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Anti-LGBT Amendments on SB 162 Rejected

June 1, 2013 in Blog

Even in the midst of what has sometimes been a disappointing legislative session for the LGBTQ community, it’s important to recognize our elected officials who stand up against legalized bigotry.

Last week, the Louisiana House of Representatives added an amendment to SB 162, the bill that would legalize some kinds of gestational surrogacy contracts, that would declare the bill void if the United States Supreme Court ever overturns the Defense of Marriage Act or Louisiana’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. This amendment is nothing but legislative gay-bashing that would take rights away from everyone if any same-sex couples might be able to benefit from them too.

Thankfully, as part of the process of reconciling the different amendments added by the House and Senate to this bill, the conference committee rejected this unnecessary and mean-spirited amendment.

Although SB 162 still prevents same-sex couples from using surrogacy, we appreciate the work of the conference committee in rejecting an amendment whose sole purpose was to express hostility toward same-sex marriage. Please thank the committee members for their courage:

Rep. Walt Leger III                    legerw@legis.la.gov                (504) 556-9970

Rep. Joseph P. Lopinto III     lopintoj@legis.la.gov              (504) 838-5430

Rep. Neil C. Abramson            abramson@legis.la.gov           (504) 275-8051

Sen. Gary L. Smith, Jr.             smithgl@legis.la.gov               (985) 764-9122

Sen. Ben Nevers                          neversb@legis.la.gov              (985) 732-6863

Sen. Edwin Murray                    murraye@legis.la.gov             (504) 945-0042

 

by Matthew Patterson
Legislative Coordinator

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Pride Month Is Coming

May 29, 2013 in Blog

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With only six days left of the legislative session, we are beginning to move into June, Pride month. There will be events to celebrate all over Louisiana – from Shreveport to Alexandria to Lafayette to New Orleans. In the Capital City alone, Pride Fest, Pride 1, and Louisiana’s Annual Statewide Equality March will take place in June.

I’d like to encourage everyone to attend pride events that occur in your part of the state. I also hope that people from all over the state will consider making their way to Baton Rouge for the Equality March. Last year, over 300 people from around Louisiana attended, and this year we are hoping for even more. A large presence at public LGBT events is important for Louisiana. It shows our local policy makers, legislators, and business owners that we are here and that we are not going anywhere.

If you need more convincing to attend the Equality March, just take a look the excerpt below from a blog post by Capital City Alliance.

Kayla Mulford, Programs and Activities Chair for Capital City Alliance, writes, “On June 23, 2012, history was made in Louisiana! For the first time ever, over 300 members of the LGBTQ community and their allies stood firm and marched to the State Capitol steps in Baton Rouge. That day was a landmark moment for Louisiana – a display of the support, love and unity that has blossomed within the Pelican State.

As I look back on the days leading up to that momentous occasion, I remember the doubt that flooded my mind. Would people feel comfortable marching in the capitol city? Would we be faced with opposition, and if so, to what extent? Would the attendees be safe and protected by the city’s law enforcement?

However, as I recall the events of the day, I can’t help but smile and be humbled by the scenes that I witnessed: the massive church group with their matching t-shirts and rainbow flags waiving in the air; dozens of business representatives and employees proudly displaying their logos in support of a better community; the multiple media outlets ready to report on and capture the historic event; the chants, shouting and laughter of family and friends that filled the streets; the powerful and eloquent speeches of the fearless leaders that spoke at the rally on the Capitol steps. I remember trying to hold back the tears that kept forming in my eyes, and the only thing I can hope for, is for that tear to return over and over again as the years pass.”

by Micah Caswell
Communications Coordinator

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SB 162: A Bad Bill Gets Amended to Be Even Worse

May 25, 2013 in Blog

This week, the Louisiana House of Representatives gave final approval to SB 162, a bill which would provide legal recognition for certain kinds of contracts for gestational surrogacy. Currently, Louisiana does not recognize as legally binding any kind of arrangement that intended parents might make with a surrogate mother in order to have children. SB 162 would provide legal recognition and protections to married couples who are both able to donate gametes in order to conceive a child with a surrogate carrying the pregnancy to term.

