Weekly Word: March 17, 2009

Submitted by justin on Thu, 2009-03-19 18:19

March 17, 2009         www.oneiowa.org

Discriminatory Marriage Amendment introduced in Iowa House Radical Right continues to engage in fear-tactics

As reported in the Iowa Independent a bill has been introduced in the Iowa House that would seek to write discrimination into the Iowa Constitution. The bill would single out gay and lesbian couples by excluding them from the security and protections of marriage. The move serves as a reminder that our elected officials need to hear the voices of pro-equality Iowans. If you have yet to do so, please contact your legislators in support of marriage equality and in opposition to writing discrimination into the Iowa Constitution.

The Radical Right is mobilizing to deny equal protections for gay and lesbian couples. One look at the Iowa Family Policy Center blog demonstrates the absurdity of their arguments and their offensive rhetoric. A recent IFPC blog post compared marriage between loving and committed same-sex couples to that of marriage between fictional cartoon characters! This type of rhetoric is demeaning and hurtful to families around the state.

You may remember this audio clip of Chuck Hurley, declaring a "battle of good vs. evil" and drawing comparisons between LGBT families and Hitler, the Gulag, rape, and incest. This is what we are up against! Have you contacted your legislator?

Upcoming Events

March 19, 2009 6:00-7:30 PM Marshalltown Marriage Equality Townhall featuring Freeheld and Our Story Marshalltown Public Library 105 West Boone St. March 19, 2009 7:00-8:30 PM Muscatine Marriage Equality Townhall featuring Freeheld and Our Story Musser Public Library 304 Iowa Ave. March 19, 2009 7:00 PM PFLAG Dubuque meeting St John's Lutheran Church 1276 White St. March 21, 2009 6:00 PM Des Moines Area Meetup Group for 40+ single gay women Meetup page for additional details March 23, 2009 7:00 PM PFLAG Decorah meeting St. Benedict's Catholic Church 309 W. Main St. (Parish Center) March 25, 2009 7:00-8:30 PM Waverly Marriage Equality Townhall hosted by Wartburg Alliance featuring Freeheld and Our Story Whitehouse Business Center, Buckmaster Room - Wartburg College March 25, 2009 6:30-8:00 PM Book signing and lecture by Dr. Davina Kotulski, author of Why You Should Give A Damn About Gay Marriage Des Moines Public Library 1000 Grand Ave. March 26, 2009 7:00-8:30 PM Newton Marriage Equality Townhall featuring Freeheld and Our Story Congregational United Church of Christ 208 E. Second St. N March 30, 2009 6:00-7:30 PM Fort Dodge Marriage Equality Townhall featuring Freeheld and Our Story Fort Dodge Public Library 424 Central Ave. April 6, 2009 6:30 PM PFLAG Quad Cities Meeting Eldridge United Methodist Church 604 S. 2nd St., Eldridge April 6, 2009 7:00 PM PFLAG Mason City Meeting 1st Presbyterian Church 100 S. Pierce St. April 9, 2009 6:30 PM PFLAG Omaha Meeting First United Methodist Mead Hall 7020 Cass St., Omaha April 14, 2009 7:00 PM PFLAG Ames Meeting Youth and Shelter Services Offices 420 Kellogg Ave., 1st Floor April 16, 2009 7:00 PM PFLAG Dubuque Meeting St. John's Lutheran Church 1276 White St. April 20, 2009 6:30 PM PFLAG Cedar Rapids Faith United Methodist Church 1000 30th St., NE. April 27, 2009 7:00 PM PFLAG Decorah Meeting St. Benedict's Catholic Church 309 W. Main St.

Our Work in Focus Wanted: Photos of you and your partner!

Justin Uebelhor Director of Communications

Are you and your same-sex partner in a strong and committed relationship? Have you been married, civil unionized, or celebrated your bond with a commitment ceremony? We're looking to put together a collection of photos featuring committed couples from across the state! We'll use the photos to demonstrate the need for marriage equality in Iowa.

The photos can range from casual such as vacation pictures to formal such as wedding or commitment ceremony pictures. We will use these photos in diverse ways -- on the web, in multimedia presentations, and print. For one example of an effective use of photos from the Courage Campaign, click here. If you or anyone you know has pictures to share, please email digital or scanned photos to justin@oneiowa.org with the following information:
Partner name 1: Partner name 2: # of years together: Date of ceremony (if applicable): Address: City: Phone number: *For privacy purposes, we will only share first names, city, and number of years together with the public. By sending photos, you release the right to use the images to One Iowa in promotional, educational, and other publications or multimedia. Lynn and Michele from Dubuque

One Iowa Bids Farewell to Sandy Vopalka

One Iowa will miss the presence and talent of Sandy Vopalka, One Iowa constituent organizer. Today, Sandy leaves to pursue other ventures, but will continue to support the efforts of One Iowa. Her commitment to the cause, her passion for justice, and her breadth of knowledge in the community will be sorely missed. We look forward to working with Sandy as she continues her advocacy in the future. "Sandy has been has been here with me from the beginning of my work with One Iowa. She's been a great colleague and her spirit is irreplaceable," said Carolyn Jenison, Executive Director.

A note from Sandy:

Today, I say goodbye to people who have become like a family, the One Iowa staff. This experience has been one I will remember the rest of my life. I have learned many important things and met so many wonderful people during my time here. I have spent nearly three decades working towards equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people (LGBT) across the country, most of my work being done here and in Iowa and Nebraska. All of us have a role as we work toward Equality for ALL Iowans. Let’s keep up the hard work! Sincerely, Sandy Vopalka

Sandy Vopalka

In the News

March 11 Council Bluffs Nonpareil Op-ed: Marriage equality: It's the Christian thing to do Encouraging people, straight and gay, to commit to lifelong, chaste, mutually affirming relationships strengthens the institution of marriage. Marriage is a bedrock of our society. Strong committed marriages strengthen our communities. Healthy marriages, straight and gay, model God’s love for all of his children. March 12 Burlington Hawk Eye: Gay marriage topic of meeting "You have the power!" The phrase was chanted in the 2007 documentary film "Freeheld" by supporters of Laurel Hester, a 25-year veteran of a New Jersey police force, while the local city council was trying to deny her partner pension benefits. Those words could just as easily apply to the justices of the Iowa Supreme Court, who now face the decision of whether to allow same-sex couples to marry in the state. March 13 Fort Dodge Messenger: Confronting change This would change by June of that year, when a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in the Loving v. Virginia case invalidated all remaining laws against interracial marriage. That legal struggle is instructive for advocates of same-sex marriage rights, said activist Mandy Carter. Carter, a founding member of the National Black Justice Coalition, spoke at Iowa Central Community College Thursday. As a black lesbian, Carter is an embodiment of both groups' struggle for civil rights, she told her audience. *We want to know what you're reading! If you see an Iowa-related LGBT news item in your local newspaper, please forward it to justin@one-iowa.org.

Become ONE... and show it!

We've had a great response to our Become ONE... and show it email! You've committed to the cause, now you can sport the gear! For a one-time donation of $10 or more, you'll receive one of our trademark blue dot bumper stickers! For $20, we'll make it 3! If you commit to a recurring monthly donation above $10 a month, for a year, we'll send you a copy of One Iowa's Our Story DVD and one of our blue dot t-shirts! DONATE NOW!
One Iowa DOT bumper sticker Our Story DVD One Iowa T-shirt: Front Click to view larger One Iowa T-shirt: back Click to view larger
in