We are afraid that Carleton's Bias Incident Response Team is not focused enough on the issues it was convened to deal with: systemic oppression. The current definition could be used against "reverse racism," which we don't think should be covered. We strongly recommend the BIRT Working Group develop a definition that is conditional upon a legacy of systemic oppression.

After writing an email to South Carolina Senator Mike Fair asking him to consider a ban on "pray away the gay" therapy, the Senator sent me an email back saying “Your warped advocacies are shameful” and that he is tired of the “sick behavior involving same sex” people. It was extremely inappropriate for the Senator to call a gay advocate “sick” and “shameful” from his government email account. Is this even proper protocol when responding to a concerned citizen? If he disagreed with my email, he should have been civil and respectfully said “I disagree” or “thanks” or simply not responded. Where his comments were absurd and disrespectful, his email certainly empowers me to keep up the important fight. Senator Fair is failing to protect our young people and the State of South Carolina. Please join me in urging him to immediately resign. A copy of the correspondence can be found below: Coverage by Advocate Magazine: http://www.advocate.com/politics/2016/4/15/sc-senator-lgbt-advocate-youre-warped-sick-shameful --------------------------------------------------- Begin forwarded message: From: Mike Fair Subject: Re: Ban Conversion Therapy Date: April 10, 2016 at 10:34:23 AM EDT To: Caleb Laieski Please do not ignore the science in promoting your agenda. Pediatric neurologists recognize and stand by the claim, empirically proven, that the brain's elasticity doesn't disappear following puberty and kids continue to change remarkably right through the end of adolescence which could be the mid twenties. Your encouragement of life altering surgery as a young teen but fighting against counseling from those who are no longer in the ethereal and sick behavior involving same sex sexual profligacy is beyond irresponsibility. Your warped advocacies are shameful. MF On Apr 9, 2016, at 2:38 AM, Caleb Laieski wrote: As an elected leader, I urge you to ensure legislation is introduced and passed to ban damaging conversion therapy. Conversion therapy refers to the practice to change and help "cure" someone's sexual orientation. Sadly, this practice is used on minors, who have no legal authority to make their own medical decisions. These practices lead to depression, decreased self-esteem, substance abuse, suicidal behavior, and frequently result in suicide. That is why physiological, medical, and counseling associations are against this practice. The associations also agree that this practice is ineffective, as well as extremely harmful, and damaging to individuals that go through these programs. A few of these organizations include: The American Medical Association, American Psychological Association, American Counseling Association, National Association of Social Workers, and the World Health Organization. Without question, there is very clear evidence that conversion therapy does not work and only traumatizes patients more. Several states have passed laws banning licensed therapists from subjecting minors to such treatment, and I urge you to join the movement. Please introduce and pass legislation that prohibits state-licensed mental healthcare providers from advertising or providing “conversion therapy” or "pray away the gay" therapy to anyone under the age of eighteen. Thank you very much for your time and consideration, Caleb Laieski National Advocate for the LGBT Community, Public Safety, and the Environment

It is apparently a move to restrict voters in NY State from voting in the NY State Presidential Primary on Tuesday, April 19, 2016...By starting this petition I am personally stating my strong objection to this move. I am urging all voters in the USA to join along in support of our right to vote in our elections!

Everyone deserves the same freedom, regardless of sexual orientation. This is just another jab at the fight for LGBT rights.