If you’re thinking that definition sounds rather restrictive, you’re right. This bill does not permit single people or same-sex couples to form valid surrogacy contracts, nor does it permit couples in which one or both partners are infertile to conceive a child with the help of donor gametes and a surrogate. This has the effect of excluding most of the people who might choose surrogacy in the first place, and for these and other reasons the bill has been opposed by groups like Equality Louisiana, Forum for Equality, Louisiana Progress, and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

Unfortunately, thanks to a surprise amendment on the House floor, the situation around this bill has abruptly gotten even worse. Rep. Frank Hoffmann (R-West Monroe) offered the following amendment, which was accepted without objection:

“If the United States Supreme Court finds that Article XII, Section 15 of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974 or the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, defining marriage as the union between one man and one woman, is unconstitutional, the provisions of this Act shall be null, void, and given no effect.”

Rep. Hoffmann is apparently so concerned that same-sex couples might be able to get married in Louisiana that he introduced a provision to repeal the entire surrogacy law if the Supreme Court overturns DOMA or Louisiana’s state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

It’s hard to overstate how bizarre and spiteful this is. Although the bill as written doesn’t actually help many families, the people it does benefit don’t deserve to have the rug pulled out from under them if the Supreme Court makes a ruling completely unrelated to the state of Louisiana or the issue of surrogacy. Even forcing Louisiana to recognize same-sex marriage still wouldn’t permit same-sex couples to conceive children with the help of a surrogate under this bill, because of the requirement that both intended parents donate gametes – this would be biologically impossible for a same-sex couple to accomplish.

This amendment is therefore as superfluous as it is mean-spirited – there is no reason at all to take extra caution to exclude same-sex couples from the law’s protection, because the bill does that quite well already. The only people this provision can actually hurt are, in fact, the families this law was written to benefit. When the conference committee meets to reconcile the different versions of this bill passed by the House and Senate, they should reject this amendment – all it does, all it can ever do, is harm a group of people who never asked to be dragged into the culture war over same-sex marriage. The very idea that we should take away rights from everyone if there’s the slightest possibility LGBT people might benefit too is unworthy of us, and if the bill passes with this amendment still attached to it, we should be ashamed that this was done in our name.

by Matthew Patterson
Legislative Coordinator

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The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) 2013 National School Climate Survey

May 19, 2013 in Blog

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LGBT YOUTH – SPEAK OUT ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL EXPERIENCES!

The 2013 National School Climate Survey is GLSEN’s eighth national survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. It is a crucial tool in GLSEN’s mission for fighting anti-LGBT bias in K-12 schools across the nation. The information gathered from this survey will help GLSEN to inform education policymakers and the public about the right of all students to be treated with respect in their schools. Many students in the past have also used the survey information to advocate with their teachers and principals for safer schools for LGBT students.

You can help GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) inform education policymakers and the public about what’s really going on in our nation’s schools by completing the 2013 National School Climate Survey. If you attended high school or middle school sometime during the last school year (2012-2013), identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and are at least 13 years old, tell us about your experiences in school. (If you did not complete the entire school year you can still participate in the survey.) The survey is completely anonymous.

The survey asks questions about your experiences in school, including hearing homophobic remarks, being harassed because of your sexual orientation and/or how you express your gender and how supportive your school is of LGBT students.

*from GLSEN

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Reflections on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

May 18, 2013 in Blog

IDAHOYesterday, May 17, 2013, marked the 9th Annual International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. After seeing the many Facebook posts, tweets, and blog entries that bore the badge of the day – I.D.A.H.O – I have been reflecting on the meaning of the day and have come to the conclusion that it was a perfect time to remind all of us that homophobia and transphobia are alive and well. As Mary Griggs, a fierce advocate for equality in Louisiana, wrote yesterday – it’s about privilege. We all have certain privileges afforded to us, whether we want them or not, because of our race, ethnicity, national origin, language ability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or even geographic location.

