I came here to post about Zimmerman and I see my buddy, Corkey, has already made the post for me.

What is up with the 2nd Degree silly nonsense? Perhaps I am wrong ... I wasn't there but my take was he hunted that boy down, ignored law officials orders to back off. Geez, what a joke.

back to Corkey
 

Okay, I understand better. Thanks for the information and explanation.

I am glad Zimmerman is off the streets too.

See you! :)

Yeah so did I. I'm glad he finally got arrested.

FROM THE PROP 8 BLOG
 

President Obama won’t sign a nondiscrimination executive order
By Scottie Thomaston

Yesterday, the news broke from the White House that the president refuses to sign an executive order that would prevent workers contracting with the federal government from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Everyone seemed hopeful when it was announced yesterday morning that the White House convened a meeting with organizations closely associated with advocating for the executive order, but shortly after that announcement, the meeting’s attendees broke the news.

This had been one of the president’s longstanding campaign promises, back in 2008 he said he would implement a federal contractor executive order to protect LGBT people. The campaign said they supported a nondiscrimination executive order for all federal employees and federal contractors:


Obama, in responding to the group’s 2008 presidential candidate questionnaire, also stated that his campaign had a “written non-discrimination policy that includes sexual orientation and gender identity.” He added that “[a]n Obama White House will implement a similar non-discrimination policy.” In it, Obama states that he supported such a policy for all federal employees and, in a separate question, for all federal contractors.

As the New York Times notes, this is a change from his so-called “we can’t wait” campaign, which was designed in part to mitigate the negative effects of non-passage of certain necessary legislation due to Republican intransigence. And given the pressing need for antidiscrimination protections for LGBT people, since anywhere from 15 to 43 percent of gay people and 90 percent of transgender people report being discriminated against or harassed at their workplace, one would think a step toward showing the LGBT community that we’re headed in a direction where in the future we won’t face so much hatred where we work or are attempting to work might be a step the administration would consider taking.

In defense of his position on this issue, the White House notes the president’s support for ENDA legislation:


White House spokesman Shin Inouye, in response to a request from Metro Weekly, wrote, “The President is dedicated to securing equal rights for LGBT Americans and that is why he has long supported an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would prohibit employers across the country from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

He added: “The President is committed to lasting and comprehensive change and therefore our goal is passage of ENDA, which is a legislative solution to LGBT employment discrimination — just as the President pressed for legislative repeal of DADT.”

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, of course, is not going to pass the Republican-controlled House. It is unclear even how many House or Senate Democrats would be on board with passage of this legislation. An executive order wouldn’t need to pass a majority of the House and get 60 votes in the Senate, it just needs one person’s signature. It doesn’t seem responsive to the current demands of our time to tell advocates that a piece of future legislation is supported and would be signed if it made it to the president’s desk. And while the order would not be quite as sweeping as the legislation, it would undoubtedly be an improvement over what people who are LGBT are facing in this country today. It would be a pragmatic step, a way to make a mark on antidiscrimination policy.

And with such a broad coalition of supporters – from progressive advocacy organizations to unions to LGBT organizations and non-LGBT organizations for racial minorities – one would think that politically this might not work out so well for the administration. Recently, 72 lawmakers had also pushed for the order.

This would have been a great step, including LGBT people in the campaign to get much needed administrative orders passed to change our living circumstances for the better, and showing that we can’t wait either.

UPDATE 1 (Scottie Thomaston): Today at the White House press briefing, Jay Carney was bombarded with eight minutes of tough questions about the executive order. Carney claims that they have a legislative strategy for ENDA that’s similar to the one they had for DADT.

'Gay cure' group's London bus adverts banned



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17693947

Portland, Oregon: Doin' It Right

SustainableBusiness.com News

Portland, Oregon's Climate Action Plan is working - greenhouse gas emissions are now 6% below 1990 levels and down 26% per person, even though population has grown 26% over that time. Over the same period, US emissions rose 12%. Portland and Mutnomah County released a 2-year progress report on their 3-year Climate Action Plan, which began in late 2009.

"The same sensibility that makes Portland livable - trees, greenways, walkable neighborhoods, streetcars, and solar - has helped reduce carbon emissions 26% per person since 1990," says the report. Since 2009, over 1,000 homes have been weatherized, 1,400 homes and businesses have installed solar panels, 150,000 households compost food scraps at the curb, and the number of bicyclists has climbed 14%.

Emissions from homes are down 7% (26% per capita), and down 9% in commercial, industrial and multifamily sectors combined. At the same time, the number of jobs is up 12% since 1990. Energy intensity is down 17% per capita reflecting consistent progress in improving energy efficiency in buildings and industrial processes - the city has some of the world's greenest buildings. Check out its feebate program. Over 15% of Portland residents pay a little extra to buy renewable energy from utilties, the highest participation rate among cities of its size.

Compared to 1990, transportation emissions are down 1% (22% per capita) and vehicle miles traveled are at 1984 levels. As of 2010, gasoline sales are just below 1990 levels. Why the decline? Portland has increasingly complete and connected neighborhoods, says the report. Residents can more easily walk or bicycle to meet their daily needs. 10 miles of Neighborhood Greenways were added last year. Other reasons are low carbon fuels, better fuel efficiency of vehicles and regional transportation investments in light rail, bike routes and street cars.

