Hawaii’s First Lesbian & Gay Legal Association

The first Hawaii Lesbian & Gay Legal Association (HLGLA) mixer will be held on December 3, 2008 at the Brasserie Du Vin Restaurant in Downtown Honolulu. The event will be co-sponsored by Westlaw and the Lambda Law Student Association. All persons interested in supporting Hawaii’s first LGBT law association are invited to attend this important occasion.

The HLGLA will be scheduling its first official meeting, directly after the mixer. During the first meeting, topics such as administrative issues, electing a board of directors, establishing bylaws, setting specific goals, and delegating projects will be addressed.

The HLGLA is made up of a volunteers from professional organizations including LGBT legal professionals and allies. This association is the first of its kind in Hawaii. The stated mission of HLGLA is to establish and maintain a group to support LGBT law practitioners and provide resources on LGBT issues.

Co-founder Kate Doty stated;

“We formed the organization because we felt that the LGBT members of Hawaii’s legal community lacked visibility and support. We hope that the organization will provide professional support and networking opportunities as well as increase awareness about issues faced by LGBT people working with the law.”

Find more information about the HLGLA’s at their temporary website by clicking here.

This is NOT Stonewall 2.0 - This is Our Life!

There have been several posts on several blogs that are calling the fight for gay marriage “Stonewall 2.0”. As you may, or may not know, Stonewall refers to a series of random demonstrations and riots which were held in protest to police raids that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, located in the Greenwich Village section of New York. The riots are commonly known as the first instance in American history when the gay and lesbian community fought back against a government-sponsored system that persecuted homosexuals. Prior to the Stonewall riots, it was illegal for “homosexuals” to congregate, and often times when they did, they were subject to physical abuse and even arrest. Stonewall has since become the defining event that marked the start of the modern gay rights movement.

Here is where I beg to differ in use of the term. This is NOT Stonewall 2.0, this is a revolution. Whereas back in 1969 the GLBT community was fighting for the very right to exist without enduring physical abuse and jail sentences, we have now evolved to become a recognized part of the population who have a statistically higher rate of education and more buying power than our heterosexual adversaries, and we also have gained a great deal of political influence, recognized as a voting power, and having GLBT community members who serve in various political post at all levels of government.

The issues we are facing now are light years apart from the days when it was illegal to congregate, and we don’t need random riots to beg for tolerance. We need complete acceptance. We need to be recognized as equal citizens. This isn’t about gay rights, this is about human right, more than that, its about doing what’s right for all citizens.

We as a community have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go. Again, this is not Stonewall 2.0. We are not simply fighting against being able to have a cocktail without going to jail, we are fighting to gain equality. This isn’t only about gay marriage, we are fighting to once and for all put and end to the hate and discrimination. We are fighting for our right to maintain a family. We are fighting to be. If we loose this fight, we will never gain equality and we will never be able to live our lives as full and complete citizens.
Let’s not reduce this to “Stonewall 2.0”. Take this for what it is. This is our future. This is our life!

A Consideration of LGBT Rights and the Church

But what is compelling about LGBT rights is precisely the opposite of his depiction of feminism - being LGBT is NOT a choice. What is natural is beyond human definition (that’s what makes it natural, not cultural). Even in the interview, Rodriguez asserts this dubious claim (albeit what he means by “sexual formation” may differ from what we think of as being an LGBT person, the language he uses does not assert such a difference).

“The possibility that we can form ourselves sexually — even form our sense of what a sex is — sets us apart from the traditional roles we were given by our fathers.”

Read the rest at Craftlessculture’s Weblog!

What is a Gay Person?

What is a gay person? If you do not know what a gay person is, this might be the reason why you are agreeing to take away their equal rights. So, what is a gay person? A gay person is: A man or woman A US citizen White, black, yellow, brown or the same color as you Pay taxes!

Read the rest at Today.com!

Florida GLBT Group Moves Headquarters

Compass, the gay and lesbian advocacy group, has moved its headquarters into temporary offices in Lake Worth and is spending $1.5 million to renovate the former Mid-County Senior Center building on North Dixie Highway.

Read the rest and more at Treasure Coast Trends!

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