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Final Infographic https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e-h87y-0AgzsiItNNncz9aQCuF8XJ9vVp6kEJdvXy18/edit?usp=sharing

idk tumblr has downgraded the image quality of my hard work to a blurry mess

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Civic Action Assessment of Issue

1. I believe it is my role to make this democratic nation better than it was before, making it more peaceful, caring, and also moral. The mechanisms to prevent a evil tyranny and put power in the hands of the general public were given to us by the Founders, and I aim to use those powers as best as I can to promote my people’s goals and make this nation a more interesting place.

2.  I learned more on how to support movements and goals in the democratic and government processes, and how much important civil action really is to our history, our present, and our future.

3.  Of course I do, because my issue affects me, my friends, and my family. LGBT is also a important frontier in human rights right now, and I want to be there and support it. It’s one way I can be there in history. I also believe that pushing this issue will improve the nation and humanity as a whole, and hopefully make it into the society I hope for.

4. I haven’t actively done volunteer work yet, but right now, I am training with the Queer Straight Alliance club to teach the lowerclassmen about LGBT, and those sessions will come soon to classes a few weeks later. 

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Executive Action Assessment of Issue

1. Trump is very anti-LGBT, even though in the past he’s claimed he was supportive of the LGBT community. His administration is actively dismantling important laws, rights, and protections. While in the past, they’ve made meetings and listening sessions with LGBT advocates, afterwards, the administration would respond to any following requests for information or action. Their argument for this is that those laws and policies violate religious freedom, are a “radical left gender ideology”, and disrupt equality for everyone.

2. I absolutely disagree with nearly everything he’s done. Every single value and action he’s upheld has gone against my ethics, my research and knowledge of what’s the rational action to take, and me and my fellow citizen’s future of being open and free.

3. LGBT rights and protections are an issue that is supposed to be managed by multiple cabinets, and none of the Departments even talk about it on their websites. However, the Department of Justice is supposed to be the most responsible for the issue.

4. “ To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. “ This does relate to LGBT, because it says “...to insure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.” This includes LGBT US citizens.

5. It’s been rather a carousel of changing secretaries throughout the DOJ, which includes Sally Yates, Dana Boente, Jeff Sessions, and Matt Whitaker. Sally Yates was appointed by Barack Obama, who then became Acting Attorney General for ten days after Donald Trump’s inauguration. Sally Yates is the most likely qualified to lead the department, because of her position of LGBT rights and determination to uphold justice.

6. I don’t think any program or service from the current Department of Justice could help right now, given the leadership.

7.  I am deeply unsatisfied, as the Trump administration is taking active action against LGBT rights and protections. Examples include the Transgender Military Ban, Trump trying to redefine gender as binary, and the memo by Jeff Sessions on Title IV excluded gender identity and sexual orientation from Title IV protections. It doesn’t seem like Trump will be cutting funding from the DOJ, as they’re always busy working against us.

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Legislative Action

1.

     A. Desaulnier:

          a. Supports equality throughout gender, sexual orientation, disability status, gender identity, race, nationality, etc.

          b. Supports the Equality Act (H.R.2282) which would explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

    B. Harris:

          a. Supports LGBT rights, protections, and strengthening them in all fields.

          b. Supports the Census Equality Act, (S.3314), which would improve Federal data collection on sexual orientation and gender identity in the decennial census and the American Community Survey.

     C. Feinstein:

         a. Supports the defense and improvement of LGBT rights for people.

         b. Voted for the Student Non-Discrimination Act, which prohibits public schools from discriminating against students based on actual or percieved gender identity or sexual orientation.

2. 