On April 14, 2016 during UW Madison Professor, Dr. Johanna F. Almiron’s Afro-American Studies Class, Black Visual Culture, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department ambushed the classroom, and removed a young black male student from the class. Upon confrontation, the student agreed to leave his seat and subsequently was detained and arrested outside of the classroom and taken to the Dane County Jail, where supporters later posted his bail. The student has been accused of 11 counts of vandalism for putting graffiti on buildings that directly confronts the racism faced by students like him on campus. He was also charged with one count of disorderly conduct. We denounce UWPD’s deplorable actions and ask for immediate accountability from campus administration, particularly Chancellor Rebecca Blank. We also ask that regardless of the outcome of the charges against him that the student be given immunity from expulsion for his actions and be allowed to graduate on time this May. "The university is more interested in protecting the symbols of UW as a progressive institution like their buildings and Bucky rather than the students who are actually fighting for social change, and apparently their lives," said Dr. Almiron. "The way UWPD officers entered my class was very aggressive with bullet proof vests and guns visible. I cannot believe they humiliated and terrified my students. The fact that our classrooms are not respected as spaces of learning is absolutely appalling." "Perhaps because the class deals with ethnic studies content and social justice issues, UWPD did not consider Dr. Almiron’s classroom worthy of its respect," said Dr. Karma Chávez, associate professor of Communication Arts. "UWPD did not recognize Dr. Almiron’s authority in the classroom, nor did they even acknowledge her as the professor when she tried to intervene. This is The Real UW." UWPD’s actions happen in the midst of an unprecedented number of reported racist incidents on campus, and as students of color have been sharing their stories of racism at UW on numerous media outlets via the hashtag, #therealUW. According to reports, UWPD tried numerous times to make contact with the student for his alleged violations. UWPD reports that arresting the student in his class was a last resort. We find this rationale unacceptable. Even the rash of violent crimes on campus such as rape and sexual assault have not warranted this kind of response. This charge was for vandalism. To arrest him in his Afro-American studies classroom, in front of his professor and his classmates goes well beyond the call of duty. We can only wonder if the content of the graffiti under question, which challenges police violence and racism on campus, serves as a rationale for UWPD’s use of such a public display of force. We refuse to be silent in the face of this incident that we understand as related to the many individual and structural racist incidents that have recently happened on UW Madison’s campus. "Racism is in the air, don’t breathe." "White Supremacy is a disease."

It's the right thing to do.

People who live in Los Angeles understand that there is zero tolerance for discrimination in our community. We also need to stand up for our brothers and sisters in other communities who are subject to discrimination. Sports teams and athletes have a huge voice in our society and we respectfully ask that they help to end discrimination in every way they can.

I believe all people should have equality in this country; countless lives have been lost and we have all worked too hard to protect our citizens to allow such discrimination.

In early April, Paypal decided not to move into Mississippi because of their new bill. New York has been stoping business with them. If this keeps up then more and more companies will follow and lose interest in dealing business with North Carolina. MLK fought for equality for everyone, but in today world we have anything that. We need to stand together and fight this bill, to the Supreme Court if needed. As Americans, it is our duty to stand up for what is right, and this is far from right. When women fought for the right to vote, many (conservatives) people did not think that women should have same rights as men, but never the less they fought and won. When MLK wanted equality for African Americans he fought, and won. All America has known is fighting; fighting for freedom, fighting for equality, fighting to save others from a worldwide treat. We have fought for so many years now, but now we need to fight again. I know the world's not perfect and will always have some problems but we become part of that problem when we do nothing to fix it. I ask you, America, please, don't become part of this problem. Help change this nation for the better and sign to remove House Bill H2.

More than 400 pro-democracy protesters staging a sit-in against the influence of big money in politics and congressional inaction to reverse it, as well as against the erosion of federal protection of voting rights, were arrested on the steps of the U.S. Capitol April 11, the first day of a week-long series of demonstrations. [1] Pro-democracy protesters are highlighting support for five pro-democracy bills: the Government by the People Act [2], the Fair Elections Now Act [3], the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 [4], the Voter Empowerment Act of 2015 [5], and the Democracy for All Amendment [6]. Urge Congress to support the #DemocracySpring pro-democracy bills by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/11/politics/democracy-spring-arrests-protests-washington/; http://www.nbcnews.com/video/-democracy-spring-stages-capitol-hill-protest-663564355890; http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/11/473874785/hundreds-protest-gerrymandering-campaign-finance-laws-on-capitols-steps; http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/04/11/us/politics/ap-us-capitol-protests.html 2. http://www.demos.org/publication/government-people-act 3. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/s1538/summary 4. http://vrafortoday.org/current-legislation/ 5. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/hr12/summary 6. http://freespeechforpeople.org/the-amendment/democracy-for-all-amendment/

I am starting this petition to warn Justin Bieber about how Rep. Walker is using Bieber's coming presence to try to cloak the North Carolina anti-Trans law in a semblance of legitimacy.

Stand with OBXPridefest against the discrimination of LGBT North Carolinians and visitors. We ask Governor McCrory and the NC General Assembly to immediately repeal HB2.