United States Republican Senator try every dirty trick in the book (lying in tv ads and debates, spying on private citizens, pandering to the basest of racist fears) only to lose to his Democratic challenger. Close to $18 million dollars were spent on campaign ads for the governor’s race, much of it from outside PACs

The opposition even tried to use my “pro homosexual blog” as proof that Edwards “plans to pursue policies granting special rights to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders.” There were articles in the Baptist Messenger, the Hayride and Gene Mills, the President of the Louisiana Family Forum, even took out a half page ad in newspapers across the state:

Too bad he didn’t realize that the section he bolded just highlights what a fair and equality minded candidate John Bel Edwards is.

As John Bel Edwards posed on Facebook:

We won because of you. Thank you for voting to put Louisiana first.

You believed in our campaign to bring honor and integrity back to the state of Louisiana.

My campaign slogan has been “put Louisiana first” from the start, and that is exactly what I plan to do for the next four years. To me, that has always meant bringing our people together, regardless of party, to celebrate the things that make our state strong and solve our greatest problems.

I promise you tonight that I will always do what is best for all Louisianians — for our children, our veterans, our senior citizens. I believe Louisiana is worth fighting for. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to lead our state.

Louisiana’s future doesn’t belong to a political party — it belongs to all of us. I will work every day to make you proud of your vote and of your state.

Thanks to everyone to who stepped up or even stepped across the party line to vote in this election. Raise your glass in celebration of Louisiana’s spirit, strength, and future.

We can’t rest on this victory, though. There is a presidential election next year. And, as David Vitter has already said he will not be seeking reelection, we must continue to work here in Louisiana to elect progressive minded candidates.

Laissez le bon candidats gagner!

Vitter Family Values

Tags

Louisiana, Politics, Voting

David Vitter’s new campaign video is all about how he failed his family but found forgiveness. In it, he and his family are sitting around a table as he talks of accepting responsibility and earning redemption. Not only is this video getting quite a bit of air time but at a recent Women’s Roundtable, his wife Wendy presented the video.

Let that sink for a moment – Wendy Vitter is traveling around the state to show a campaign commercial of her husband acknowledging that he cheated on her.

I won’t speculate on the dynamics of their marriage. But seeing naked political ambition eclipsing personal humiliation just boggles the mind.

I don’t really care that David Vitter had affairs, although I’m bothered by the fact he paid for sex. Soliciting is a crime in Louisiana which carries a $500 fine and up to six months in jail. We should definitely expect our elected representatives not to break the laws they swear to uphold.

For me, however, the real issue is that he committed serial adultery while espousing family values and preaching morality to the rest of us.

He positions himself as a great protector of marriage (and as a gatekeeper to exclude lesbians and gays from the institution) by being a chief sponsor on several efforts to amend the Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. “I don’t believe there’s any issue that’s more important than this one,” he said once the amendment was brought to the floor. He has also compared marriage equality to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Seriously? There is not a single issue more important than amending the Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. Not a single one?

Not Louisiana’s unbalanced budget? Not the catastrophic loss of wetlands or the need for coastal restoration? Not the the dismal state of education? Not our crumbling infrastructure? Not the fact that Louisiana ranks last on nearly every quality of life survey until you get to the rates of sexually transmitted diseases and we take the lead?

Even if you are able to set aside for a moment legitimate differences on substantial policy matters, it behooves us all to be concerned that David Vitter has spent his entire career voting against the rights and liberties of the very same women he’s been screwing.

Furthermore, Vitter has proven, time and again, that he is corrupt to the core. I sincerely hope the voters of this state realize that if his marriage vows mean nothing to him, his oath of office will mean even less.

The choice is clear – vote for John Bel Edwards for Louisiana!

Here are the endorsements for governor and others in the November 21st runoff:

• Independent Women’s Organization Endorsements
• Forum for Equality PAC Endorsements

Please Geaux Vote!

 

Vitter in His Own Words

Tags

Louisiana, Politics, Voting

Through his constituent letters and public comments, time and again, David Vitter shows he is a hypocrite who doesn’t support many issues of importance to the people of this state.

