Very often, we tend to lose site of an important segment of our community: our transgender brothers and sisters. Yes, we have many issues, many challenges as gays and lesbians. The victories we have managed to achieve, particularly in recent times, lift our spirits. But in those victories, there can be some emptiness when we overlook the relationship that transgendered men and women, and people in transition, share with us. Their causes are interwoven with ours, and to put their issues and challenges on the back-burner is to ignore an essential part of the bigger picture.

Oakland Park - The city is one step closer to protecting the rights of its transgender employees.

Commissioners agreed unanimously Wednesday night to proceed with adding gender identity and gender expression to the city's anti-discrimination policy.

Commissioner Suzanne Boisvenue proposed adding the two categories to the city's policy, which already protects municipal employees based on race, religion, sex, national origin, age and/or disability. The city passed its current anti-discrimination policy in July 2002. It is unclear how many, if any, transgender people work for the city.

The next time an opportunity presents itself in a conversation you may have with a family member or friend, ask them if they have been approached or contacted to add their signatures to place the so-called "Marriage Protection Amendment" on the November 2008 ballot. Next, ask them what their understanding is of this proposal. Ask them to consider who and what this amendment really protects. Your questions and their answers will generate an even deeper conversation, bringing a deeper understanding of the issues and how they affect the quality of everyone's lives.

So, exactly who is being protected and why do we need this "protection"? Do our families, children, and friends need to be protected? What about our elderly citizens? Do they need "marriage protection"? How about the Florida public, particularly taxpayers? Do they need an amendment to "protect" their marriages? What about those unmarried persons sharing a home, or the various combinations of domestic partners? Will we be protected from them by this amendment? The phrase "substantial equivalent" is the real goal of the amendment's proponents. But they don't want you to know that. They are hoping that you are looking the other way, while they slide this "curve ball" right past you

LAKE WORTH — The city this week became the third municipality in Palm Beach County to expand its civil rights protection laws to include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Mayor Jeff Clemens and Commissioner Cara Jennings proposed that the city revise its Civil Rights Act at the request of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council. "Lake Worth should always be on the cutting edge when it comes to fighting discrimination," Clemens said. "This is just a step that will ensure that people are treated fairly regardless of their gender identity.

Today, Massachusetts legislators voted 151 to 45 to defeat a measure that would have marred the Massachusetts Constitution by excluding same-sex couples-who have been free to marry in Massachusetts for the past three years-from civil marriage. As a result of this victory, same-sex couples in Massachusetts and across the country can breathe a huge sigh of relief: the freedom to marry in Massachusetts is now resoundingly secure. Those who seek to turn back the clock on justice and equality have been handed a bruising defeat that will resonate throughout the country for generations to come. In future years, we will look back on today's vote as the beginning of a new era-a hard-won tipping point in the fierce battle to overcome discrimination against our families and to achieve a true measure of dignity and respect.

This week, like many lawmakers on Capitol Hill, we are turning our attention to the issue of immigration reform. On Tuesday, Congressman Jerry Nadler, D-New York, and Senator Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, introduced the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). This legislation would allow citizens and legal residents in same-sex relationships to sponsor their partners for immigration purposes. We congratulate the two lawmakers on their leadership.

St. Petersburg, FL – A diverse group of Florida leaders have joined Fairness for All Families – the campaign to oppose a constitutional amendment slated for the 2008 ballot that could strip away employee benefits while barring the passage of future measures to help Florida families.

Finally, today the U.S. House of Representatives voted to include us. But even before that vote, the anti-GLBT extremist group Concerned Women for America was bragging that George W. Bush has threatened to veto this legislation. A statement from the White House confirmed that, this time, the religious right isn't lying.

The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HR 1592), also called the Federal hate crimes bill, passed the U.S. House today by a vote of 237-180, drawing bipartisan support from the Florida Delegation. The measure must now pass the US Senate and then be signed by the President. Just hours before the vote, the White House threatened to veto the legislation.

