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To the Editors: Re: “Okla. lawmaker says gays bigger threat than terrorists” (news, March 14)
If you notice, she is the wife of a Baptist minister. That there says it all. All Baptists believe they were given the right by God himself to pass judgments on others.
If everyone would sit back and take a good look, it is people identical to this Sally Kern (99.99 percent Baptist) that are promoting the hate and violence not only against gays and lesbians, but towards all minorities that they find different than themselves.
She and all other politicians that promote hate and violence against others should be immediately removed from their political offices.
KENNETH MAXWELL
South Carolina
Inspiring to lobby Congress on behalf of LGBT rights
To the Editors:
If leadership in the State of Georgia really cared about HIV/AIDS aI recently spent four days in Washington, DC, lobbying our legislators for gender identity and expression inclusive language in hate crimes and [Employment Non-Discrimination Act] protections on a federal level. It has been an emotional roller coaster ride for me.
My emotions were stirred as we walked the halls of Congress visiting the offices of our legislative representatives, educating them on what it means to be born transgender.
I was encouraged as I sat during the HRC Equality Convention luncheon
listening to the panel discussion that outlined the strategy the Human
Rights Campaign has implemented, moving forward to ensure that an all-inclusive civil rights protection bill becomes reality for every member of our society, leaving no one behind.
My heart remains full, and inspiration flowed throughout my soul as I listened to the key note speaker, Sen. Ted Kennedy, promise that the prospects of a Democratic presidential administration and Congress will result in securing a veto-proof bill, which will result in leaving no community member out of the pursuit of happiness, life, liberty and justice.
Also, I'm inspired with the knowledge of the inevitability that transgender, gender-variant civil rights inclusive protections will become reality, and I'm encouraged to focus on the future when we no longer have to ask what makes us any less deservant of equality?
So, in preparation for this future, Juxtaposed Center for Transformation invites all transgender identified individuals, HIV-positive and HIV-negative, to participate in our upcoming free job preparedness workshop, where you will also have the opportunity to register to vote, and become active in the political process.
In closing, I want to thank the Atlanta Steering Committee members for sponsoring this life changing lobbying experience for me that I personally feel every transgender person should experience at least once in their life time.
TRACEE MCDANIEL
Atlanta
Editors’ note: McDaniel is founder of Juxtaposed Center for Transformation, which offers a job preparedness workshop on April 25 at AID Atlanta. Registration is required; to register, contact her at 678-591-3481.
Time for gays to fight again in Cobb County
Re: “Immigrants real target of Cobb housing ordinance” (Mailbox, March 21)
It is time to make a visible presence known in Cobb County. The anti-gay ordinance in the mid ‘90s was bad enough, but now the housing ordinance is totally out of bounds. Without a visible political presence, these polititions can do anything that they damn well please. I know that my family is not the only gay family out here: I see you at the grocery stores, restaurants and on the square all of the time. Let's start attending the commission meetings in force and let the commissioners know that this will not float in 21st century Cobb County. The political climate has changed in some parts of the county (check the results of the 2004 presidential election). We can fight this. We have political allies in the Latino community on this. Let's not sit on our asses any longer. Southern Voice, would you please start putting Cobb County Commission meetings on your calender until we can resolve this?
Not all smart, composed women are lesbians
Re: “Stoking lesbian flames” (Dish, March 7)
How demeaning are you? I know it's mind-blowing but "preternaturally composed and smart" straight women do, in fact, exist. And who cares if [actress Ellen Page] is or isn't? She's talented and that's all that matters. You should be ashamed of your "reporting." Oh wait, I forgot this is southern journalism at its best.
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