62 Democrats in the PA General Assembly now support Marriage Equality. Unfortunately, Rep. Tom Calatagirone is not one of them. Please sign my petition and tell Rep. Caltagirone to support full civil rights for same-sex couples in PA.

The Midwest Coalition for Human Rights, a coalition of 56 organizations, on behalf of itself and parents, students, teachers, community members, and the many civil society organizations, sent a Letter of Allegation to United Nations asking that they investigate and prevent human rights violations in Chicago. Tell the United Nations to take action to investigate and prevent human rights violations in Chicago by signing your name to the Letter of Allegation to the United Nations. A copy of the Letter of Allegation can be found at:https://www.dropbox.com/s/z6lql1l92m986s7/Letter%20of%20Allegation.docx

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act passed a historic milestone in July, garnering all Democrats and three Republican votes to pass from the Senate Judiciary committee to the floor in a 15-7 vote. Majority Leader Senator Harry Reid is committed to putting the legislation on the floor. With the bill poised to face the floor, there remain but three uncommitted Democrats, Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Sen. BIll Nelson of Florida and Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. The time is now for these Democrats to join their colleagues across the aisle and take a strong stand in support of Federal legislation affirming all Americans deserve the Freedom to Work, no matter who they are, or who they love.

Mrs. Viola Reovan-Muhammad is speaking out about her experiences of oppression & harassment while employed at St. Vincent's Medical Center under her direct supervisor, Ms. Helen Krisinsky. The treatment Mrs. Reovan-Muhammad received were not isolated incidents; there are many others who have fallen victim to the discriminatory practices of St. Vincent's Medical Center. Institutionalized oppression and internal conflicts will inevitably have a negative impact on patient care. Mrs. Reovan-Muhammad started this petition not just for herself but for the employees and patients who remain at St. Vincent's Medical Center, and those to come - this petition is dedicated to them!

(To be clear, I have no idea who Phillip Ranly is, but I'll stand up for any man or woman's right to grow their hair the way they like it. No matter the aesthetic cost.)

Millions of Americans are affected by the plight of childhood sexual abuse. As a survivor I want to bring to light this issue,an especially as it pertains to African American men, which more times than not goes unnoticed and is taboo in the African American community (''Black men are everything but they cant be child molesters'').

Millionhoodies is a multiracial alliance of concerned citizens, civil society organizations, and community leaders who are fed up with the unprecedented levels of unrestrained violence directed at young people of color in this country.

If you care about the rights of every American then you need to sign this petition. There is an unfair, bigoted question in the screening process of the American Red Cross that 100% prevents any gay men from donating blood, even if it is certain they do not have HIV/AIDS. Si le importan los derechos de todos los americanos necesita firmar esta petición, hay una pregunta injusta e intolerante en el proceso de selección de donadores de la Cruz Roja americana que impide donar sangre en un 100% a cualquier hombre homosexual, aun cuando no tengan HIV/AIDS.

America is in turmoil since the announcement of the Zimmerman verdict. Demonstrations of outrage have ignited all across the country in response. The verdict sends a message about the lesser value of Black life and the toleration of racial prejudice. We must refute this dangerous message. We cannot deny the role of race and racism in the Trayvon Martin Tragedy. The only reason that the 17-year-old, was considered suspicious in his own neighborhood was because he was Black. It is reflective of the prejudice in our society that the young Black man who was killed on his way home was made out to be the criminal, and the grown man who shot him became the victim. To omit the role of race is to ask for tragedies like this to happen again. We must break the cycle. America must talk about race and the reality of racial inequity. NOW. Your leadership is required to seed that conversation. In response to the Zimmerman verdict, your office released a statement acknowledging the tragedy of Trayvon’s death and the strong passions around the decision, noting: “[W]e are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken. I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son. And as we do, we should ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities. We should ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis. We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this." You are right that we need to ask “how we can prevent future tragedies like this”. But to do that, we must ask ourselves how we will address racial inequality in our society. We can’t turn a blind eye towards the unfounded racial prejudice and criminalization of Black men that was at the root of this case. Nor can we ignore the myriad other indicators of racial injustice in this country: In Florida, the same State where Zimmerman’s trial took place, Marissa Alexander, a 31-year old Black mother of three was sentenced to twenty years for firing warning shots to defend herself from her abusive husband. She received no protection under the Stand Your Ground law. [1] This year’s public school closings in Chicago disproportionately affect Black students. Although the Black student population in Chicago is only 43%, of the 54 schools that were closed, 88% of the affected student population is Black. [2] In 2012, there were 313 reported extrajudicial killings of Black people by police officers, security guards, and vigilantes. That’s one Black person every 28 hours. [3] Deaths like Trayvon’s and so many more injustices will persist if we do not name the reality of racial inequity. This 17-year-old boy’s tragic death is about more than Gun Control and Stand Your Ground. It’s about racial prejudice in the United States. We need a leader who will name that. A leader who will respect the legacy of the many Americans who struggled and died for civil rights. A leader who will seize upon this critical teaching moment for America. We need you to be our President, not another cautious politician. America must begin a national conversation about race and we need your leadership to do it. [1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/19/marissa-alexander-gets-20_n_1530035.html [2] http://politic365.com/2013/06/10/88-black-how-about-taking-a-recess-from-closing-public-schools/ [3]http://mxgm.org/operation-ghetto-storm-2012-annual-report-on-the-extrajudicial-killing-of-313-black-people/

In light of the Travesty of the George Zimmerman trial President Obama can convene a White House commission on race and racism in America. It is all too clear that we do not live in a Post Racial Society. Our President can address this issue head on and begin the real process of healing and hope and will not need the permission of congress to do it! He has the power to act now!

Congress must act soon to restore the Voting Rights Act in the wake of the Supreme Court decision, Shelby County v. Holder, handed down on June 25th.

Sign this petition if you are sick and tired of the rants of Rush Limbaugh against women, ethnic groups, the administration, and anything else vile that comes out of his mouth.The FCC does not allow some of the words he has used over the airways -- I know, I HAVE an FCC license myself! Example: He said "nigga" was ok to say as it had an "a" on the end! We need to stop this sort of thing.