COFFEE 622 - C-U LGBT PRIDE? SUPERTUESDAY COMING!

FIRST I want to mention that a Champaign-Urbana Pride was talked about at the Day of Decision rally, and I'm wondering what people think about that, and if there has been any momentum on that.  I'm really interested--what do you think?  C-U Pride '10?

ALSO--PLEASE READ THIS GREAT ANNUAL PRIDE POSTING BY JOE.MY.GOD.  It brings tears to my eyes every year.

TUESDAY is going to be one BIG LGBT day.  NEW YORK Governor, David Patterson, is calling lawmakers back to vote on about 45 bills--including State Senator Tom Duane's Marriage Equality bill.  The new Senate President, Senator Pedro Espada Jr. has said that it will be his "signature bill."  Lets see if it sees the light of day.  Here in ILLINOIS, Tuesday is the day that lawmakers will be called back to vote on a budget.  As I posted last week, Rep. Greg Harris' office said that he MAY bring his Civil Unions bill up for a vote IF conditions are right, but since its going to be an emotional session, he may hold off until the Fall session to assure he has the right number of 'Yes' votes.  Wednesday there's another DNC fundraiser getting protested in Boston, MASSACHUSETTS.  Finally, Friday night is that D.C. DNC fundraiser with Joe Biden, our gay members of Congress and... nobody else.

On.D.C||  We need the Hate Crimes Bill TODAY:  Gay bias killsings are at their highest level since 1999!  This just in:  states with Marriage Equality ALSO have the lowest number of homeless children--REAL compassion for families is the reason.  Brian Chase:  we should not forget about the Tax Equity For Health Plan Beneficiaries Act--the Republican co-sponsored bill which would end unfair taxation of Domestic Partnership insurance benefits.  We're still learning more about the Senator John Ensign scandal--lots of throwing money around.  WHITE/HOUSE/WATCH|| LAW DORK MAKES A POWERFUL ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF ENGAGING THE ADMINISTRATION NOW! Rather than totally give up on the administration, we now have some clout, let's use it!  Press Secretary Robert Gibbs struck a much less patronizing tone toward LGBT community questions during the latest briefing; answering questions about the President's plan to change the census to be more LGBT friendly and what the President is doing to ensure a swift overturn of DADT and DOMA.  Meanwhile, the White House reaches out to gay leaders with an end-of-month cocktail/dinner party but some people like Michelangelo Signorile are suspicious that its just trying to buy their loyalty back. 

STATE2STATE||  In FLORIDA, The city of Oakland Park has added Transgender protections to all contracts.  In CALIFORNIA, while we're learning more from polls about the 68%-27%/37%-54% racial divide on Marriage Equality in LA; Marriage support has advanced in California Asian Communities much faster than any other demographic over the past 9 years.  LACarGuy has apologized for his anti-trans commercial posted here last year.  In PENNSYLVANIA, State Senator John Eichelberger--who introduced a bill that would amend the PA constitution to ban Marriage Equality--says "We're allowing gays to exist."  In MAINE, anti-gay petition gatherers are doing what they do best:  lying and cheating--but they're getting caught, and the Sun Journal is calling them out on it. 

AROUND/THE/GLOBE||  IRELAND may soon enact nationwide civil partnerships for LGBT couples. 

PINK.BUCK$||  The mass boycott of the LGBT DNC fundraiser with Joe Biden has apparently become the grass-roots action of the century, with the DNC and the White House scrambling to figure out what they can do to get us back--there will be an emergency White House conference call this afternoon with the LGBT caucus of the DNC, action on changing the Census for us, and we've already seen a big Presidential Memo signing of non-health, non-retirement benefits for Partners of Federal Employees.  Now the largest National advocacy group for LGBT African Americans, the National Black Justice Coalition, is also dropping out of the Fundraiser.  LGBT people are waking up and realizing that relying on a single party to save us isn't going to work--let's try to educate and inform one another and support INDIVIDUAL candidates, rather than a single party!

LINKS TO THE NEWS:
NY Governor Paterson Calls Emergency Senate Session Tuesday-- ESPA Calls for Marriage Equality Vote
NY Gov Paterson Promises Marriage Equality Vote Before Session Ends
LGBT Protest Planned for DNC Fundraiser in Boston on Tuesday
Join the Impact Massachusetts to protest June 23 DNC fundraiser at Fenway Park
Sen. Ensign Scandal Widens
Robert Gibbs tone change: After Week of Fury, White House Tone Shifts on LGBT Issues?
Brian Chase on Tax Equity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act:  As Long As We Are Complaining About Obama Not Doing Anything...
On Marriage Equality states having less child homelessness:  2.9 Million Orphans, Happy Father’s Day
White House to Fete Power Gays at End-of-Month Dinner?
Signorile on the WH: 'it's all about buying off gay leaders by seducing them, very cheaply'
City of Oakland Park Florida adds transgender protections: Legislative Update: Moving Towards Equality, at Least on the Local Level
LATimes poll: Race Differences on Marriage Equality in Los Angeles
Marriage Support Advances in Asian Communities
Senator: “We’re allowing gays to exist”
Maine anti gay petition effort questioned
Ireland's Civil Partnerships:  Civil Partnerships For Ireland?
How NOT attending a fundraiser has earned us TONS of clout:  The LGBT Community Finds Its Voice. It Turns Out It’s In Its Wallet.
National Black Justice Coalition not attending gay DNC fundraiser
On the ill-fated partnership between LGBT advocacy and the DNC:  Gay Marriage Should Never Have Happened
DNC telling protesters to donate even though they'll be standing with signs outside: Delusional DNC spinning about the gay fundraiser -- and future gAyTM affairs
LAcarGUY Response
Group: Gay bias killings highest since 1999

OFF/THE/MAP||  From the "WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED" files, apparently Fred Phelps' anti-gay, anti-soldier Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka KS is now going after Jews as well.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL DADS--ESPECIALLY THE GAY ONES!