GetEqual Statement on the Passing of Fred Phelps Sr.

For Immediate Release: March 20, 2014

Media Contact: Heather Cronk, heather@getequal.org, 202-491-7240

GetEQUAL Statement on Passing of Fred Phelps, Sr.

WASHINGTON, DC — Early this morning, Fred Phelps Sr., founder of Westboro Baptist Church, died in hospice care. GetEQUAL — a national social justice organization working toward the full equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Americans — issued the following statement in response to this news:

Fred Phelps Sr. passed away this morning, and we lift up his humanity especially as we know that his family is grieving his loss. Mr. Phelps caused very real pain and trauma for thousands of Americans, especially for those in the LGBTQ community but also for the families of fallen service members. It is our hope that those hurt by his words and actions will find healing. It is our hope that his family will one day find space in their hearts to recognize the humanity of LGBTQ individuals. And it is our hope that people across the United States commit or re-commit themselves to working toward equality and justice for all as a lasting legacy of Mr. Phelps’ life.

There will always be those who are so in pain themselves that they feel compelled to inflict pain on others. We re-commit ourselves today to loving those who hate us. We re-commit ourselves today to seeing the humanity in those who cannot or will not see it in us. And we re-commit ourselves today to working toward an America that is free of that pain — an America in which LGBTQ folks can live and love openly. On this day, we stand with our LGBTQ sisters and brothers across the country to say, with certainty, that we see that day over the horizon and that we will work until our hands bleed to bring about that day with a deep and abiding urgency.

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Ellen Sturtz: on why she heckled the First Lady,

The First Lady's speech at a Washington fundraiser was interrupted tonight by GetEQUAL member Ellen Sturz

"I lived and worked in the closet, hiding who I was in order to earn a living.  I had planned to speak tonight with DNC officials but, as the First Lady was talking about our childrens' future and ensuring that they have everything they need to live happy and productive lives, I simply couldn't stay silent any longer. I'm looking ahead at a generation of young people who could live full, honest, and open lives with the stroke of the President's pen, and I was hoping that the First Lady would share my concern for all of our young people." - GetEQUAL activist Ellen Sturtz, who heckled Michelle Obama yesterday at a Washington fundraiser.

Just when will the LGBT community get it thru their thick rainbow dye heads that an Executive Order will not help us? Yes, President Obama could issue this order, then the next President can void it very easily. We need ENDA, period. No Executive Order will protect us like a law will.

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Obama was delivering a speech at a DNC event at a private home in Washington shortly after 6 p.m. when a protester began shouting for the president to sign an executive order to protect gay and lesbian rights, according to pool reports. “ One of the things I don’t do well is this,” Obama reportedly responded to loud applause. She then left the podium and walked toward the heckler, saying she could “listen to me or you can take the mic, but I’m leaving. You all decide. You have one choice.” The protester was later identified as Ellen Sturtz, an activist for the pro-LGBT rights group GetEQUAL. The crowd begged for the first lady to stay and one woman near Sturtz shouted, “You need to go.” Sturtz was reportedly escorted out, identifying herself as a “lesbian looking for federal equality before I die.”

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Press Release: LGBT March in Mississippi Shut Down by Police

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 1, 2012

Media Contact: Zach Magee, GetEQUAL Mississippi Lead Organizer, zach_m12@yahoo.com

Police Tell LGBT Mississippians It’s Illegal to Be Openly Gay in the State

Permit for Rally Denied at Last Minute, Citing “Safety Concerns”

JACKSON, MS — Gay Mississippians tried to rally in Jackson this morning to draw attention to the need for equality under the law for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) residents of the state, but were turned away by the police. Despite having applied for a permit for a march in the city to highlight LGBT discrimination, organizers were informed shortly before the event that their permit had been denied and they had no right to rally in the city.

The primary organizer of the march, Bob Gilchrist, had organized the event on Facebook, and was expecting a large crowd for the march. The permit was denied even though event organizers were finalizing details to secure required liability insurance. When informed by police that the permit had been denied, those assembled for the march quickly changed plans under the threat of arrest if they were to proceed.

“Mississippi is notorious for basic human rights violations,” said Bob Gilchrist, the event organizer. ”It’s a shame that, in 2012, the state is still maintaining that reputation.”

