On Saturday, July 19 from 1-3 pm Soulforce in Colorado will launch a discussion group exploring the wide-ranging oeuvre of nonviolent theory entitled "Readings in Nonviolence". We will meet at The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Colorado (1050 Broadway in Denver). I hope you might consider joining us.

Christopher Hubble   Read More »

Dear friends,

We hope you'll join us for a panel discussion featuring marriage equality activists Kate Burns and Sheila Schroeder, Ex-Gay Survivors Christine Bakke and Daniel Gonzales, and local student organizers Carly Schlotterer and Julia Johns at MCC of the Rockies (10th & Clarkson in Denver) from 1-3 pm on June 1st. Mark your calendar!

**********

What is the difference between being "OUT" and being "SOULFORCE OUT"?

At Soulforce's recent 10th anniversary celebration, Jarrett Lucas (Equality Rider and Director of Outreach for SoulforceQ) reflected on this question during a staff and volunteer organizer brainstorming forum.

How can we continue to help and support each other as we turn our personal expressions of integrity and authenticity living as openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people into a force for positive and transformative social change?

We hope you'll help us answer this question when you join members of Soulforce, the Ex-Gay Survivors' movement, and local student activists for a panel discussion and town hall meeting at MCC of the Rockies (10th and Clarkson in Capitol Hill, Denver) on June 1st from 1-3 pm.

Are you "OUT" or are you "SOULFORCE OUT"?


Sincerely,

Christopher Hubble
http://christopherh-queermusings.blogspot.com
cahubble08@gmail.com
303-241-3225

"When the bamboo forest goes, with it goes the sound of the flute." Hindu Proverb

Hello friends,

Sorry this is a couple days late...

http://www.soulforce.org/email_campaign/email_2_14_2008.html

Step up, don't be shy!

We just had the gold-medal award-winning record-breaking GOP-freaking fantastically amazing caucus turn-out of all time (so far).

There are swarms of new bees buzzing! NOW, how do we keep them active and making honey for the election in the fall?

Let's all think of some ideas, and don't worry about whether someone else will think they are the best ideas ever. Just...share them. The thing about ideas is that often they generate MORE ideas. And one that might not totally work where I live (rural and red) could be perfect for Pueblo or awesome for Alamosa.

I'll start. We are going to harvest the emails and PO addresses our county collected at the caucuses, and use those to start a 'known active' mailing list. It was pretty expensive to mail a postcard to every Dem household in our county, but mailing a few hundred postcards before other events? Doable.

An idea I want to promote down here is to start up some committees new people can join. Bake sale contributers? Someone to work a MONTHLY voter registration table? (Maybe combine those two ideas? Register people AND sell them cookies?)

I once read something about how to be happy: you need something to do, something to care about and something to hope for.

The way I see it, we Dems have the power to help a LOT of people get happy!

So first...ideas!

Your turn!

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday(tm), practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all . . . and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great, (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only "AMERICA" in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual orientation of the wishee.

By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms: This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, which ever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

(You know I didn't actually write the above, right? But I'm sending it out as part of my final Prowers Dems newsletter of the year, and I thought, what the heck, share the love!)

Cross-posted with permission from Joe.My.God

The young man who last Sunday shot and killed two people at a youth ministry training center, then killed two more and himself at Colorado's New Life Church (Ted Haggard's former home), was a cast out from the youth ministry, probably because he failed their attempts to make him "ex-gay".   Read More »

After my run-in with the 2008 ballot issues, I decided to take a different turn. I attended a session entitled "Way beyond marriage: Queer Politics 101." The leaders, after seeing this void on the board, decided to inject RootsCamp with some sexual identity conversation.

Were were a good sized group but we were able to do intros and talk about what "queer" means to us. (More on that below)

I went there because I don't think a queer community exists in Denver. There aren't any spaces here for lgbt people to talk focus on community issues. I wanted to know if I was wrong. from what we talked about, the answer is no, despite there being groups on ProgressNowAction and Connexion. We've got to make some changes as a community if we're going to be considered part of the progressive movement...let's use the resources we have...   Read More »

Funny, funny stuff, this!

Dear friends,

I'm writing to ask for your help.

On Sep 24, Soulforce in Colorado organized a marriage equality civil disobedience during which two of my friends, Kate Burns and Sheila Schroeder, entered the Denver clerk and recorder office to request a marriage license… and refused to leave after being denied. They were both arrested and cited for trespassing (links to video of the action below).

