PFLAG Baltimore County Believes The Time Has Come

President Barack Obama metaphorically indicated in his speech on Oct 10th (before the Human Rights Campaign dinner in Washington DC) that the time has come to stop debating whether or not Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender people are equal. (See Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong’s A Manifesto! The Time Has Come

A greater degree of inclusion can be reached if the following measures are passed by congress and signed into law by the President. He has indicated he supports these measures.

• Matthew Sheppard Hate Crimes bill
o This bill adds language to an already existing law which if passed will include the protection on people based on their Sexual Orientation and Sexual Identity.
• ENDA (the Employment Non Discrimination Act)
o This bill will add protections in employment and housing if passed for people based on their Sexual Orientation and Sexual Identity.
• DADT (Don’t Ask, Don’t)
o This legislation will reverse the current practice of ejecting soldiers from the armed services based on their Sexual Orientation.
• DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act)
o This law was implemented during the administration before Barack Obama and is the most hateful legislation in recent American history. This law makes it illegal for dedicated and loving same-sex partners from defining their own relationship. Additionally DOMA prevents these dedicated couple from more than 1100 automatic legal protection that opposite-sex couple enjoys when they get married. Essentially, DOMA does not defend anything, as other laws which are now overturned; it only prevents the inclusion of people who are different from the majority. This law should be over turned for one simple reason – The 14th Amendment of the Constitution of the U.S. clearly states: “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.”

Please join me in encouraging others to call and write to their congressional representative and Senators to support these four pieces of legislation. No one is free in this country if we are not all free.

To see Barack Obama's speech click on the links below.
Barack Obama Speaking to HRC Part 1
Barack Obama Speaking to HRC part 2
Barack Obama Speaking to HRC part 3


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