by Melanie Nathan, June 05, 2012 We are on the home stretch of Proposition 8’s wild ride through the Courts with a set of victories that will either reinstate same-sex marriage for Californians or result in the Supreme Court of the United States hearing the case. I wrote a very personal article back in 2009 … More California Prop 8 on the Way to Victory Revisiting My Child’s Wounds
For Non-Violent Detainees By Melanie Nathan, April 19, 2012 SACRAMENTO – Senator Mark Leno today announced introduction of legislation to protect Californians from intrusive strip and body cavity searches when they are taken into custody for minor offenses that do not involve drugs, weapons or violence. Senate Bill 1536 clarifies existing state law to allow … More California Senator Leno introduces Bill to Limit Strip Searches
Attorney General’s CALL TO ACTION to bring mortgage fairness to California Posted by Melanie Nathan, April 16, 2012 Earlier this year in Sacramento, Attorney General Kamala Harris introduced the California Homeowner Bill of Rights, which will bring fairness and transparency to mortgages in our state. Now your help is needed if the legislation is to … More California AG Kamala Harris Call to Action for Homeowners BIll of Rights
CA Senator Mark Leno Introduces Bill Reaffirming Religious Freedom . SB 1140 reinforces that no clergy member will be required to perform any marriage that is against his or her belief system. So maybe the religious right can stop whining about lesbian and gay civil rights to marriage equality. by Mel Nathan, February 21st, 2012 … More California Senator Mark Leno’s BIll Should Help Thwart Religious Freedom Fears
By Melanie Nathan, February 10, 2012. Proposition 8, the 2008 measure that stripped same-sex couples of the right to marry in California, has now been found by two Federal Courts to be unconstitutional! Prop 8 discriminates against same-sex couples in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. This week a majority from … More AFER VIDEO | Prop 8 Unconstitutional AFER Press Conference Highlights
Breaking News Prop 8 Ruling TOMORROW morning | Events Planned . February 6th, 2012 COMMUNITY EVENTS IN SAN FRANCISCO ON DAY NINTH CIRCUIT ANNOUNCES PROP 8 DECISION Please join same-sex couples, LGBTIQ people, friends, family, and clergy for 2 events on the day that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals announces its decision regarding Proposition … More California Braces for Prop 8 Ruling | List of Pro Same-sex Marriage Events
OAKLAND – California, and a night of poetry, music, and celebration. This event will be featuring local lgbtiqqaa poets of color, and will be dedicated to the poets of the Harlem Renaissance. Interweave and GLBT Historical Society is bringing this important event to Oakland and judging by the program and participants it promises to be … More Oakland | An Evening Dedicated to Lesbian Poets of the Harlem Renaissance
June 24,2011, by Melanie Nathan Legislation sponsored by Equality California and Gay-Straight Alliance Network aims to stop discriminatory education and promote school safety Sacramento – Yesterday a bill that would require schools to fairly and accurately portray the historic contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in social science instruction passed the Assembly Education … More California Assembly Education Committee Passes Landmark LGBT Education Bill
06/04/2011, Posted by Melanie Nathan, Note: This letter has been submitted by OUT 4 Immigration, whom I consider to be the most sincere and miraculous group in the LGBT community with regard to the plight of same-sex couples who have no immigration equality under the federal law of the U.S.A. Dear Senator Feinstein — For … More Petition Plea to Senator Feinstein – Green Cards – Special Visa – Same-Sex Spouses
06/02/2011, by Melanie Nathan Sacramento – Yesterday, the California State Senate passed legislation that would eliminate a statutory difference and inequity between marriage and domestic partnerships. Authored by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by Equality California, the Domestic Partnership Equality Act (SB 651) passed in a 23-15 vote. Specifically, the bill would eliminate … More CA Legislation to Close Gap between Marriage and Domestic Partnership Advances
Marriage Equality Foes Dealt a Blow -in Maine and California REMEMBER THIS RULING – I AM TRYING TO FIND OUT IF THE RECORDS WERE RELEASED AND IF THEY WILL BE MADE PUBLIC. IS THERE A TIME LIMIT – TO HAND OVER? KEEP YOUR EYE ON THIS SPACE BECAUSE WE WILL REPORT BACK….SOOOON. MEL Judge Orders … More REMEMBER – SEEKING UPDATE..
“Hun, we live in a world where peoples are often so full of fear which is usually because of ignorance, – there are all sorts of different families – but they have usually only experienced their own. The unknown teririfies them; so they lash out in this way. What you heard on that ad, was unfair and contorted, but that is how the people who are against the idea of same-sex marriage think they can get other people to join their way of thinking.”
I provided more reassurance as best I could. A few more questions and answers later we arrived at school, and went on with the next two weeks, during which time HC and my four year old accompanied me to various “NO ON 8” rallies; “no on 8, no on 8,” a battle cry still performed by my 4 year old whenever she sees the number 8, whether in the market, at school or in the movies.
Melanie on Lez Get real:- The very same culprits who passed Proposition 8, with all their Mormon funding, individual hate and corporate dollars threatening yet again, are now flooding the Governor with calls to block the Marriage Recognition and Family Protection Act. Co-sponsored by our colleagues at Equality California and Sen. Mark Leno, SB 54, … More reBlog ALERT- California Cry – Time is of the Essence – Help needed- Call Now
Call the Governor today to set the facts straight. Let him know of your support for the Marriage Recognition and Family Protection Act. Click here for more details on Oblogdeeoblogda Advocacy Page Capitol Office (automated line) : 916-445-2841 Fresno Office: 559-477-1804 Los Angeles Office: 213-897-0322 Riverside Office: 951-680-6860 San Diego Office: 619-525-4641 San Francisco … More ACT NOW – for California
I was in DC this past week and spoke to a top staffer of Barney Frank. It was the day before the ENDA hearing. He told me the Congressman does not want to support the repeal until the passage of ENDA and Hate Crimes because, I was told, it is too much for the opponents … More No Games Barney- stop messing with my marriage or do I care?