Kate and Sheila stand trial on Dec. 17 and their legal team of three attorneys working pro bono are seeking affidavits by religious leaders willing testify that they or their organizations support full marriage equality.

If you or anyone you know might be interested and able to complete an affidavit by Nov 23, would you please contact me or Kate and Sheila directly (kateburns303@comcast.net).

I hope you have both been well,

Chris

The video for the Marriage Equality civil disobedience on September 24th in Denver (Kate and Sheila arrested) is now on YouTube and Google video. Many of you are in it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7luw6WKiI_E

Also, Ron Zappolo hosted Kate and Sheila on his weekly news magazine Colorado 2031. Zappolo also interviewed Focus on the Family representatives Carrie Gordon Earll and Melissa Fryrear who oppose same-gender marriage equality.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1181419119680720526&pr=goog-sl

Sincerely,

Christopher Hubble
www.HubbleBooks.com
cahubble05@yahoo.com
303-241-3225

"When the bamboo forest goes, with it goes the sound of the flute." Hindu Proverb
   Read More »

What country and at what time do the republicans think we are living in here?

Our current president (R) is asking for an extra $46 billion for the war.

More and More people are losing their healthcare benefits and coverage altogether. This is one of the biggest issues of the candidacy.

What happened at this week's republican debates in Florida? 

I'll tell you what. The candidates spent the whole time bickering, joking, and generally not addressing any of the issues important to this race.  

What kind of question is "who is more conservative?" are you serious? This isn't the 6th grade class presidency we're talking about. That question would seem more ridiculous if it wasn't really the tone of the whole debate. (I just picture a "Mean Girls" style battle between the republicans over this issue.)

Compilation of the topics covered - read below.

   Read More »

LESBIAN COUPLE RISKS ARREST TO SEEK MARRIAGE LICENSE IN DENVER

Local Faith Leader Supports Demand for Civil Marriage

******************************************
Soulforce Media Advisory: September 21, 2007 For Immediate Release

Contact(s):
Kate Burns & Sheila Schroeder, kateburns303@comcast.net, 303-806-8444 Christopher Hubble, Soulforce Colorado State Organizer, 303-241-3225, cahubble05@yahoo.com
******************************************

(Denver, CO) - In an effort to achieve basic fairness and marriage equality for all of Colorado's families, local nonviolent advocates will again seek to elevate this issue in the public mind. On Monday, September 24, married same-gender couple Kate Burns and Sheila Schroeder will enter the Denver Clerk and Recorder Office to request a marriage license. When denied, they will risk arrest by refusing to leave.

Who: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Families and their Allies, including Rev. Mike Morran of the First Unitarian Society, Denver.

What: Marriage Equality Direct Action: press conference, vigil, civil disobedience

When: Monday, September 24, 2007 3:30 p.m. MDT

[TRAINING IN NONVIOLENCE TO PREPARE FOR MONDAY'S ACTION IS SCHEDULED FROM 1:30-4:30 SUNDAY AFTERNOON (09/23) AT THE GLBT COMMUNITY CENTER OF COLORADO (1050 BROADWAY IN DENVER--JUST SOUTH OF 11TH AND BROADWAY ON THE EAST SIDE OF BROADWAY--LOOK FOR THE PURPLE AWNING)]

Where: Denver Clerk and Recorder Office, Wellington Webb Municipal Administration Building, 201 West Colfax Avenue, Denver, Colorado 80202, (Court-Colfax block on 15th Street)

SOULFORCE is a national civil rights and social justice organization. Our vision is freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from religious and political oppression through the practice of relentless nonviolent resistance. For more information, go to www.soulforce.org.

"All reforms owe their origin to the initiation of minorities in opposition to majorities... Those who believe that they are not bound to obey laws which are repugnant to their conscience have only the remedy of [nonviolence] open to them." M.K. Gandhi


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ABOUT THIS MARRIAGE EQUALITY DIRECT ACTION

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This action seeks to dramatize that marriage laws which deny full equality to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are an example of religion-based oppression and undermine America's tradition of religious pluralism protected by the U.S. Constitution.