   A.

        a. There are more than 20+ bills that pertain to LGBT issues.

        b. H.R.590, the International Human Rights Defense Act of 2015 would direct the Secretary of State to establish in the Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, a Special Envoy for LGBT rights to direct US efforts to improve LGBT rights, represent the US in diplomatic efforts relevant to LGBT rights, serve as the principal advisor to the Secretary of State regarding human rights for LGBT people; and implement activities that educate, support and empower LGBT people.

       c. Makes the Department of State hire a representative who will support LGBT rights, from the US government, and will represent them diplomatically and provide advice to the Secretary of State on how to act.

       d. It would have a impact on the executive’s government management of LGBT affairs, and also empower the US’s involvement in foreign diplomatic affairs to be LGBT positive.

       e. Yea, as it would improve the government’s ability to manage LGBT affairs both domestic and foreign, as well as raise public image of the government from the LGBT community.

       f. It originated in the House, was referred to the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations, and it’s only been introduced, and nothing else.

      g. Federal LGBT legislation is working, though it’s not being supported by the current administration, and is in danger of being destroyed. I think it needs a constitutional amendment to cement the goal of protecting LGBT citizens into the government’s purpose and where’s it going.

3. Trump seeks fast ruling on transgender troops ban

    The Trump administration has been asking the Supreme Court to review Trump’s ban on transgender people from military service, which is unusual because usually the lower district courts would do that. The authors are Jessica Gresko and Mark Sherman. The Obama administration lifted the ban on transgender troops in 2016, but the current Trump administration reversed that. Several lawsuits were filed over the change, with all lower courts ruling against Trump. The audience is the LGBT community and those who live in the California Bay Area. Since it is from the SFGate, it is biased towards towards the liberal viewpoint that is prominent in the west coast and California, and the perspective is in support of LGBT rights. The significance is that LGBT rights are once again, facing a attack through the judicial system in a unusual way. I do agree with it, because I support LGBT rights, and it’s important to the fate of those rights.

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State Action

1.

Catherine Baker’s position on LGBT:

A. Mrs Baker’s position of LGBT protections and rights is supportive, and it doesn’t seem like there’s any information on her disagreeing on any aspect of it.

B. I do agree with her, because we both support LGBT protections and rights.

C. HR-109, the California State Assembly proclaims June 2018 to be LGBT Pride Month

Steve Glazer’s position on LGBT:

A. Supportive of gay, transgender, intersex rights.

B. Also agree with him, because he supports LGBT rights.

C. SB219, protects LGBT seniors from discrimination in long-term care facilities.

2.

A.  SB1488, requires public utilities to send a detailed and verifiable plan to the Public Utilities Commission on why procurement from women, minority, disabled, veteran, and LGBT owned businesses is to be raised.

B. February 16th, 2018

C. Not really any major action on it, except for one small insertion.

D. I think it would help create accountability from the public utilities and also help create equality in the free market. I think I would encourage the passing of this bill, though I’m not sure what kind of side or negative effects it would cause, so I would like to know,

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The 3Ps Assessment: Parties, Political Interest Groups, and PACs

1. 

Republican: Against gay, transgender and intersex rights. Absolutely do not agree with them, as they as it’s against my core values, hurts people I love, and goes back on necessary rights needed for mental, medical, and psychological reasons.

Democrat: For gay, transgender, and intersex rights. I do agree with them, for the same reasons above.

Libertarian: For gay, transgender, and intersex rights. It seems they want to abolish the marriage licensing system entirely and the government’s power over personal relationships though, which I disagree on, because the official marriage agreement provides methods and powers to partners so that they may take care of each other. Also, appropriate regulation on relationships allows for things like restraint orders and child care.

Green: For LGBTQ, and I agree with them because it goes with my core values, helps and protects people I love, and they intend to push necessary rights needed for mental, medical, and psychological reasons.

Peace and Freedom: For LGBTQ, for same above reasons.

I think it’s most likely I would vote for a Democratic candidate, as third parties candidates winning are extremely rare, and it’s not a good idea to divide the vote either. 

2. 

National LGBTQ Task Force

Progressive, liberal, aims to promote LGBTQ rights and protections in ever aspect of the US.

The Task Force called for the US Census Bureau to include a question on sexual orientation, says it’s too late to reverse transgender rights, strongly opposes Kavanaugh and Trump’s Muslim ban, supports the rights of free journalism.

