Most Americans still believe that this is a country of opportunity, where those who put forth honest effort can build a good life for their family. Many of us have parents, grandparents or great grandparents who came here as immigrants and earned their citizenship through hard work and determination, while still managing to raise their families on a meager salary, learn an unfamiliar language and labor at difficult and often low paying jobs that no one else was willing to take. For many years, however, our country’s immigration system has been broken, creating barriers for new immigrants who want to work hard and earn their place as citizens. Meanwhile, those who don’t play by the rules have flourished, leading to increased crime and danger along our borders. Most Americans don’t begrudge others the right to work hard and succeed, but we all want our communities to be safe and for those who take advantage of American opportunity to earn it honestly. This summer, it looked like Congress might finally pass legislation that would solve many of our country’s immigration woes in keeping with the views and values of majority of Americans. The immigration reform bill passed in the Senate this June includes a pathway for undocumented immigrants to work hard and earn citizenship while increasing safety for our communities by strengthening border security. It is time for the U.S. House of Representatives to pass comprehensive immigration reform, like the Senate did in June. However, Republicans in the house have stalled and effectively killed the Senate bill to force this option off the table. Speaker of the House John Boehner has insisted since this Spring, before the Senate bill even passed, that this proposed legislation would never make it to the House of Representatives and he and his colleagues have made good on this promise. In the meantime, our system is still broken. We have no path for many otherwise honest, hard working immigrants to make things right legally, including many who have grown up in this country and lived most of their lives as Americans. Meanwhile, this broken system means that our communities are still unsafe, as those desperate to make a better life for their family continue to present an opportunity for profit to the drug smugglers, coyotes and criminals who pose a threat to our Southwestern borders. The good news is that we live in a Democracy with a lawmaking process that has checks and balances to protect the American People from grandstanding by a handful of legislators. By using a process called a discharge petition, members of the House of Representatives can gain support from their colleagues to force the legislation to the House floor for a vote. Unfortunately, while many House Democrats have voiced support for signing such a discharge petition, none have yet shown the leadership to actually introduce it. We need one brave soul to take the lead. A coalition of progressive and social justice groups including MoveOn.org, America's Voice, 18Million Rising, We Belong Together, and CREDO Action, have committed to mobilizing our combined 15 million members in support of a discharge petition on comprehensive immigration reform. We hope you will join us in urging Arizona Representative Raul Grijalva to take the courage and leadership his colleagues have not by introducing a discharge petition and making it possible to bring the Senate Immigration legislation to the House floor.

If you're gay, read this. If you're straight, read this. There's a war going on in California that affects any of us that plan to be parents one day-- especially those of us (gay or straight) who may end up using alternative methods of conception. As a gay man who's trying to start a family with my partner, we're lucky to live in a state that's historically been progressive in regards to non-traditional families-- but as in the case of my brother Jason Patric, there are still ways, no matter what your orientation, to fall through the cracks-- unless, that is, he can have his day in court to demand partial custody of the son he has spent the past three years co-raising. And to have that, we need SB 115 to pass in the California Assembly this month. Unfortunately, six months ago, Jason's son Gus was taken away unceremoniously by his then girlfriend. After spending three years helping to raise his son, he now is unable to seek formal paternity because of 7630 of the California Family Code-- but the passing of SB 115 will give him the chance to seek custody. California has a laudable history of crafting legislation to support the intended family structures of people using reproductive technologies-- in many ways, it's a model for the nation. Unfortunately, 7630 of the Family Code inadvertently fails to live up to this standard. It creates more than a rebuttable presumption against a sperm donor (that a court could weigh and set aside based on the evidence of the parties), it creates an absolute ban on fatherhood, despite the intention or action of the parties and despite the best interests of the child. This not only serves to undermine individuals who did not obtain legal advice at the time of insemination, but sees fatherhood as the singular event of procreation, rather than as a process of nurturing a child by bringing it into one’s home and holding it out as one’s child. Surely, that cannot have been the legislature’s intent, as it would be inconsistent with the State’s other legislation that respects family choices of individuals using reproductive technologies and recognizes the benefits to children of supporting familial relationships. SB 115 will allow courts to provide for father’s rights in cases where the parties are able to establish that their actions proved a father-child relationship rather than rely on a lawyer having prepared a contract about a hypothetical future relationship a donor might have with an unborn child. SB 115 will only bring 7630 in line with other reproductive legislation in the State and could only serve the best interests of the child. SB 115 goes to a vote in the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, August 13th. It is imperative that it gets to the floor for a vote after already passing through the Senate at 38-0. Please realize that the passing of SB 115 is not only important to my family, but to all parents who want the continued opportunity to be in their child's life. Sincerely, Joshua John Miller

Now that the Boy Scouts of America have stopped excluding gay youth, some anti-gay extremists are trying to kick Boy Scout troops out of Catholic parishes. The latest example comes from Altoona, Wisconsin, where Boy Scout Troop 90 has been meeting at Saint Mary's Catholic Church for more than 20 years. The troop doesn't even have any gay members, but the local parish priest is nevertheless kicking out the boy scouts because of the Boy Scouts of America's national policy allowing gay youth to participate. The same thing is happening to another troop in the same diocese. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that gays and lesbians "must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity," and that "every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided." And numerous Catholic bishops, including the official liaison to the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, have said that the scouts' new policy doesn't prevent parishes from hosting scout troops. It's time for the local bishop to stand up to the anti-gay extremists in his diocese -- and beyond -- by publicly announcing that parishes in his diocese may not expel Boy Scout troops.