When asked about her decision to participate in this action, Sheila said, "In the four years since my partner and I had our commitment ceremony, we have experienced numerous acts of discrimination. We are denied the ability to file taxes together. We experienced panic when I had a potentially dangerous health crisis and we had no security that she could attend to me in the hospital. We have spent thousands of dollars in legal fees to combine our property and insure our rights as a couple--when heterosexual couples are granted all of this free without question. This discrimination is unconstitutional and unconscionable. It is my patriotic duty to stand against this discrimination. The world needs more love and more support for loving couples. My church supports this fundamental notion and now it's time my government does too."

Earlier this year, Soulforce launched FOCUS ON THE FACTS, an ongoing campaign of nonviolent direct action with the goal of ending religion-based oppression of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Coloradans--staging several sit-ins at James Dobson's ministry headquarters in Colorado Springs since February. Most recently, on July 13th, Soulforce, Just Spirit, and the Pikes Peak Gay and Lesbian Pride Center organized a marriage equality direct action at the county clerk's office in Colorado Springs. For several years now, affirming marriage equality has been a distinct theme at PrideFest in the Springs. Several same-gender couples asked for marriage licenses and were denied according to state statute. Randomly formed opposite-gender couples then obtained licenses to demonstrate the hypocrisy of the law. And a couple that had been denied when attempting to obtain a license in a previous year as lesbian partners obtained a license this year because one of them has since transitioned to become male.

Speaking about the continuation of this campaign in Denver and her participation in the action on Sep 24, Kate Burns said, "As a life-long Unitarian Universalist, I seek to practice my religion by marrying my life partner in the church where I grew up. My religion does not condemn love simply because it happens between partners of the same gender. Legislation that prevents me from marrying my partner interferes with the free exercise of my faith tradition and imposes the viewpoint of one religious view--which opposes our union--on all citizens. My union with my partner, Sheila, is a life-long commitment founded on love and respect for each other, and for each other's families. I will not allow an unjust law tell me that we are not worthy of being married. Following the principles of nonviolent resistance, I will do whatever it takes to shed light on the immoral and discriminatory legislation that denies basic human rights to us as a couple, and to all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people."

Kate's and Sheila's minister, Rev. Mike Morran of the First Unitarian Society of Denver will be present Monday to support Kate and Sheila in this profound act of civil resistance. Rev. Morran has a history of support of full equality for all of Colorado's families. A year ago to the day, he led a "Standing on the Side of Love" service on the steps of the Colorado State Capitol Building in support of the "principles of love, diversity, freedom and inclusion." Explaining his support for Kate and Sheila, Rev. Morran said, "There are so many levels where marriage equality simply makes good sense. From a religious point of view, the Gospels clearly hold up Love as the spiritual goal for people of faith. From a church point of view, marriage is a sacrament and the state should stay out of it. From a constitutional point of view, freedoms, like the freedom to marry, that apply to some citizens but not to others can only undermine the civil rights of all people, not just gays and lesbians. As a person of faith, as a pastor, and as a citizen, I am proud to stand on the side of love, to protect the right of churches to administer their own sacraments, and to uphold equal rights and responsibilities for all citizens." [A full text of the "Standing on the Side of Love" principles are included with this advisory.]

********************

FIRST UNITARIAN SOCIETY OF DENVER seeks "to create a loving and welcoming spiritual family, embracing all who enter in search of solace, inspiration, knowledge, and growth… we bring our gifts to build a strong religious community… we venture into the wider world, working to build a just and nurturing society for all." The UUA's support of equal treatment for bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender persons is long-reaching and extensive. For more information, go to www.firstunitariandenver.org. UUA Interfaith Clergy Pledge for the Freedom to Marry.

********************





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ACTION PARTICIPANT BIO INFORMATION:

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SHEILA E. SCHROEDER is an ordinary American who recognizes that speaking about injustice is her patriotic duty. She is a partner, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, teacher, and a filmmaker. Just like her filmmaking mission where she tries to amplify the voices of those not often portrayed in the media, she is trying to use her own voice to draw attention to injustice she experiences. While she has come to activism later in life and participated in nonviolent actions in the past, this will be her first act of civil disobedience.


KATE BURNS was born in Denver, attended East High School and Colorado State University, and now works at the University of Denver. She has pride in her native state, and considers it her responsibility to keep working as a dedicated citizen to help Colorado progress to become a shining example of freedom and equality. She grew up in First Unitarian Church of Denver where her minister, Rev. Mike Morran, would gladly marry her to her partner of five years, Sheila Schroeder, if the state and nation of her birth would shed its institutional discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.