House Bill No. 4689, an act to define civil rights, prohibit improper discriminatory practices, policies and customs in the exercise of those rights based on religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, height, weight, familial status, or martial status. Also, to preserve the confidentiality of records regarding arrest, detention, or other disposition in which a conviction does not result; to prescribe the powers and duties of the civil rights commission and the department of civil rights; to provide remedies and penalties; to provide for fees; and to repeal certain acts and parts of acts.

Opportunities to take action and volunteer come in the form of petitions, requests for anecdotes, and information to other pro-lgbt projects and movements you can support.

They have a lot of corporate sponsors, including Hilton, Comcast, and Bacardi.

3.

American Civil Liberties Association of Northern California

Progressive, firm focus on civil rights, pro-immigration, lgbt, privacy, abortion

The ACLU NorCal believes in defending and improving the civil rights of Americans, and those visiting and immigrating to the US. It would like to see the Muslim Ban lifted, more civil right and anti-discriminatory laws passed, and resist the current national administration.

The organization sent a letter to a school district that had failed to treat a black disabled student who was being abused and failing, defended students who wearing protest messages shirts that referred to the death of Eric Garner in police custody, defended the rights of homeless in Tulare, supported SB 1186, a state bill that restores power at the local level against surveillance, and provides information to women on where to get free and low-cost sexual health insurance

Assembly Bill 1266, a passed law that requires CA schools and their organizations and facilities to respect and and accommodate students’ gender identity.

The ACLU NorCal is divided into chapters throughout the Northern California region.

There are petitions, and volunteers opportunities to help people vote, and vote properly informed.

The organizations provides a useful post of information of which bills they support have been passed and vetoed by the governor.

4.

The National LGBT Task Force works on the entire country, and they work on issues that disadvantage and hurt lgbt people. The ACLU seems to be doing a lot more action, and they focus on the civil rights of the Northern California region. 

5.

LGBTQ Victory Fund

Supports LGBT, and aims to increase the number of openly lgbt officials in government.

This year of 2018, so far, they have raised 795K$, and 432.1K$. The end cash they have on hand is 364,515$.

All of their money has been spent on Democrats.

The highest donor is a retiree donating 100,000$, and the rest shown are investment, law groups, a family foundations, and other people working for well known companies.

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Constitutional Issues

https://www.oyez.org/cases/2014/14-556

Obergefell v. Hodges

Barack Obama’s second term.

Plaintiffs in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee sued their states to challenge the states’ ban on same-sex marriage licenses. The Fourth, Seventh, Ninth, and Tenth Circuit Courts found the ban to unconstitutional. The Sixth Court ruled the ban constitutional, leading to a split in courts, therefore the Supreme Court had to review the case.

Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex, and does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex that was legally licensed and performed in another state?

The Fourteenth Amendment

Obergefell overturned the previous ruling of Baker v. Nelson, and gay marriage licenses became legal.

Same-sex couples should be treated under the same terms and protections as opposite-sex couples, the Constitution protects the right of same-sex couples to marry.

I do agree with the Supreme Court’s decision, because gay marriages being recognized helps couples take care of each other and respect the concept of marriage. It does no harm.

New York City creates gender-neutral 'X' option for birth certificates

    People who were born in New York City and do not identify as male or female can now opt for a third gender category on their birth certificates. Author is Daniel Trotta. Transgender right advocates have been pushing governments to allow nonbinary transgender people to choose a in-between gender. The audience is intended to be LGBT interested people, and New Yorkers. The article is biased towards LGBT, and it celebrates the new change in New York. The significance is that nonbinary people and their chosen identity and gender are now being increasingly accepted into legal processes. I do agree with it, because I am nonbinary myself, so that’s promising for the future.

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We’re on a fucking roll today.

[Picture of a The Scotsman newspaper. Headline reads: Scotland to boost right to choose own legal gender. Subtext reads: Plans to make it more simple for transgender people to choose their legal sex have been welcomed by equal rights campaigners in Scotland]

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Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk 2017 🏳️‍🌈

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Media Assessment of Issue

1.