"We're making solid progress on our ambitious Climate Action Plan goals, in part because we're creating a more connected city," says Sam Adams, Mayor of Portland. "Portlanders now have more low-carbon options to get to school and to work, more efficient ways to heat and power their homes and new ways to deal with household waste."

Portland and Mutnomah County's goal is to reduce carbon emissions 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050. Portland was the first US city to adopt a plan to reduce carbon emissions in 1993.

In 2001, Multnomah County joined the City of Portland to adopt a joint plan - it set a goal of reducing carbon emissions 10% below 1990 levels by 2010. Recent developments will reduce Portland's footprint further. Its new solar highway.

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/i...splay/id/23606

Storms are rolling the plains
 

Possible tornado hits Iowa hospital:(

I keep wondering where to set down my roots, plant my asparagus~

Truly loved living in the PNW and am seriously considering Portland as a good place to live the good life. When I read things like this, the pro column gets a big healthy dose of YES!!!

Breaking down barriers so foster kids can find a family


http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/12/us/cnn...tml?hpt=hp_bn1

I think its sad that anyone can foster but you must be legally married to adopt. Don't get me wrong, I think fostering needs so many people.

From the Prop 8 Blog
 

ABC News profiles gay families: “IRS Makes Gay Parents ‘Lie,’ Shortchanging 2 Million Children”By Scottie Thomaston

ABC News profiles gay families and the harmful effects of the Defense of Marriage Act that can cause so much uncertainty and confusion. Noting that the federal government provides tax credits for families with children, but that gay and lesbian families lose out on that federal help at levels from $1,490 to $6,209, the piece quotes a group for LGBT families as saying:


“LGBT families raising kids have an unfair burden, simply because of what their families look like and who they love,” said Emily Hecht McGowan, director of public policy at the Family Equity Council.

A new report is calling attention to these problems with our system and the ways in which the problems hurt LGBT families, and particularly those with children. In many states where LGBT families are raising children a fourth of children are below the poverty line. The report argues LGBT families should receive equal treatment to heterosexual families:


A report released today, “Unequal Taxation and Undue Burdens for LGBT Families,” argues laws have not kept up with these families. Not only are they being treated unfairly by the federal tax codes, but their children are denied the economic benefits that are afforded all other American families.

The piece shows the stark reality LGBT parents face, and the anxieties they deal with every day. Aside from the monetary impact, laws like DOMA have a deep psychological impact. They make LGBT people feel unequal, or “not recognized” at all. The tax system is specifically designed to support and encourage families to thrive but it’s been failing LGBT families for years.

Panetta offers steps to curb sex assault in military
 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta proposed new action on Monday to crack down on sexual assault in the military, seeking to boost prosecution of the crime and send a signal that the Pentagon aims to confront what has become a persistent problem.

Panetta, after a meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, said he would take steps to ensure that sexual assault cases are pushed higher up the chain of command for review and would try to establish special victims units in each of the military services to handle the offenses.

"The most important thing we can do is prosecute the offenders," Panetta said. "If we can do that, then we can begin to deal with this issue ... but more importantly send a signal that this is not a problem that we're going to ignore in the United States military."

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appeared with Panetta and endorsed the measures he proposed to lawmakers working on the issue, saying they would help address the problem.

"The crime of sexual assault erodes the very fabric of our profession," Dempsey said. "Our profession is built on trust and this particular crime erodes that trust. We've been hard at it for some years trying to make a difference and we haven't been able to make a difference."

Representative Jackie Speier, an outspoken critic of the Pentagon's handling of the issue, welcomed Panetta's commitment to trying to fix the problem but expressed skepticism that sexual assaults could be curbed without more radical steps.

Speier favors taking sexual assault cases out of the hands of the military's chain of command and putting them under the jurisdiction of a special office made up of military and civilian experts.

"You can't fix the system if you're not going to change the culture, maximize prosecutions and take it out of the chain of command," she said after the meeting with Panetta and other lawmakers.

Panetta's proposals would keep sexual assault cases within the chain of command but would ensure they were seen at a higher level, at a minimum by an officer at the rank of colonel with the power to call a special court-martial to hear the charges.

He also recommended members of the National Guard and Reserves be allowed to remain on duty after they are sexually assaulted so they can obtain treatment and support. Currently they are removed from active duty and lose those benefits.

Panetta's announcement followed the release last Friday of the Pentagon's annual report on sexual assault in the military, which showed the number of cases reported to military authorities in 2011 rose to 3,192, a 1 percent increase over the 3,158 reported in 2010.

Speier said the data showed that commander-initiated actions in sexual assault cases were down 23 percent, courts-martial were down 8 percent and convictions were down 22 percent between 2010 and 2011.

"So it's going in the wrong direction," she said.

While Panetta can force sexual assault cases to be heard higher up the chain of command, he needs congressional action to take the other steps he proposed.

Lawmakers said they were working to ensure the annual defense policy and spending bill - the National Defense Authorization Act - would include language for the steps Panetta requested, but Speier said she would press for her own proposals.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/panetta-off...013019447.html

City Of Philadelphia Primed To Open LGBT Retirement Home

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/city-of-phila...#ixzz1sJboGcyS



http://www.queerty.com/city-of-phila...home-20120416/

And did you see that they are stopping the M and F stickers on bus passes?!