REV. MIKE MORRAN is minister at First Unitarian Church in Denver, Colorado, an urban congregation of over 250 families. He is a member of Colorado Clergy for Equality in Marriage, Capitol Hill United Ministries, and the Family Matters Task Force of the Unitarian Universalist Association. He is a proud father of two children, whom he co-parents with his partner of 13 years.


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STANDING ON THE SIDE OF LOVE PRINCIPLES

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First Unitarian Society of Denver believes that all human beings are created in love, worthy of dignity and respect to the fullest extent. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are an integral part of natural and divine creation. Therefore we stand on the side of Love.

We believe that a Family is best defined, not by gender, but by commitment and Love. Therefore we stand on the side of Love.

We believe that Creation is characterized by diversity, and that loving relationships take many forms. Reverence for diversity ensures the peaceful prosperity of the human race. Therefore, we stand on the side of Love.
We believe that responsible Freedom is the highest political achievement of our culture, the best environment for human beings to grow in, and the only environment in which both human and divine Love can flourish. Therefore, we stand on the side of Love.

We believe that a Freedom, including the freedom to marry the person of our choice, if it does not apply equally to all citizens, is not Freedom. Standing for the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people will help to preserve the civil rights of all human beings. Therefore, we stand on the side of Love.


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MORE INFORMATION ABOUT "FOCUS ON THE FACTS":

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Video of several FOCUS ON THE FACTS actions are now viewable at the Soulforce website or on Google:


>> Feb 18 - Dotti Berry and Robynne Sapp sit-in at James Dobson's ministry headquarters.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8003306472349571226&q=dotti+berry+robynne+sapp&total=5&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1



>> April 28 - Roses and Reality - Chris Hubble and Leigh Lyon are arrested entering the campus of James Dobson's ministry headquarters to deliver A False Focus On My Family and the open video letter DVD "Dear Dr. Dobson".

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-809226073899638175



>> July 13 - Marriage Equality Direct Action - Marriage Equality direct action led by Rev. Elder Dr. Nori Rost, Ryan Acker and Frank Volz.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2420139976809796770&q=marriage+equality+action&total=35&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

One of the ways that gay and lesbian families continue to be discriminated against is health insurance. Many of the large insurers offer employees of large corporations the ability to insure their domestic partners, but small businesses have been unable to offer domestic partner coverage--until now.

Anthem, Colorado's Blue Cross affiliate, is erasing that bit of discrimination from its small business policies.

Take a minute to write Anthem to thank them for taking an important step for equality. As every average American knows, health care is the single biggest pocketbook issue that we face. It's doubly hard for gay and lesbian people who face institutional discrimination in nearly every facet of life.

Anthem just made it a little easier. If you are a small business owner, call Anthem and get set up with them so that you can offer health insurance parity to all of your employees. If you are an employee at a small business, your boss now has no excuse not to offer health insurance parity to you and your coworkers.

Last week, I met Betsy Markey here in Fort Collins. Betsy is running for U.S. Congress in Congressional District 4 (CD4) -- the seat currently held by Marilyn Musgrave. Angie Paccione is again also running for the same seat, so a primary between Angie and Betsy is quite likely.

Many of us supported Angie quite vigorously with both time and money in 2006. While I love Angie, her passion, and agree with her on many of her positions, I've come to the conclusion that in CD4, Betsy has a far better chance of beating Marilyn Musgrave in the general election. Angie didn't do a good job of addressing the bankruptcy issue and frankly in a heavily rural Republican district an unmarried woman from the Bronx is starting at a disadvantage. In 2006, Angie didn't do nearly as well as she needed in Boulder, Weld, or Larimer counties to overcome the heavily Republican vote on the Eastern Plains. I believe that Angie would do well to run in a more diverse and liberal district such as CD1 or CD2.

 On the other hand, Betsy Markey, is a married mother of three. She has worked for Sen. Ken Salazar as his Regional Director for the north central and high plains region of Colorado for the past two years. This position has allowed her to meet folks all over CD4, help them with their day to day problems, and for them to get to know her. Betsy has also started her own companies, worked for the State Dept., and Congress. You can read more about Betsy at her website (http://markeyforcongress.com/drupal/about_betsy).

More below the fold... 

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