Twelve states and the District of Columbia have legalized marriage for same-sex couples, and the Supreme Court has the opportunity to overturn DOMA. But what about states where LGBT people still don’t have employment protections or effective anti-bullying policies in schools?

This year the Louisiana legislature was again presented with an employment nondiscrimination act that would protect employees of the state from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. And again, the representatives on the House and Governmental Affairs Committee voted against employment protections for LGBT people. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has a map showing other states that do not protect their LGBT employees.

Equality Louisiana, with other coalition members of Stop Bullying Louisiana, has been pushing a positive discipline bill that would provide for restorative practices in schools, rather than zero tolerance policies. This matters for LGBT youth in Louisiana schools because we know LGBT children, along with children of color and children with disabilities, are disproportionately affected by those policies.

HB 646: The Safe and Successful Students Act will come before the full Louisiana House of Representatives for a vote next Wednesday. I hope that we can all take the vigor and determination to end homophobia and transphobia that I saw yesterday into this next week. Take action to end the homophobia and transphobia in our schools by providing adequate training for our teachers, the opportunity for children to learn from their mistakes, and positive school climates that improve student performance – all things within the scope of HB 646. Please ask your representative to vote for this bill.

 

by Micah Caswell
Communications Coordinator

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HB 646: The Right Idea for Marginalized Youth in Louisiana

May 14, 2013 in Blog

With HB 646, the Safe and Successful Students Act, on the eve of what we hope will be successful passage out of the Louisiana House of Representatives, it’s worth reminding ourselves why it’s so important for teachers and principals to have at their disposal methods of dealing with discipline problems other than out-of-school suspension and expulsion. In addition to the well-documented benefits of establishing positive school climates, the research is also quite clear that removing students from school is a very poor way to change negative behaviors.

First of all, it’s a well-known fact that some students are much more likely to be subject to out-of-school suspension than others. In Louisiana schools, black students are over twice as likely to be suspended from school as white students, students with disabilities are almost twice as likely as their peers to be suspended, and male students are more likely than females to be suspended regardless of race or disability. Although this is not yet a reporting category in federal law, LGBT students are also more likely to be suspended from school than their straight or cisgender peers.

Such a clear pattern of disparate impact on groups of students raises obvious civil rights questions that are very difficult to answer – it can’t be the case that there’s no other option for dealing with classroom discipline than depriving students of color and students with disabilities of their right to an education.

Furthermore, suspensions don’t even address the behavioral issues that motivate their use. In Jefferson County, KY (a large urban school district slightly larger than Baton Rouge or New Orleans), a study found that students who were suspended once or twice were 8 times more likely than their peers to wind up assigned to an alternative school, and students suspended three or more times were 25 times more likely to wind up removed to an alternative school. Clearly, repeated suspensions do not change behavior to the point where a student will successfully avoid ending up in an alternative school later on.

The same study found that just over 40% of students removed to alternative schools, on average, wound up in juvenile detention within a few years. Ultimately, it’s very clear that out-of-school suspension is the way kids are funneled into the institutional pipeline that ultimately leads to prison. This comes at significant financial cost – the state of Louisiana spends over ten times more per year on each incarcerated youth than we spend on each student in public schools, which is a number so absurd it hardly seems possible, but for the fact that many states report similarly inflated figures.

HB 646 goes a long way toward ensuring that our schools have disciplinary policies that give kids a chance to change their behavior and succeed, strengthening the ability of teachers and principals to manage their schools in appropriate ways, and ultimately helping reduce the flow of kids into the school-to-prison pipeline. In this case, the financially sound thing to do is also the only moral thing to do – there’s simply no other option than to protect every child’s right to a safe school environment that makes it possible for them to succeed in life.

by Matthew Patterson
Legislative Co-Coordinator

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History was made at the State Capitol last Wednesday!

May 6, 2013 in Blog

House Bill 85: The Louisiana Fair Employment Act, a measure that would have protected state employees against discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, failed to pass the House and Governmental Affairs Committee. This means it will not become law this year and we must continue to fight for this policy change again next year and every year after that until it is no longer legal in this state to fire someone for being LGBT.

