image via Join the Impact
While we were out spending the weekend looking at women in $5 million bras and engaging in other usually unspeakable acts, better people were protesting for equal marriage rights outside Miami City Hall. We're not in a position to talk down to anyone, and we wouldn't anyway, but we'd just like to remind everyone to use these moments of protest and media attention to also advocate for a host of other issues effecting the GLBT community and society as a whole. The people who really need to pay attention are the ones who think, that except for marriage, GLBT people have equal protection under the law.
- As we mentioned this morning, there's that whole ridiculous gay adoption ban we for some reason have in this state.
- There are no federal or Florida statutes to protect homosexuals from discrimination in employment and housing (Miami has these laws, but most areas in the rest of the state do not).
- 31 states forbid discrimination in government employment. Florida does not even have this.
- Rights for transsexuals are in even worse shape.
- Many conservatives I've talked to about this issue have come to this conclusion: "Fine. Gays can have whatever they want, just as long as they don't call it marriage." Federally recognized, nationwide civil union at this point seems much more viable. Let's not get hung up on semantics. It might be separate but equal, but the last time America tried "separate but equal," it morphed into full-fledged equality.
- If we stop asking for a cure for HIV, or at least better treatment, we're never going to get it.
With that said, keep up the fight. CBS4 has a pretty good segment about the protest this weekend. The video is behind the cut.