Because Duvall, who is married with two children had one of those Internet moments the other day when his dais microphone became live just before the start of a cable-televised committee hearing… and he was talking with one of his fellow committee members about cheating on his wife with a lobbyist forSempra Energy, one … More Birds of a feather… Duvall resigns…Jeff Miller caught between a rock and a hard place
California‘s Assembly has sent a message today – that it will accept no less than full immigration equality for its same-sex partners. AJR 15 is a Resolution that expresses its support for the Federal bill, UAFA, that places the words “permanent partner” next to “souse” in the Immigration and Nationality Act, thereby giving gay and lesbianpartners … More Resolution in Support of UAFA moves through California Assembly –
By Melanie Nathan, July 31, 2009 Perhaps more of our congressional representatives would be willing to do what Congresswoman Jackie Speier did for the LGBT community today. The Congresswoman, a Democrat from California’s 12th district called a meeting today of the LGBT leadership in San Francisco. With not much notice a core group of leaders, … More Congresswoman Jackie Speier Provides Valuable Opinion on UAFA
At the meeting in Redding, a man stood up and identified himself as “a proud right-wing terrorist.” Instead of denouncing him, Congressman Herger called the man “a great American.” That’s outrageous — which is why the California Democratic Party is buying newspaper ads next week in the Mt. Shasta Herald and the Redding Searchlight, demanding that … More Constituent says “I am a proud right-wing terrorist.” Congressman Herger answered “Amen, God Bless you there goes a great American”
How the Hate for 8 Hurt my Child… Before the California Court ruled I asserted in my blog “The fate of California’s same-sex marriage hangs in the balance, as the Justices prepare their ruling on the challenges to the validity of Proposition 8.” Now is has ruled and the impact is so egregious that the … More AS Prop 8 makes its way to the BIG COURT…. I revisit its impact on my child…
MARK MY WORDS – This will be a Victory for the Rejection of Prop 8! A Federal judge in San Francisco today set a January trial date for a challenge to California’s ban on same-sex marriage. Attorneys Theodore Olson and David Boies filed a federal lawsuit in May on behalf of a lesbian couple from … More DITCH Prop 8 – Human Rights and Decency
Today, together with Gina Capiro, I had the great honor of providing testimony on behalf of the thousands of binational same-sex partners, for Resolution AJR 15 which in essence will serve to provide California‘s legislature’s support of the Uniting American Families Act and equality in the immigration laws of the US, for same-sex permanent partners. A … More AJR 15 -California on its way in Support of UAFA
White House Files Papers Against Defense Of Marriage Act Case 8/17/09-by Paula Brooks see In what seems a something of a contradiction, the Obama Justice Department has filed court papers today defending the Defense of Marriage Act… The Justice Departments lawyers are seeking to dismiss a suit brought by a gay California… read on at … More DOMA … what the…. *&^%*&^&* ?
Federal judge reviews arguments in Prop. 8 case Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer Sunday, August 16, 2009 Sunday, August 16, 2009 For one side in the federal court battle over same-sex marriage in California, Proposition 8 was just the latest example of historical persecution of gays and lesbians based on sexual orientation. Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/15/BA4J196JHC.DTL#ixzz0OMnLKxRf
I was quoted today in an article by Paula Brooks: Melanie Nathan, a Private Courts mediator in California told LGR this morning, “Under California law, the moment a divorce is filed and the papers served, both parties are automatically restrained from alienating community property. It is hard to imagine that a sophisticated businessman like Mr. … More Ca Traditional Marriage Defender getting divorced…. ala ugly
When in Rome do as the Romans do!” An expression that clearly works – when you come to San Francisco – do as the San Frannies do….. LGBT equality is imperative and the OCA (Organization of Chinese Americans ) gratefully took heed!~ Please read Article/ Post specifically exclusive to Lez Get Real
Thanks to all my friends who responded to this request….. it was an astounding response. Well done…. will keep you posted. MEL re DADT Dan Choi, a native of California and an Army Lieutenant, asked us to share the news of the verdict from his military trial with the Courage Campaign community. Your overwhelming response … More Dan Choi, outcome of come-out hearing……..
Press release:- Shirley Tan and Family to March with Out4Immigration at San Francisco Pride 2009 Pacifica family and Out4Immigration seek equal immigration rights for LGBT families and passage of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) By Marina DiCerbo Tuesday, June 23, 2009 Photo taken by Melanie Nathan. San Francisco, CA—June 23, 2009—Shirley Tan, her partner … More Shirley Tan and Family to March with Out4Immigration at San Francisco Pride 2009
I just received an email addressed probably to all of President Obama’s supporters asking for support on health care. I am not lending my suupport to anything until I get the promised repeal of DOMA. As selfish as it sounds, I am sick of our community being taken for granted. Use us and then abuse … More DOMA – DECLARE OBAMA MISSING in ACTION
Melanie Nathan and the Month of Pride with Shirley Tan, Jay Mercado out4immigration … More Shirley Tan will testify at California State Capital
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