The Battle For Human Rights and Fairness

I found this on Donna Rose’s blog.

The Kalamazoo City Commission passed an ordinance banning discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgender individuals in housing, public accommodations and employment. However, once again the right wing Christian conservatives are terrified of change and are circulating a petition to rescind the ordinance. The American Family Association of Michigan is supporting the ballot initiative, they state as examples of what is wrong with the ordinance,

“…a landlord could not refuse to rent an apartment to a gay or lesbian couple based solely on their sexual orientation.
In addition, contractors seeking to do business with the city must show proof they have a policy prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.”

They have used the same arguments when women were given the right to vote, they used it again for interracial marriages and civil rights. It is time for them end their bigotry and oppression. This is about equality and fairness; we want the right to work, to have a roof over our heads, to support our families, to be treated the same as everyone else.

They are willing to let gay, lesbians and transgender people freeze out in the cold rather than give a job and shelter. In Austin Texas, a homeless woman was found dead this week…

“She was lying in an outdoor walkway at the First English Lutheran Church in Central Austin.
“She had started to sleep in the doorway of the Lutheran Church across from the park just as a way to shelter herself from the weather,” said Martinez.“

It is time to end this inequality, this bigotry and hatred; speak up and act.

Updated 12/19/08

There was really nowhere for Jennifer Gale to go to protect herself from the cold last night. The Salvation Army (the only shelter in town that takes in women) would not let her in there unless she was grouped with the men (which includes sleeping with, and showering with, other homeless men). They would make her use her male birth name and completely disregard, and disrespect, her identity as a trans-woman. There is so much to be learned from Jennifer Gale, and so much to be worked on in our community.
Texas Civil Rights Review