Uprisings: July 30 – August 12, 2015

Because it only makes sense and sense needs to be made in Washington, D.C., on the odd occasion, last week a veritable gaggle of elected Democrats from both the bifurcated House and Senate designer blue jeans of governance to make it clear that, erm, we’re not finished with this equality bit yet. They were flanked by representatives from various organizations that seek to make the common good seem good again, including groups that represent transgender individuals, gay people who got fired and, well, Nancy Pelosi’s hand.

None of this is to make light of the history we witnessed (via livestream) on July 23. Just when we thought we could all just nest in the comfortable little pink house of acceptance by way of marriage equality, a full coalition showed its collective face as a means of pushing new legislation – deemed “The Equality Act” – with no less than 40 co-sponsors from the U.S. Senate.

Uprising_EqualityForwardSen. Jeff Merkley, D-Tall Drink of Justice in Oregon, and Rep. Dave Cicilline, D-All the Sizzlean in Rhode Island (move over, bacon!), were the key sponsors of the effort to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 designed to include a cornucopia of general freedoms to taxpaying folks populating every single congressional district. Sure, there was a ruling by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission a few weeks ago that LGBT individuals are already protected from the sweeping corporate hands of discrimination – “Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination ‘based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin,’” Time Magazine reported on July 17 – but many experts believe that the burden is on the government to rewrite its laws in order to influence a culture and society that still dances around with Confederate flags.

They are correct.

And if you stared into the faces of those who have been affected by this, faces that have long existed under the retractable umbrella of the Civil Rights Act (especially in right-to-work states), the very faces that were brave enough to stand next to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi or Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, and speak to the pain that they felt from employers for being LGBT, the gossip, or the redlining, or the eventual unemployment, the lines there would tell that story. We’re nowhere near done yet.

However, as website thenewcivilrightsmovement.com points out, this bill could go a long way in advancing protections and filling the potholes of justice for every minority, including our LGBT brothers and sisters: credit, education, employment, housing, jury service, federal funding and business service among them, cake lovers. And any politician (pathetic political swirl Rick Santorum and the increasingly crowded field of threatened Republican elephants he’s riding in on) who denies the rights of taxpaying individuals is at the mercy of a majority public that has evolved beyond hate.

“The Equality Act will mean full federal equality for LGBT Americans & stronger anti-discrimination protections for everyone,” Dame Hillary Clinton tweeted about the Equality Act. “Past time.”
Uprising_CarlosSmithMugWe’re not sure if you’ve been following the Fight for 15 campaign, wherein organizers and fast-food workers have been lining streets and public buildings as a means of raising the minimum wage to something fairly livable (it just happened in New York!). Well, you probably should be, as income disparity is something that plagues minority communities (naturally) in greater numbers than it does the rest of us – and that includes the LGBT community. Retiring Orange County Democratic Executive Committee Chair and aspiring Florida House of Representatives candidate Carlos Equality Smith appeared at an event on the steps of Orlando’s City Hall on July 23 and pledged to live on the minimum wage of $8.05 in solidarity starting on Labor Day for a full week in September.

Uprising_MikeReedyMugThough this column is not the type to throw around endorsements (yet), we’ve been monitoring the campaign of Equality Florida organizer (Democrat, obvs.)Mike Reedy since his announcement for a north Tampa legislative House seat in January. Reedy was a heavy critic of House Speaker Steve Crisafulli’spremature dropping of his hanky over budget disputes this spring – you would think he was running a campaign or something! – and was quick to point out that Crisafulli somehow found time to advocate for discrimination, because, well, that’s what really important. On July 30, Crisafulli is holding a fundraiser at Enigma St. Pete. From 5:30-7:30 with a pretty impressive host committee.

Uprising_JebBushMugOh, the things we can do with old Jeb and his dynasty in playful parlance, but mostly we just want to point out the things he is doing to himself. On July 22, Bush, in between bites of his own foot, uttered the least popular sentiment he could in a state full of aging Baby Boomers: He thinks we should phase out Medicare. At a (cough, Koch Brothers) event, he went as far as to praise Eddie Munster impressionist Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and his plan to privatize the nation’s most necessary medical system. “Many people are afraid to act because they’re fearful of just getting beat up politically,” he said, according to Huffington Post. Really, though. Really.

More in News

See More