New Hampshire is set to become the fourth state to offer civil unions for gay couples with legislation approved Thursday and sent to Gov. John Lynch, who has said he would sign it. "This legislation is a matter of conscience, fairness and of preventing discrimination," said governor's spokesman Colin Manning. "It is in keeping with New Hampshire's proud tradition of preventing discrimination."

On Tuesday, the Florida House of Representatives passed a bullying prevention bill by a vote of 110 to 1 after the sponsor affirmed that the bill requires schools to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. The bill must now be approved in the Senate before it is signed into law by the Governor.

"'Clock In For Equality' is Lambda Legal’s response to a very real need our community has identified: creating and maintaining discrimination-free workplaces for all employees."

More than fifty people under the age of thirty killed in ten years. Cranbrook school locked down because someone saw, "a man in a dress." A popular professor, who is also an ordained minister, fired by the university she worked for because of the school's "Christian" principles.

Man, this is terrible news. EQFL had a conference call today about the statewide vigils for Ryan to be held April 14th. We will have one here in Palm Beach County. The plan thus far is to meet before sunset at the front of Lake Worth City Hall. Light our candles, and then proceed to the park behind the City Hall Annex. There we will have speakers, read a letter from the family, a letter from Equality Florida, more sharing and some quiet time to honor Ryan and those we have lost to hate and violence. Please let me know if your organization would like to participate.

It’s hard to believe that it’s already April. This month is going to be an exciting and historic one for us, particularly when it comes to action on hate crimes legislation. Very soon, the Senate companion bill to H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, will be introduced by Senators Ted Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, and Gordon Smith, R-Oregon. In addition, on April 17th, we will be holding our lobby day for faith leaders, HRC’s Clergy Call for Justice and Equality

It is the 5th cold you have this year and we are only one quarter into it. You are always tired, run down and fatigued. Have you asked your self why? Or are you still in denial?

Your immune system is shut, caput, finished, it is no longer in service. Yeah, I know you do not want to hear it. But, I am going to tell you anyway. You have used up your nine lives, and now you are in desperate need of an immune haul over. It is not normal to feel this way, trust me, there is a better life. When you finally start taking care of yourself, you will see the difference.

Modern Medicine Trumps Archaic Law Alimony Win for Transgender Man
Good Parenting Wins the Day
Take Time During Tax Time
A Right to Be Protected
Big Laughs, Great Prizes, New Deadline

Two words that have power in, of, and by themselves, but in the same phrase or same sentence, they have resulted in one of the hottest debates on the local, state, and national levels. The words, “marriage equality,” have caused a few extremist groups to mobilize in a movement to impose their mean-spirited will on everyone, thereby disempowering and disenfranchising even millions more in our states. The goal of this anti-children, anti-families, anti-equality, anti-gay, anti-American movement is to change our state constitution in such a way as to further deprive all of us, the public, of our human rights and dignity. Some of these precious rights include the ability to make medical decisions, family medical leave, custody of children, rights of inheritance, taxation, survivors' rights, Social Security and pension benefits, and these are only a few. There are about 1,100+ federal rights, responsibilities and privileges that come with civil marriage, as well as an additional 400+ state rights.

About two months ago, my partner and I attended a panel discussion hosted by Becker and Poliakoff, PA and Equality Florida, in which leaders from The Fusion Coalition, Equality Florida, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), made very impressive presentations addressing the issue of marriage equality versus civil union and what is at stake for citizens and residents of Florida. My partner and I gained an enhanced dimension of clarity regarding marriage equality, civil union, and domestic partnership. Here are some things we learned:

In his book, Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People's Right to Marry, civil rights attorney, Evan Wolfson describes several reasons why civil unions are no substitute for marriage, and not the right answer for couples, communities, and our country:

Over the past several months, I have been traveling around Florida talking about marriage and made an inadvertent discovery. "Marriage" means different things to different people. When I ask people what marriage is, I typically get a myriad of responses: partnership, love, commitment, contract, legal union, religious rite or ceremony... and the list goes on. Yes, marriage can be all of those things. But in the eyes of the government, civil marriage is something very specific -- and quite distinct from religious marriage.