| The LGBT Community in the United States of America wants:
1. We want, in a few generations, for gay, lesbian, and transsexual kids studying history to wonder why we even needed anti-discrimination laws in the old days. Of course transsexuals and homosexuals are natural and normal and accepted by society. What was the big deal?
2. We want the rights and responsibilities of marriage available to all American families, even same sex couples. We want it in every state and at the federal level. As a stepping stone we will accept civil unions or domestic partnerships that grant our families all the rights and responsibilities of marriage, but only as a stepping stone. These place our families in a second class, which is unacceptable. Of course, making the states and the federal government responsible only for civil unions or domestic partnerships and leaving "marriage" to religious bodies is another acceptable avenue of resolution.
3. We want to be allowed to work without fear of discrimination. We want a fair hiring process, a fair promotion process, and to work without fear of being fired for our sexual orientation. We want to be free from constructive discharge where employers force one to quit. We want an end to the wage disparity between heterosexuals and homosexuals where homosexuals earn an average 14% to 20% less than similarly situated heterosexuals. We want an end to the wage disparity faced by lesbians and all women in the USA where lesbians and all women earn an average of 76 cents to each dollar earned by a man.
4. We especially want nondiscrimination protection for transsexuals. This ought to include public funding for the healthcare costs of transitioning. Specific enforcement of nondiscrimination work statutes will be required at first. It is most unfortunate that now a declaration of transexuality almost certainly causes a drastic reduction in one's personal economy due to discrimination.
5. We want to be able to serve our country in the Armed Forces. The "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy is a fraud. More homosexual service men and women have been drummed out of the service under this policy than before it was put into effect. DADT has failed. Many, if not most, of our allies have successfully incorporated homosexual soldiers, sailors, pilots, and marines into their armed forces with no problems. It is time for the United States to join Canada, Europe, and Israel in civilized policies.
6. We want the right to bear and raise children. We want our sexual orientation to have no force or effect at child custody hearings in any jurisdiction in any state. We want an equal chance to adopt children with any similarly situated heterosexual person or couple. We want to be judged as foster parents on our worth, not on our sexual orientation. We want access to fertility treatments, surrogacy, and other family planning options on the same terms as heterosexual people.
7. We want ourselves and our history recognized and valued. We want our history taught in public and private schools. We do not want the fact that many historical persons were gay and lesbian and bisexual and transexual ignored in schools: public or private. We want homosexuality and and bisexuality and transexuality taught as normal sexual variations in all sexual education classes at all levels. We want families with two Mom's or two Dad's introduced at the pre-school and kindergarten level and all levels of elementary school.
8. We want adequate research dollars for breast cancer and for HIV and for AIDS. We want a cure for all three and a vaccine for HIV as soon as possible. We want affordable medications and treatment for all three. We do NOT want anyone to go without treatment for breast cancer or for HIV or for AIDS simply for lack of funds or insurance. Our society is better than that. We want an end to discrimination in the provision of healthcare services to homosexuals, lesbians, transsexuals, and all women. We want future studies to show no difference in time waiting for sevices or the services provided to straight white men and any other group of people needing healthcare.
9. We want Hate Crimes passed at the Federal and at the state level in all 50 states. We do NOT want to limit free speech. However, we recognize when a crime is committed due to bias and hate against a group of people, the crime has a chilling effect on that group of people. The crime affects the security of that group of people. In effect, the crime is not only against the victim, but also against the entire group. That is the essence of Hate Crime law.
10. We want qualified gays and lesbians and transsexuals elected to public office at all levels of government. We do NOT wish to take over any level of government. There are not enough gays and lesbians and transsexuals in the United States to take over anything! However, we recognize that no one can better represent the interests of the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transsexual community than a gay/lesbian/bisexual/transsexual person. This is NOT to say that we will blindly vote for a glbt candidate. However, when there is a glbt candidate on the ballot who shares our views on a number of issues, we are highly likely to vote for that person.
11. We want to protect gay/lesbian/bisexual/transsexual teenagers and youth from bullying and harassment at school, church, and home. We support anti-bullying and harassment programs in public and private schools. We support gay-straight alliances at high schools and at middle schools, both public and private. We know that many gay and lesbian and transsexual teens have no better option than running away from home. We support gay/lesbian/transsexual shelters for teen runaways. We support all efforts to help gay/lesbian/transsexual teens complete their educations. We support all efforts to reunite gay/lesbian/transsexual runaway teens with their parents as long as their parents are supportive of the teen's discovery of their gender variance or sexual orientation. We cannot support parental psychological or physical abuse of a teenager when the parent is not supportive of the teenager's sexual orientation or gender variance. Likewise, we applaud those churches of all faiths which provide welcome and support to youth and teenagers discovering homosexual orientation or gender variance. We denounce churches of all faiths which attempt to cause psychological or spiritual abuse or harm to teenagers and youth of homosexual orientation or gender variance.
12. We want the United States to provide asylum to gay and lesbian and transsexual foreigners who would be killed or imprisoned if returned to their own country, such as citizens of Iran. We especially want the USA to stop the vigilante murder squads killing homosexuals in Iraq.
There, that's all I can think of off the top of my head. Twelve little items, a nice dozen. Feel free to add to this USA agenda ... or yall from across the globe, add your bits and pieces, too!
Additions:
*** Add "Prostate Cancer" to research and funding for treatment and cure to item number 8 above.
New 13. We want fair representation in the media. This does include television, movies, all print, and advertisements. We want representation that is fair and representative of the lgbt community; that is, of the broad and diverse lgbt community ... not any one singular race or sex or gender or style or culture or ethnicity within the community. We do not seek all gay, all the time. But never seeing gay or lesbian couples in ads is not fair either.
New 14. We want fair treatment, without discrimination, in public accomadations including hotels and restaurants, in finances such as loans and mortgages, and in all places of business.
New 15. We want to live in peace and harmony with others. We want to walk down the street holding our beloved hands or giving them a quick kiss goodbye without hearing nasty comments from complete strangers. We want to walk down the street without hearing a carload of teenage boys yelling nasty things at us. We do NOT want to engage in public displays of affection or to have sex in front of anyone. Frankly, we want to mind our own business and be left alone.
New 16. In summation, we want fair and equal treatment under the law. |
