Start with one action.

I am currently attending Creating Change, an annual conference held by the National LGBT Task Force. Creating Change is the largest LGBTQ conference in the country, with 3,000+ activists coming from all over to collaborate, meet each other, learn from each other, love on each other and become stronger together.

It has been great seeing old friends and making new ones. The sessions here are incredible, and my head is filled with ideas of how to be a better activist. My head is also filled with blog post ideas.

Before I start writing about all of those ideas, I wanted to share something that I think is critical in creating change and being an activist.

Do something today.

Just one thing.

Take one action.

Don't get overwhelmed with everything that is going on in the world.

Take a deep breathe and act!

It could be as simple as posting an idea on Facebook.

As simple as donating to an organization that is rocking it for a cause you support.

Or making a call to a political person who represents you.

It could be volunteering, reaching out or reading up on an issue that concerns you.

Just one action.

I'd love to know what you did!

Thanks for reading!

7 - 0 victory in Sterling Heights!

It happened around midnight in the City Council chambers in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The Council voted unanimously, 7 - 0, to pass an ordinance that will prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. The ordinance will "apply to all persons seeking employment or housing in the city, but specifically would extend civil rights protection based upon sexual orientation and identity."

I am ecstatic.

7 - 0.

I had the honor of speaking with Mayor Pro Tem Mike Taylor before the vote. With allies like him and others on the Council who spoke about equality and prejudice, I feel even more hopeful about the future for those of us who do not fit into the heterosexual norm than I did before.

Said Mayor Pro Tem Taylor in a prior vote that brought us to last night, "“For those of you concerned that your ability to practice religion is being taken away, that is not the case. We can argue and debate many things, but this is not one of them,” he said. “The First Amendment is your shield and it protects you and your ability to practice religion, but it is not a sword to be used to strike down your fellow citizens because they do not agree with you.”

I agree.

I most likely won't get to speak with all of those on the Sterling Heights City Council who voted last night so will pass this message along:

Thank you. Thank you for being a voice for the voiceless. Thank you for shining light onto bigotry in any form. Thank you for doing the right thing and acknowledging all of your citizens and those who want to be part of the greatness that is Sterling Heights. As one of your citizens said "Discrimination is real and it happens every day. It is subtle, it is rarely overt, and it is laws like this that are necessary to protect LGBT people…Freedom is for all of us not just some of us who fit into a preconceived norm. Sometimes freedom for all makes us uncomfortable, that is the challenge of freedom."

I have a huge smile on my face and even more hope in my heart. Sterling Heights is where I came of age. I lived there during elementary school and junior high school, the years that I began to realize that I was different. It is a very special place for me.

Based on the vote last night, the City Council also thinks so.

Thank you for reading.

Gay pride and persecution

June is gay pride month.

It's actually more about pride. It's an opportunity to celebrate successes in equality, our families, our allies, and most importantly, to "fire up the troops" to work harder and stay focused on what is happening in regards to LGBTQ rights.

Mike and I try to make the gay pride celebration in Denver every year. I go so I can catch up on what I need to be doing in the fight for equality. Petitions, postcards, the new gay rights t-shirt. You get the idea.

It's the same thing I do when I go to a veg fest. What groups are rocking it for the animals? Where does my dollar go further in support of the animals? And of course the food!

This year I have been spending a lot of time paying attention to what is happening to gays and lesbians around the world. It isn't pretty.

In Russia, I am still blown away bu the intense courage shown by activists who face harassment, beatings and arrest just for gathering with a gay pride flag. Yet the activists keep showing up.

In Uganda, the anti-homosexuality act was signed into law this year. The death penalty was taken off of the table due to international pressure. Now it's just life in prison. In 2011, Daniel Kato, the country's leading gay rights activist, was murdered. I have read that Christian groups in the US have helped to fan the fires in Uganda, but that should be a whole other post.

Iran: executions, beatings, lashings, prison. If you are interested in a first-hand story, check this article out: Gay Iranian couple

In France, yes France, anti-gay harassment and violence has increased since gay marriage became legal last year.

