Iana Di Bona iana.dibona@gmail.com
Connecting Rainbows Bluntly Reminds Senator Huntley About Dr. King's Dream
YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrPzVYwK4aE
April 28, 2011 -- New York, NY – Yesterday at noon, LGBTQ activists demonstrated in front and visited the office of Queens Senator Shirley Huntley in Jamaica Queens calling upon her to be a champion for full civil rights, including marriage equality for LGBTQ Americans. Protesters unfurled a 20' banner that says "Sen. Shirley Huntley Marched in Selma and Didn't Learn a Thing" while blaring Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, giving her a much needed wake-up call.
In 2009, Senator Huntley voted "No" on the marriage equality bill which would grant same-sex couples the same 1,324 legal protections that opposite-sex couples already have. When asked the reason for her vote, she explained that she was speaking on behalf of her constituency in district 10.
It is astounding to think that a person who claims to have marched in Selma, Alabama with Dr. Martin Luther King, as Senator Huntley stated at a community forum on June 18, 2010, would not have learned to recognize the injustice of discrimination based one's gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation and embrace the values of fairness and equality for all. In doing so, she is spitting on Bayard Rustin's grave and all other LGBTQ freedom fighters in history.
As Dr. King's wife, Coretta Scott King acknowledged, "Gays and lesbians stood up for civil rights in Montgomery, Selma, in Albany, Georgia, and St. Augustine, Florida, and many other campaigns of the Civil Rights Movement. Many of these courageous men and women were fighting for my freedom at a time when they could find few voices for their own, and I salute their contributions."
The new civil rights movement is underway. We are calling on all LGBTQ people and allies to demand their full civil rights now. And no matter what party affiliation, anyone that stands in the way of equality will be a target for direct action.
About LGBT Civil Rights:
Marriage is a vehicle that society uses to distribute rights, benefits, and equality. One way for LGBT Americans to access equal rights would be to be allowed to legally marry. Another way, which would work concurrently, would be to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity by amending the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
About Connecting Rainbows:
Connecting Rainbows is a group of activists that are organizing civil rights walks in America. The group’s mission is to create a mass movement, demanding full civil rights for LGBT Americans. Connecting Rainbows uses the power of a social media platform, where activists may create online profiles, meet other activists, plan events, join groups, blog, and participate in online forums. Visit : http://connectingrainbows.ning.com/
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