Despite this setback, we can celebrate one thing. Today marks the first day in history that an openly transgender person has testified in front of the Louisiana Legislature. Elizabeth Jenkins, President of Louisiana Trans Advocates, spoke to the legislative committee about the need for an employment nondiscrimination act for transgender people.

EQLA could not be more proud of Elizabeth’s courage and determination. As one of the founding members of EQLA, Louisiana Trans Advocates is pushing for policies and legislation that will make the lives of ALL LGBT people in Louisiana better.

We applaud the hard work of Representative Austin Badon (D-New Orleans), a longtime LGBT ally in the legislature, who worked with Forum for Equality to bring this bill to the Capitol this legislative session.

Louisiana is among the 34 states that do not currently provide employment protections for LGBT employees. This kind of policy change is essential to ensuring that LGBT workers are safe and secure in their jobs and can put food on the table for their family.

We are committed to continuing this fight next year with Louisiana Trans Advocates and all of our other coalition members. Email us if you are interested in getting involved and helping make our state better for LGBT workers!

by Tucker Barry
Legislative Co-Coordinator

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The Safe and Successful Students Act is on its way to the House floor!

May 5, 2013 in Blog

House Bill 646: The Safe and Successful Students Act has passed out of the House Education Committee.

This bill requires that school discipline be implemented in a way that provides necessary services and interventions for students, allows them to understand the consequences of their actions and make amends for negative behavior, and removes kids from school only as a last resort to preserve school safety when other measures fail.

We applaud the work of the Stop Bullying Louisiana Coalition, and we are proud to be a part of a group of organizations that stands up for our children.

The next stop for this bill is the House floor. Before the full House of Representatives debates and votes on this bill, it’s important that you contact your Representative and ask them to support this bill. You can look up your own Representative’s contact information here.

Thank you to everyone who continues to fight for the safety of Louisiana’s children.

by Micah Caswell
Communications Coordinator

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NOTICE: HB 402 Committee Hearing Postponed Again

April 29, 2013 in Blog

New date has not yet been announced.

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Who Needs Positive School Climates?

April 26, 2013 in Blog

You know, it seems to me that wanting to create positive school climates in which students can grow into responsible citizens. Isn’t that part of why we have schools to begin with? Our youth need a place where they can learn to interact with others and learn why certain behaviors are acceptable and others are not. This “utopian school” has been replaced with what I would call a wasteland. The trend to adopt zero tolerance policies has forced many children – most of whom have been traditionally marginalized – out of schools, onto the streets, and into the prison system, creating what we now call the School-to-Prison Pipeline.

Bullying and other disciplinary issues need to be addressed in schools. Zero tolerance policies don’t actually address these issues, but rather label certain children as “problem children” to be disposed of. The disposal of our children is not discipline. It’s genocide. We are stripping particular children – children of color, LGBT children, children with disabilities, etc. – of the best chance they have at a successful future.

Louisiana House Bill 646: The Safe and Successful Students Act is meant to break this pipeline. It calls for restorative justice disciplinary practices in schools so that children have opportunities to learn from their mistakes and to repair any relationships that may have been damaged by their behavior. Research in psychology and education shows that these kinds of policies create safer school environments where all students can thrive. In a policy brief put out by Stop Bullying Louisiana and Louisiana Progress, three positive effects are outlined as results of the implementation of restorative justice practices in schools:

  1. Restorative practices and positive school climates create safer schools and reduce the frequency of serious disciplinary incidents,
  2. Positive school climates reduce student risk behaviors, and
  3. Schools with positive climates see higher standardized test scores and academic achievement.

I don’t know about you, but those three results are answer enough for me. We need positive school climates to create safer and healthier schools for our children, to reduce risk behaviors by students, and to improve achievement and test scores. So Louisiana, I charge you with letting your legislators know that you want them to support HB 646: The Safe and Successful Students Act.

by Micah Caswell
Communications Coordinator

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