The Diversity Institute at Misericordia University will host Keith Boykin, a New York Times best-selling author and founder of the National Black Justice Coalition, for two events to be hld on campus on Feb. 17 in conjunction with the organization’s Annual Dinner.

Boykin is a familiar face as a frequent contributor to CNBC and as the editor of The Daily Voice online news site, as well as a law school classmate of President Barack Obama. He will discuss Proposition 8 during a talk to be held at 2 p.m. in the McGowan Room of the Bevevino Library.

Boykin will also host a public forum at 8 p.m. in the Lemmond Theater at Walsh Hall. He will speak about this country’s first black president and what the country can expect from the Obama administration. Both events are free and open to the public and although no tickets are needed, seating is limited, and will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

Boykin has recently been featured on CNBC discussing the qualifications of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, and the scandal surrounding Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Educated at Dartmouth and Harvard, Boykin attended law school with then U.S. Senator Barack Obama and served in the White House as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton. He has been actively involved in progressive causes since he worked on his first congressional campaign while still a student in high school. He is a veteran of six political campaigns, including two presidential campaigns, and he was named one of the top instructors when he taught political science at American University in Washington.

In 1997, President Clinton appointed him, along with Coretta Scott King and Rev. Jesse Jackson, to the U.S. presidential trade delegation to Zimbabwe.

He was a star on the 2004 Showtime television series “American Candidate” and has since appeared on numerous national media programs, including “Anderson Cooper 360,” “The O’Reilly Factor,” “The Tyra Banks Show,” “The Montel Williams Show,” “Judge Hatchett” and “The Tom Joyner Morning Show.’’

A founder and first board president of the National Black Justice Coalition, Boykin delivered a landmark speech to 200,000 people at the Millennium March on Washington and he gave a stirring speech about the AIDS epidemic in front of 40,000 people in Chicago’s Soldier Field in July 2006.

Each of Boykin’s three books has been nominated for a Lambda Literary Award, including his most recent book, “Beyond the Down Low: Sex, Lies and Denial in Black America.” Keith won the Lambda Literary Award for his second book, “Respecting the Soul,” while his first book, “One More River to Cross,” is taught in colleges and universities throughout the country.

For more information, please contact the Misericordia University Box Office at (570) 674-6719.

Also, advisory board member Jeff Brauer is quoted in today’s Times Leader. Jeff is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Keystone College. View the story at http://www.timesleader.com/news/Abortion_tops_list_10-05-2008.html

The Rainbow Alliance, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, charitable organization does not endorse candidates. If you are interested in specific GLBT rights issues and candidate positions, please visit one of the following non-partisan websites:
• On the Issues Pennsylvania: http://issues2000.org/states/PA_Civil_Rights.htm
• On the Issues United States: http://issues2000.org/Civil_Rights.htm
• In the News United States: http://issues2000.org/News_Gay_Rights.htm
• National Gay & Lesbian Task Force Action Fund: http://thetaskforceactionfund.org/studies_analyses/studies_index.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: John Dawe (570-237-6048) – john@gaynepa.com
Stacey Sobel (215-731-1447 ext. 11) – ssobel@equalitypa.org

7-25-2008 - (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) – On July 23, 2008, The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld a Commonwealth Court decision striking down the amendments to the state’s hate crimes law that added sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, gender, and mental and physical disability in 2002. The law was overturned based on the procedural way the legislation was passed by the legislature, not the content of the law.

The law, known as the Ethnic Intimidation and Institutional Vandalism Act, was amended to include protections for these groups of people by a two-thirds majority of the state House of Representatives and Senate. The legislation was signed into law by Republican Governor Mark Schweiker.

Current Governor Ed Rendell said in a prepared statement, “It’s important to note that the Commonwealth Court’s decision was based on a procedural issue and not on the substance of the amendment. I urge the General Assembly to immediately pass appropriate legislation to fully reinstate this important statute, which originally was enacted with bipartisan support.”

“Equality Advocates Pennsylvania, then known as the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, worked to pass this legislation with our coalition partners and drafted the bill’s text.  We are extremely disappointed that some of the most vulnerable people in Pennsylvania are now unprotected by our state’s hate crimes law.  I urge the legislature to once again pass this legislation with all deliberate speed,”  said Stacey Sobel, Esq. Executive Director.

“The case stems from a 2004 incident in Philadelphia where Michael Marcavage, then 25, of the anti-gay evangelical group Repent America organized a protest and was arrested under the law’s ethnic intimidation statute during the 2004 Philly OutFest parade,” said John Dawe, executive director of the NEPA Rainbow Alliance, “We’re committed to working with Equality Advocates Pennsylvania, our supporters and partners throughout the region and Commonwealth to reinstate this law so that all citizens of the commonwealth are protected against hate.”

Stephen Glassman, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, added, “It is vitally important for our agency to be able to respond to every act of hate and bias in the Commonwealth no matter who the victim may be. We must protect the rights of people to be free from these hate crimes just as surely as we protect them on the basis of their religion, race, ethnicity, or national origin.” 

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Social conservatives in Harrisburg are trying to pass a statewide constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage — but this time they’ve expanded their goal. They want to block civil unions, domestic
partnerships, domestic partner benefits, and more.

Please contact your legislator and ask him/her to oppose the amendment by filling out a quick form at this link.

Thank you!

Recently, I had a lengthy conversation with Congressman Chris Carney (after an equally lengthy conversation with his legislative director) to share my profound disappointment with his vote opposing the passage of the Hate Crimes bill in Congress. He had committed to voting for it several days ago and changed his vote under pressure from conservative constituents and the Democratic National Committee which gave him a pass on this vote because he is apparently the No. 2 targeted race in the country in 2008. I was not at all persuaded by his excuses and I believe that he needs to hear from as many people as possible regarding his failure to deliver on a campaign promise to support both Hate Crimes and ENDA in addition to his more recent commitment to vote for the bill.

If you live in the 10th District, please contact Congressman Carney Today! — Express your outrage at his vote against the Hate Crimes Bill, the easiest piece of legislation to support with regard to LGBT equality. If he can’t even vote to protect us from being verbally harassed and physically attacked, how will he possibly vote in favor of ENDA to protect our right to work? And if he votes against our community on both of these bills, of what use is he to us in Congress?

CALL him at (866) 846-8124 — his office in Clarks Summit. Then let NEPA Rainbow Alliance executive director John Dawe know by sending a quick e-mail to john@gaynepa.com. Include that you called and what response (if any) you received.

Best regards,
Steve Glassman
Chair, Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission

Many people, including LGBT individuals, assume that sexual orientation and gender identity is covered by federal or state law when it comes to employment discrimination and access to public accomodations…. but it isn’t.

Today, in 33 states, it’s legal for your company to fire you for being gay, lesbian or bisexual. And in 42 states, you can be fired for being transgender.

CURRENTLY Pennsylvania has no law protecting LGBT workers.
Your community organization, the NEPA Rainbow Alliance, is working with the Value All Families Coalition to make our state’s employment law fair for ALL Pennsylvanians.

But, we really need your help! If you haven’t already done so … please go to the following link and fill out the form there. It will help us make our case before the Pennsylvania House and Senate.

Take Action Now!