Here are a few examples:

In 1998, David Vitter was a state representative, a practicing attorney and adjunct professor. He weighed in on the President Bill Clinton impeachment issue in a point of view letter to the Times-Picayune newspaper. “One would hope that these two factors would coincide — that when an officeholder commits serious offenses, the negative reaction of the citizenry would make it impossible for him to govern effectively.” (This is around the same time he was soliciting prostitutes in Louisiana. See American Zombie for more on that story).

David Vitter got his start in Congress after replacing Rep. Robert Livingston, who resigned after his numerous affairs were disclosed. At the time, Vitter argued that an extramarital affair was grounds for resignation: “I think Livingston’s stepping down makes a very powerful argument that Clinton should resign as well and move beyond this mess.”

When David Vitter ran for a seat in the Senate in 2004, he made passage of the Federal Marriage Amendment a centerpiece of his campaign: “We need a U.S. Senator who will stand up for Louisiana values, not Massachusetts’s values. I am the only Senate Candidate to coauthor the Federal Marriage Amendment; the only one fighting for its passage.”

On June 6, 2006 and less than a year after Katrina and Rita made landfall, he says, “I don’t believe there’s any issue that’s more important than this one.” Was he talking about rebuilding Louisiana? NO! He was defending the decision by Republican leaders to bring a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage to the Senate floor.

In 2007 (the same year he confessed to his “serious sin” after his phone number appeared on the list of a Washington escort service), he inserted an earmark into the federal budget to provide $100,000 to the Louisiana Family Forum for the purpose of combating the teaching of evolution and global warming in public schools. “This program helps supplement and support educators and school systems that would like to offer all of the explanations in the study of controversial science topics such as global warming and the life sciences,” he said.

2008 Vitter was one of the ten sponsors of the Federal Marriage Amendment to the Constitution, which would have banned same-sex marriage. Vitter co-sponsored State Marriage Defense Act in 2014 which would reverse the gains same-sex couples made after the Defense of Marriage Act was overturned by the Supreme Court in June 2013.

He was also a cosponsor of the First Amendment Defense Act in 2015, which would stop the federal government from denying a tax benefit, contract, or license based on views of the individual or organization that marriage is limited to a union between a man and a woman. Vitter said, “I’m committed to fully protecting religious liberty.” The legislation was introduced June 17, nine days before the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.

Vitter voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009 because he thought it was a sop to plaintiff’s lawyers. “Quite frankly it’s a trial lawyer bonanza,” Vitter said.

In 2010, Senator David Vitter appeared on a right wing radio station and mocked MSNBC host Rachel Maddow:

MALE HOST: That’d be cool. Well you know, with Rachel Maddow they had that picture of her…

FEMALE HOST: Looking like a woman.

MALE HOST: Yeah it was really bizarre.

VITTER: [LAUGHS]: Must have been a long time ago.

ALL THREE: [HEAVY LAUGHTER]

When talking about his continuing the employment of a man convicted of DUI’s and pleading guilty after battering his girlfriend, David Vitter said Brent Furer was actually assigned to “abortion” issues, not “women’s issues.”

In 2013, I received a letter from him after I contacted him about supporting ENDA. The letter said, “While I strictly oppose discrimination in all forms, I do not believe that expanding federal civil rights protections to include lifestyle-based conduct is a prudent course of action.”

There are many, many more examples out there. Check out On The Issues or even do a simple Google search to find many, many more statements he made which are out of touch with the majority of Louisianians. See for yourself when you watch the next debate between John Bel Edwards and David Vitter from Louisiana Public Broadcasting on Tuesday, November 10 from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

It is vital that you vote to ensure that he does not become the next governor of Louisiana. Early voting runs through Saturday, November 14 from 8:30am to 6pm. There is no early voting on Veterans Day, November 11. Election Day is November 21st. More election info can be found here.

Here are endorsements from groups I support:

• Independent Women’s Organization Endorsements
• Forum for Equality PAC Endorsements

But, whatever you decide, please do not vote for David Vitter.