I believe in equality, and I am working to take after Oregon's example with their current same-sex marriage initiative which has collected over 240,000 signatures.

Violence aimed at athletes or anyone associated with the Sochi Olympics is unacceptable. The event is supposed to be INCLUSIVE and inspiring for all humankind. Gay folks should not be victimized.

David Swift is a retired veteran of the U.S.A. service who has lost many of his rights for non-violent crimes he committed in his youth. His son Dustin is an outstanding citizen fighting to support his father as the county and local governments seek to harass (today they euthanized his german shepherd as a "danger" though the dog was an older docile creature) and run him out of the county. The Swifts have very few resources and like many of us, subside on a modest life-style. This petition is started by a friends and neighbors who appreciates their neighborhood watch and concern for local citizens.

Scranton should send a clear message that violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens of Balakovo is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Russia’s sports minister, Vitaly Mutko, has said that foreign nationals, including Olympic athletes and spectators, will be subject to Russia's anti-gay laws during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Russian law allows police officers to arrest tourists and foreign nationals they suspect of being homosexual, lesbian, or “pro-gay” and detain them for up to 14 days. Russia's “gay propaganda” law makes any parents who tell their children that being gay is okay, any Pride parade organizer, any health official distributing information regarding safe sex between same-sex partners, and even judges and lawyers subject to arrest or fine. Already people are being arrested, beaten, intimidated, and more.

Appleton should send a clear message that violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens of Kurgan is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Russia’s sports minister, Vitaly Mutko, has said that foreign nationals, including Olympic athletes and spectators, will be subject to Russia's anti-gay laws during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Russian law allows police officers to arrest tourists and foreign nationals they suspect of being homosexual, lesbian, or “pro-gay” and detain them for up to 14 days. Russia's “gay propaganda” law makes any parents who tell their children that being gay is okay, any Pride parade organizer, any health official distributing information regarding safe sex between same-sex partners, and even judges and lawyers subject to arrest or fine. Already people are being arrested, beaten, intimidated, and more.

Russia's sports minister, Vitaly Murko, has said that foreign nationals, including Olympic athletes and spectators, will be subject to Russia's archaic homophobic laws during the 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. I hope our beautiful city of Flagstaff will send a clear message that violence against LGBT citizens of, and visitors to our sister city, Barnaul, the Olympic host city, Sochi, and all of Russia is unacceptable and cannot stand.

San Jose, Ca. should send a clear message that violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens of Yekaterinburg is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Russia’s sports minister, Vitaly Mutko, has said that foreign nationals, including Olympic athletes and spectators, will be subject to Russia's anti-gay laws during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Russian law allows police officers to arrest tourists and foreign nationals they suspect of being homosexual, lesbian, or “pro-gay” and detain them for up to 14 days. Russia's “gay propaganda” law makes any parents who tell their children that being gay is okay, any Pride parade organizer, any health official distributing information regarding safe sex between same-sex partners, and even judges and lawyers subject to arrest or fine. Already people are being arrested, beaten, intimidated, and more.

Louisville should send a clear message that violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens of Perm, Russia is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Russia’s sports minister, Vitaly Mutko, has said that foreign nationals, including Olympic athletes and spectators, will be subject to Russia's anti-gay laws during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Russian law allows police officers to arrest tourists and foreign nationals they suspect of being homosexual, lesbian, or “pro-gay” and detain them for up to 14 days. Russia's “gay propaganda” law makes any parents who tell their children that being gay is okay, any Pride parade organizer, any health official distributing information regarding safe sex between same-sex partners, and even judges and lawyers subject to arrest or fine. Already people are being arrested, beaten, intimidated, and more.

Claremore should send a clear message that violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens of Salekhard is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Russia’s sports minister, Vitaly Mutko, has said that foreign nationals, including Olympic athletes and spectators, will be subject to Russia's anti-gay laws during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Russian law allows police officers to arrest tourists and foreign nationals they suspect of being homosexual, lesbian, or “pro-gay” and detain them for up to 14 days. Russia's “gay propaganda” law makes any parents who tell their children that being gay is okay, any Pride parade organizer, any health official distributing information regarding safe sex between same-sex partners, and even judges and lawyers subject to arrest or fine. Already people are being arrested, beaten, intimidated, and more.