Chief Rabbi publishes first LGBT guide for orthodox schools

     The Chief Rabbi of the UK, Ephraim Mirvis has published a guide for Orthodox Jewish schools that will help them to treat their LGBT students better. Currently, the Jewish law, the Book of Leviticus prohibits homosexuality, which results in much discrimination and harassment against LGBT people. The author is Judith Burns, a education reporter for BBC. The audience is LGBT and Jewish people. The perspective is from a British news source, and seems to be impartial and objective. The significance of it is that it is a step towards supporting and protecting the wellbeing of students in Jewish religious schools.

Transitioning on Youtube

     Youtuber Miles Mckenna is posting videos of her transition and helping questioning, genderqueer, and trans kids to figure out who they are. There are millions of kids like her who are in need of information and help at finding out who they are. The author is Taylor Lorenz, a technology writer at The Atlantic. The audience is LGBT supporters. and young youths interested in Youtube and technology. The perspective is from a American liberal aligned news source, so it’s biased towards LGBT rights. The significance is that it’s a lgbt youth who succeeded to socially and medically transition, and is helping to help others stand up for themselves, and do the same in their lives.

India strikes down ban on gay sex

India has ended a colonial era law against gay sex on September 6 in a unanimous decision by all five judges. Section 377 of the penal code, a ban on sex that goes “against the law of nature” has been around since British colonial rule and making it hard for Indian gay citizens to enjoy who they are. The author is Avery Anapol, a writer for The Hill. The audience seems to be broadly in the neutral spectrum of political views. The bias and perspective is from a American conservative aligned news source, and it does have some details against the plaintiffs of the case. The significance is that gay sex is now legal in India, and this makes the LGBT movement stronger. I think the article is fine.

I think that there are a lot of similarities between the accounts, though The Hill article seems to be a bit more harsh. The Hill’s article also doesn’t have any interview quotes in it.

The BBC would be the best source, as it’s funded by taxpayer money, which makes them in not any big need to desperately sell stories, and so it’s objective and neutral.

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I woke up to this. I’m crying.

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“A federal judge late Friday barred the federal government from implementing President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender members of the military, finding that the ban had to be subject to a careful court review before implementation because of the history of discrimination against transgender individuals.

U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman of the Western District of Washington ruled that transgender people were a protected class and that the injunctions against the implementation of the ban that had been issued in December should remain in place. She wrote that there was a “long and well-recognized” history of discrimination and systemic oppression against transgender people, that discrimination against transgender people was clearly “unrelated to their ability to perform and contribute to society,” that transgender people have immutable characteristics and that they lacked relative political power.

“Transgender people have long been forced to live in silence, or to come out and face the threat of overwhelming discrimination,” Pechman wrote.

“The Court also rules that, because transgender people have long been subjected to systemic oppression and forced to live in silence, they are a protected class. Therefore, any attempt to exclude them from military service will be looked at with the highest level of care, and will be subject to the Court’s ‘strict scrutiny.’ This means that before Defendants can implement the Ban, they must show that it was sincerely motivated by compelling interests, rather than by prejudice or stereotype, and that it is narrowly tailored to achieve those interests,” Pechman wrote.

While Trump had tweeted that he consulted generals and military experts about the ban, Pechman wrote that the government had “failed to identify even one General or military expert he consulted, despite having been ordered to do so repeatedly.”

Read the full piece here

THIS IS HUGE NEWS and can have major implications for trans rights moving forward in the US, as it potentially establishes a precedent for legal treatment of trans people as a protected class due to ongoing persecution. This means it would be illegal to fire someone, to refuse them a job, or a home/apartment rental, because the person is trans.

Folks, even if you’re a pacifist / anti-military, remember:

THE TRANS BAN DOES NOTHING TO STOP MILITARISM, AND EVERYTHING TO LEGALIZE & NORMALIZE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE TRANS COMMUNITY.