Local News

by Paul Palmer

South Florida's last and largest Pride event of 2009 is coming up on June 19-21, and Pride weekend presents a number of great opportunities to volunteer with the Human Rights Campaign. Read More »

by Stehpan Lampasso

As we celebrate marriage equality in Iowa along with movement toward marriage equality in New York, New Hampshire and Maine, now is the time to ride this momentum and to insure equality across the board.  All that, plus the California Supreme Court is expected to rule on Proposition 8 in the next 30 days!

In South Florida we are thrilled that every one of our Representatives in the House voted in favor of the Hate Crimes Bill, and now our attention turns to the Senate where The Matthew Shepard Act should be voted on in the next two weeks.  Go to www.fighthatenow.org to get involved!

We will be working in the coming months to schedule in-district visits with the offices of our South Florida Representatives in order to discuss the Employment Non Discrimination Act, the Tax Equity Act for Domestic Partners, and the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.  WE NEED YOU to make these visits successful.  Nothing is as effective as each of us telling our fair minded leaders what matters most! Please call Stephan Lampasso at (954) 270-6284 or email slampasso@yahoo.com to participate in these important visits.

From Wilton Drive to the White House - Yes, we can make change happen! Read More »

Like so many others, Fred and Ken are transplants to Florida having moved here in 2006 from Long Island, N.Y. when they both retired.  Fred was a math teacher and Ken ran a lending team at a commercial bank.  Each had been married when they were younger, and Fred and Ken have five children and three grandchildren between them. 

Ken came out in 1989 - the same year he joined HRC.  Fred came out in 1998 and joined HRC in 2000.  Fred and Ken have been a couple since August, 2000 when they were introduced by a mutual friend.  Last year (April 25, 2008) they were married in Toronto.

HRC has always been important to the couple.  Knowing all too well the consequences of systemic homophobia, the political advocacy of the Human Rights Campaign has always been something Fred and Ken supported with their time and resources.  They joined the emerging South Florida Steering Committee in 2007 and actively work on several committees including Political and Community Events.  Fred and Ken also became Federal Club members in 2008 after listening to a talk by fellow Steering Committee member Paul Palmer.

We've received word that the House will vote on the Matthew Shepard Act very soon and we know that right-wing groups are flooding Congress with calls, emails and sickening 'fact sheets' full of lies about the lives of LGBT Americans.  We need more calls to Members of Congress, and we need them right away.  It has been ten long years and tens of thousands more victims since the Matthew Shepard Act was first introduced in Congress. 

We ask you to call our South Florida Congressmen (Ron Klien, Kendrick Meek, Robert Wexler, Debbie Wasserman-Shultz, Alcee Hastings, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen or the Diaz-Balart brothers) in support of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a bill which would provide local police and sheriff's departments with federal resources to combat hate violence.  The call-in campaign is set for April 27-29.

It takes about 45 seconds.  Members of the community are urged to call 202-224-3121.  Callers are urged to tell the Member's office:

·  Hate crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are on the rise. One out of every six hate crimes is because of the victim's sexual orientation.

·  Hate crimes have more than one victim. They are intended to create an atmosphere of fear and terrorize entire communities.

·   The Matthew Shepard Act targets only violent acts - not speech. It does not tell any clergy member what he or she can or can't preach.

A wide coalition of national organizations has called for the passage of the LLEHCPA legislation.  Some of those organizations supporting this legislation include:  the National Sheriffs Association; International Association of Chiefs of Police; 26 state Attorneys General; the National District Attorneys Association; the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; the Anti-Defamation League; the NAACP; the National Council of La Raza; the Presbyterian Church; the Episcopal Church; and the National Disability Rights Network.

To take action to support the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, please visit:  www.FightHateNow.org Read More »