Equality for All Now: The Dallas Principles...join us.

[FreeState]

Excellent article over at Pams House Blend:

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/11062/equality-for-all-now-the-dallas-principlesjoin-us

PRINCIPLES
The following eight guiding principles underlie our call to action. In order to achieve full civil rights now, we avow:

1. Full civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals must be enacted now. Delay and excuses are no longer acceptable.
2. We will not leave any part of our community behind.
3. Separate is never equal.
4. Religious beliefs are not a basis upon which to affirm or deny civil rights.
5. The establishment and guardianship of full civil rights is a non-partisan issue.
6. Individual involvement and grassroots action are paramount to success and must be encouraged.
7. Success is measured by the civil rights we all achieve, not by words, access or money raised.
8. Those who seek our support are expected to commit to these principles.

FULL CIVIL RIGHTS GOALS

Being united by common principles and engaging in united action, we will achieve the following goals:

1. DIGNITY AND EQUALITY. Every lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender person has inherent dignity and worth, and has the right to live free of discrimination and harassment.
2. FAMILY. Every LGBT person has the right to a family without legal barriers to immigration, civil marriage or raising children.
3. ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. Every LGBT person has the right to economic opportunity free from discrimination in employment, public housing, accommodation, public facilities, credit, and federally funded programs and activities.
4. EDUCATION. Every LGBT child and youth has the right to an education that is affirming, inclusive and free from bullying.
5. NATIONAL SECURITY. Every LGBT person should have the opportunity to serve our country openly and equally in our military and foreign service.
6. CRIME. Every LGBT person should enjoy life protected against bias crimes.
7. HEALTH CARE. Every person should have access to affordable, high quality, and culturally competent health care without discrimination.

CALL TO ACTION

1. We demand that government officials act now to achieve full civil rights without delay.

2. Our organizations and individuals need to develop a collaborative and revolutionary new organizing model that mobilizes millions of supporters through emerging web and phone technologies.

3. All LGBT individuals must accept personal responsibility to do everything within their power for equality and should get involved in the movement by volunteering, giving and being out.

4. We will hold elected officials and our organizations accountable for being transparent and achieving full civil rights by active participation when possible and active opposition when necessary.

5. Our allies need to be proactive in public support for full civil rights.

6. Every government measure that quantifies the US citizenry must permit LGBT individuals to self-identify and be counted in every way citizens are counted.

7. We demand that the media present LGBT lives in fair, accurate and objective ways that neither include nor give credence to unsubstantiated, discriminatory claims and opinions.

This is about looking forward, being proactive and getting involved. I, along with my fellow authors of The Dallas Principles, believe the time for change now, as equality blossoms across this great nation.

[sui generis]

1. I'd like to add one

Engage in willful civil disobedience if you have a different set of rights than your neighbor, so long as it doesn't cause harm to another person or property.

Declare yourself to be married. Stop asking for your rights. Take them. Get crazy and fire a bigot for being gay. He would then be in the position of understanding that civil protections for sexual orientation include protections for perceived sexual orientation.

If it's within your threshold of inconvenience to achieve, file as married at the state and federal level, even if it's only an amended tax return for informational purposes only, with no other changes and let them do what they may.

It's time we stopped acting like we accept being second class citizens just because the law says so. If the law said jump off a cliff you wouldn't do that. Well 20% of us would, reliably, if it was law, but that's a real world statistic for another day.