On Sunday, thousands of people in Austin will get together & walk a 5K for a good cause. They will have raised money, or just registered to walk, to care for people in Austin living with HIV & AIDS. I'm still looking for more donations - will, right up to the very last minute - and you can give here at my AIDS Walk page.
Come woth me below the fold & I'll tell you what the donations do & there is (of course) a U2 video.
They've met the minimum requirement -- so let's see how far we can stretch the anonymous donor's pursestrings! Please donate any amount today!
cross-posted at Daily Kos & Texas Kaos
Yes, this is yet another AIDS Walk Austin diary. Friday there is another matching opportunity - and it is really fantastic. If the Walk as a whole can raise $5,000 then all donations will be matched. So even if you can only give $5, Friday would be a great day to do that, because it'll magically turn into $10. I've got a nice diary written up - with a U2 video, but if you just want to donate, you can do so here: my AIDS Walk page
(Please support Becky's efforts today! - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
cross-posted at Daily Kos & Texas Kaos
Well if we've met you know I have 2 big passions besides electing more & better Democrats - AIDS Walk Austin (for which I was the biggest non-board member fundraiser last year) and the Hill Country Ride for AIDS, which I'll be participating in next April. I have a crazy big fundraising goal this year - $5,000. I know that's insane in this economy but the agencies that benefit from this event serve people who really, truly need help. And this morning, the first 25 donations of $100 or more are being matched. Come with me below the fold for more information -- and a song. You'll never guess who the song is by.
There's a match challenge this morning. The first 25 donations of $100 or more will be matched by Walgreen's Pharmacy, one of the sponsors. The information I have from the Walk office doesn't mention a cap; so the first 25 wanting to donate $100, $250, $500 ++, would automatically be contributing $200, $500 or even $1000 ++ to helping people with AIDS. You can donate right here at my Walk page
I know that most charity in Austin right now is aimed at helping the many, many people affected by the fires and that is as it should be. Over 1,400 people have lost their homes and they need massive amounts of help, right now. Here are 2 pages with places you can donate for that:
and the Committee on Relief of the United Methodist Church is already on the ground, helping - 100% of donations go to fire relief: http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/...
In Austin, we have several events coming up raising awareness and funds for organizations serving those affected by HIV & AIDS. Austin Red Week includes my city's hosting of a segment of the Quilt, and also events like Dining For Life and AIDS Walk Austin.
On September 12 & 13, restaurants all across Austin will be doing something very generous, donating a portion of their proceeds to AIDS Services of Austin. You can find a full list of participating restaurants here but follow me below the fold and I'll tell you more.
This afternoon, NOWCastSA is webcasting the Bexar County Democrats' trial hearing to consider removing party chairman Dan Ramos on charges of misconduct and neglect of duty in office. You can watch the live stream below or watch the archive footage after its conclusion.
The Bexar County Democratic Party Executive Committee elected a trial committee of precinct chairs to hear and consider the evidence as presented in documents, audio and video recordings, according to a resolution by the executive committee. The chair of the trial committee will manage the questioning of the witnesses by the defense and the trial managers.
Update: As noted in the comments and reported by NowcastSA.com, the committee found Dan Ramos guilty of misconduct and neglect of duty. The full County Executive Committee of Precinct Chairs will hold a vote to remove Ramos based upon the findings on May 3rd. It is expected that Chairman Ramos will file an injunction to prevent the CEC from removing him and the case will end up in court to determine if they have the authority and cause to remove him.
On Thursday, September 23, 2010, 13-year old Asher Brown went to his stepfather's closet, took a gun from the shelf, and shot himself in the head. Asher had been the target of repeated and relentless bullying from students at Hamilton Middle School in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. As the Houston Chronicle wrote:
Brown, his family said, was "bullied to death" — picked on for his small size, his religion and because he did not wear designer clothes and shoes. Kids also accused him of being gay, some of them performing mock gay acts on him in his physical education class, his mother and stepfather said.
The 13-year-old's parents said they had complained about the bullying to Hamilton Middle School officials during the past 18 months, but claimed their concerns fell on deaf ears.
According to the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, 84.6 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered students in the U.S. reported being verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation in 2009. Additionally, 40.1 percent reported being physically harassed and 18.8 percent reported being physically assaulted at school. Nearly two-thirds of students reported feeling unsafe in school because of their sexual orientation.
