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"Yesterday's Dream to Today's Change"
Pre-Inaugural Gala
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Formal social dinner honoring the birthday of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama. The gala will include a keynote speaker, presentations, entertainment, vending, silent auction, and a dance. |
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Event Info
Monday - January 19, 2009
Social Hour/Open Bar: 7pm - 8pm
Dinner & Dance: 8pm - 12am
Hyatt Regency - Crystal City
2799 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, VA 22202
$195 per person
$1,700 for table of 10
Attire: Formal / Black Tie
Click To Proceed to EPE Pre-Inaugural Webpage
A portion of the proceeds from the gala will go to charitable/non-profit organizations 1) Pediatric AIDS/HIV Care, Inc., 2) Black Lesbian and Gay Pride Day, Inc. aka DC Black Pride, 3) National Black Justice Coalition, and 4) The Just As I Am Foundation.
Congress Swears In Today!
Let them know you care about ENDA!
Today, January 6, Members of Congress raise their right hand and swear to uphold the Constitution as they begin the new legislative session. Let's make sure the first thing they hear about is the importance of an Employment Non-Discrimination Act that protects all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Go to this link to make your voice heard - it only takes a moment: http://ga4.org/campaign/ENDA_Jan... In DC, make their phone ring! Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and have them connect you to your Representative (based on your zip code). Tell them: "I am a constituent and I would like you to please tell Representative _______ that I strongly support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that would ban discrimination against all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people." Then, call back and leave messages with your two Senators, too! At home, set up a visit! Request an in-person meeting for you and other community members with your two Senators and your Representative (or their staffs) in their home district offices. You can call the district offices to request these meetings but they often want you to fax a meeting request. To find contact info for district offices, go to www.senate.gov and www.house.gov. Sample meeting request letters, and other talking points and resources for your meetings, are available in the following toolkits: Let us know how your meeting went. Go to www.unitedenda.org and fill out the Lobby Report Form to tell us whether your Representative and Senators expressed support. Thank you, H. Alexander Robinson Executive Director & CEO The National Black Justice Coalition Here's the link again: http://ga4.org/campaign/ENDA_Jan...
Why Blacks Should Support Gay Marriage
 Herndon Davis, a Los Angeles-based writer, author and lecturer says there are several compelling reasons for Black Americans to support Gay marriage.
He makes his case in five points:
Children
An estimated 14 million children are being raised by same-sex parents who require the legal infrastructure marriage in order to protect their children because there are numerous restrictions placed on the co-parental rights of unmarried same-sex couples.
Elderly
Approximately 10% of all same-sex couples are over the age of 65 but they are treated differently as retirement plan benefits are heavily taxed, surviving partners must pay estate tax on inherited homes, even if jointly owned and social security payments stops when a partner dies.
Healthcare
Despite thousands of dollars spent creating legal documents, same-sex couples can still be denied hospital visitation and decision making rights for their partners in many areas of the nation, a right that is instantly conferred by marriage.
Read the full article here.
Registration available NOW!
First High-Ranking Openly Gay Appointee of Obama Administration Announced
by Lisa Keen - Keen News Service
Monday Dec 22, 2008
Out lesbian Nancy Sutley has been named to a top post in the Obama administration.
President-elect Barack Obama on Monday, December 15, formally announced his first high-ranking openly gay appointee, naming Los Angeles deputy mayor Nancy Sutley as chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
Sutley, 46, is deputy mayor for Energy and Environment for the city of Los Angeles. She was, according to ABC News, a member of Hillary Clinton’s LGBT steering committee in California. She served in the administration of President Bill Clinton as a senior policy adviser to the Environmental Protection Agency’s regional administrator in San Francisco.
Full story here.
Sponsors of the California ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage are seeking to nullify thousands of marriages between gay and lesbian couples performed after the state Supreme Court ruled them constitutional.
The passge of Proposition 8 left the future of thousands of marriages between same-sex couples unclear.
"We are confident that the will of the voters and Proposition 8 will ultimately be upheld," said Andrew Pugno, General Counsel for ProtectMarriage.com and the Proposition 8 Legal Defense Fund.
Full story here.
Want to help ensure LBGT representation in the Obama administration?
Join NBJC's email list here!
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