I know we have a long way to go in the US. I also recognize that Mike and I can go to church without being arrested. We can walk through a park without being threatened (not all parks, mind you). We do get hate mail but we also put ourselves out there with this blog.

We do not fear being executed, or sentenced to prison for "perversion".

Ten of thousands of LGBTQ people around the world do feel that fear.

This post is for them.

We love you. We support you. We will be your voice.

If you would like to take action in support of LGBTQ people around the world, I have found that Amnesty International is a great organization to support and to get information from: Amnesty International

Keep speaking out

As marriage becomes a reality for more and more gay and lesbian couples across the country, it is vital that we continue to speak out for equality.

What a week. Idaho. Virginia. Arkansas. Oregon. Marriage equality took positive steps in all of these states this weeks.

I loved watching hundreds of gay couples marry in Arkansas. I loved watching religious extremists in Idaho freak out when their ban on gay marriage was ruled unconstitutional.

And let the demonizing begin.

As all of these wonderful things were happening. anti-gay folk around the country became hugely fascinated with the newly-pro football player Michael Sam kissing his boyfriend. On TV for heaven's sake! One woman posted on Facebook that seeing those two kiss made her almost vomit!

Seriously?

Comment feeds filled with folks who just cannot imagine a world that includes gay people, let alone married gay people!

While all of this is going, we have to continue to speak out for equality.

While marriage equality spreads to more states, we have to continue to speak out for equality.

Please don't stop. Please don't stop your activism. Please don't stop calling people out on their bigotry.

The fight continues. The victories we have bring out more rage and more hate against gays and lesbians.

While that is happening, we cannot become silent.

This also goes for those who work to end animal cruelty or to promote veganism. The victories we have do not mean we can rest or become silent. They only mean that we have to keep fighting.

Thank you for reading!

No civil unions in Colorado

I am writing today heartbroken with what I witnessed at the Colorado capitol last night as the civil unions bill died because the leadership in our state house would not bring it to the floor for a vote.

I write today even more reminded that I am a second-class citizen.

I write today in firm knowledge that the social conservatives in Colorado have a power that wreaks of inequality, bigotry, and injustice.

If you follow us on Facebook or twitter you got a lot of information last night. I tried to pass along information as I got it, or as I understood it. I was very fortunate to have been invited on the house floor by my state rep Sue Schafer and equally grateful to my upcoming state rep Max Tyler (because of district changes) for keeping me posted on how he felt things were going.

This civil unions bill was not perfect. It was not full marriage equality. That will only come when the Defense of Marriage Act is overturned on a federal level, and even then it will mean a lot of work. Yet it was a step. And if it had been allowed a vote on the house floor, it would of passed. At least six republican reps said they would vote yes.

I must admit that it was hopeful to see people in the gallery area shouting "shame on you" to Republican lawmakers when it was clear that no vote would be allowed. A mostly passive community might ignite. I certainly hope so.

For those who want what happened with civil unions to ignite action a couple of things need to happen:

People have got to know who represents them at the state level and get to know them. Make sure they know you are for equality. Both in the state house and state senate. If you don't know you can go to http://votesmart.org/

If you live in a state house district where the Democrat is in a safe seat, volunteer for and donate to a campaign in a district that is a challenge. I am thinking more of Colorado with this idea as I believe the only way the house will vote on this is if the leadership is Democratic.

It is vital that we gay and lesbian folks constantly remind our friends, family, and co-workers that we are second-class citizens. I spoke with several people over the past week who were shocked that Mike and I did not have the same rights as they did with their spouse.

Donate to One Colorado http://www.one-colorado.org/ They are definitely our voice at the state capitol and I watched their staff ROCK IT. Even a small donation goes  along way.

Today is the last day for our state legislature in Colorado. They will not reconvene until January of next year unless a special session is called (which I have no idea will happen or not).

Thanks for reading. And thank you for your support!