State Representative Garnet Coleman has filed the "Dignity for All Students Act" -- which he may rename "Asher's Law" -- since 2003. The bill is designed to put an end to bullying and discrimination based on a person's "ethnicity, color, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, religion or national origin." (Source: Texas Tribune). Before Rep. Coleman carried the bill, Rep. Harryette Ehrhardt filed the legislation from 1997-2001. Before her, Austin's own Rep. Glen Maxey carried similar anti-discrimination legislation that was not specific to schools but did raise awareness about the issue.
On Tuesday, another brave voice lent their name to the fight to end discrimination among gay teens. Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns gave one of the most inspirational speeches I have ever seen. I thank my friends for sending it along to me, and I in turn wanted to share it with you and hope you will share it with others.
To take action and learn how you can help or where you can send a friend or family member for help themselves, I'd recommend contacting the Anti-Defamation League in Houston or here in Austin. Another great group is Atticus Circle, also here in Austin. If anyone wants to share the names/numbers of other good groups that can be a useful contact, please share in the comments or e-mail me at phillip@burntorangereport.com.
With hundreds of Texans who attended rallies across Texas yesterday in the wake of Prop 8 being ruled unconstitutional, it's refreshing to see at least a couple of our Democratic leaders stand up and make a point about equality for all citizens. Democratic Lt. Governor nominee Linda Chavez-Thompson tweeted shortly after the ruling.
So glad to hear Prop 8 was overturned today. It was discrimination at its worst. I will keep fighting for equality for all Texans. #equality
Democratic Rep. Garnet Coleman of Houston issued the following statement.
"I've always supported marriage equality for all Americans and believe that the U.S. Constitution supports it as well. When Texas passed its constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and civil unions in 2005, I filed a constitutional amendment to let voters repeal the discriminatory amendment. I'm glad to see that our country continues to move forward. Every year, the public's opinion on marriage equality is more supportive. The law should prohibit discrimination, not sanction it."
Surprisingly, incumbent Republican officials statewide have been oddly silent on the matter. Governor Rick Perry, who was in California at the time of the ruling incidentally, has tweeted nothing other than being in San Francisco. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott who has defended Texas' Proposition 2 banning gay marriage, has been mum. A curious silence for Republicans who usually never miss a chance to bolster their anti-gay credentials in an election year. Not to mention a bit of luck for Bill White who would likely rather not have issue a statement at all on the matter.
California's Proposition 8 which had removed gay and lesbian's equal right to marry has been ruled unconstitutional by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker (a Reagan appointee unanimously confirmed by the US Senate). His ruling is based on both due process and equal protection arguments, a major victory for equality. Below are rallies planned across Texas in the coming hours, as well as the full ruling. A temporary stay until Friday has been issued in order to here arguments as to where a continuing stay should be issued.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued the following statement.
"Judge Walker had the great responsibility of deciding whether Proposition 8 violates the Constitution of the United States. He heard in-depth arguments from both sides on fundamental questions of due process, equal protection and freedom from discrimination. There are strong feelings on both sides of this issue, and I am glad that all viewpoints were respected throughout the proceedings. We should also recognize that there will continue to be different points of view in the wake of this decision.
"For the hundreds of thousands of Californians in gay and lesbian households who are managing their day-to-day lives, this decision affirms the full legal protections and safeguards I believe everyone deserves. At the same time, it provides an opportunity for all Californians to consider our history of leading the way to the future, and our growing reputation of treating all people and their relationships with equal respect and dignity.
"Today's decision is by no means California's first milestone, nor our last, on America's road to equality and freedom for all people."
(On Saturday) 5:00 PM at Denton Courthouse Square (map)
Equality Texas issued a statement including the following.
Equality Texas Executive Director Dennis Coleman says, "As we stand in solidarity with Californians, we must remember that our work is far from over. The laws in Texas are not similar to California. Existing law here allows for systematic discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Texans every single day. There is much work to be done legislatively to change the laws in Texas. And in order to change the laws, we must elect public officials who will support equal treatment under the law for every Texan."
Today between 3-5 PM CST, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker of San Francisco will issue a ruling in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger case to decide the constitutionality of Proposition 8 passed by California voters in 2008 to remove equal marriage rights for gay and lesbians which had previously been afforded by the state supreme court. Below I have posted information for Texans who want to be updated on the results of the ruling as well as public gatherings scheduled around Texas later today (regardless of the outcome of the ruling).
Action
Text "EQUAL" to 69866 to get a text message with the official decision on your mobile phone the moment the court releases its decision, or sign-up for an email alert at equalrightsfoundation.org. Join AFER on its Web site to watch a live press conference with our plaintiffs and co-counsels Ted Olson and David Boies following the release of the decision.