Zach Magee, a Mississippi native who helped with the organizing behind the march, said, “I can’t believe the state is still maintaining a campaign of fear and intimidation to oppress state residents. Mississippians organized this march and Mississippians were going to attend this march — if the police can’t maintain safety while also permitting gay Mississippians’ freedom of speech, then I don’t know why they’re in the business of law enforcement.”

“As a Mississippian forced to flee my home state to seek equality elsewhere, this decision by the Jackson police is reprehensible,” said Robin McGehee, GetEQUAL’s executive director and a Jackson native. “Despite Mississippi’s long history of racial, gender, and economic discrimination, the state continues to use deceptive tactics like insurance requirements to prevent people from simply walking down the street as openly gay. You would think that Mississippi would have learned its lesson and would try to shake off the chains of its discriminatory past, but this action by Jackson police will simply cement the state’s reputation as the leader of bigotry and discrimination.”

Event organizers partnered with an existing rally at the Capitol building this morning to get their message out, and are currently exploring ways to take action publicly in the future.

Founded in 2010, GetEQUAL is a national grassroots organization whose mission is to empower the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community and our allies to take bold action to demand full legal and social equality, and to hold accountable those who stand in the way. For more information, go to www.getequal.org, www.facebook.com/getequal, or www.twitter.com/getequal.

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GetEqual: Say goodbye to your First Amendment rights

Our right to protest elected officials is about to be destroyed, and President Obama is the only person who can save it.

The House and Senate are sending President Obama a bill that would make it illegal to protest anyone under Secret Service protection, or at any location sanctioned as being of "national significance" -- including the Democratic and Republican conventions, or even the next Super Bowl!

We must stop this bill today. Click here to sign our petition asking Obama to veto the bill. It takes less than a minute!

All over the country, the right to protest is under attack. Just yesterday, an LGBT organizer in my home state of Mississippi had his permit to march revoked because he couldn't afford liability insurance -- just one more way that governments are putting up barriers to the rights of minority citizens. This legislation in Congress adds another layer of challenges to our First Amendment rights. Under this law, the act of protesting could bring jail time of up to 10 years!

Protesting unjust leadership is how we create pressure for positive change, and remind our fellow Americans that there is dignity in refusing to accept injustice. By speaking truth to power and disrupting those who use their office to bully LGBT people, we challenge evil and create the ability for the system to accept our demands.

If we can show substantial resistance to this legislation, it will give President Obama the political room he needs to veto the bill. Can you sign the petition now?

After signing, be sure to Tweet, share on Facebook, and email your friends and family so that we can show the media that the public is resisting!!

-- Robin, Heather, and GetEQUAL organizers across the country

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GetEqual sends Email: Burst down those closet Doors

did you know that National Coming Out Day is coming up next week, on Tuesday, October 11?

For a lot of people, the holiday has become just a time to change your Facebook profile picture. But the holiday can -- and should -- be about so much more.

National Coming Out Day is an opportunity each year to assess what you're doing for LGBT equality. It's a chance to challenge yourself -- and your friends -- to keep being visible and to keep showing courage in the fight for the equality we deserve.

This year, we want to help you in that process!

We try to only ever ask you to do one thing at a time, but we're asking you -- in the honor of NCOD -- to help us in three efforts to enhance the amazing momentum that's building toward equality and justice:

• Video/Photo: We're looking for videos and photos of folks who are coming out for equality. We will use your images to stitch together a video "statement" from the GetEQUAL community for next week. Take a picture/video of yourself holding hand-written signs in front of you, and email it to us at info@getequal.org. Here are the signs we're looking for:

- I'm "occupation" (doctor, teacher, cop, computer geek, retired, unemployed, Wal-Mart cashier, etc.)

- I live in "state"

- I like to "hobby" (play tennis, knit, challenge the status quo, garden, bike the streets of NYC, etc.)

- I'm "identity" (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, interest, polysexual, polyamorous, queer, questioning, ally, etc.)

- And therefore I can't "right that you don't have" (feel safe in my job, marry my partner, adopt my own children, sponsor my partner for citizenship, etc. -- find a list here)

- "I deserve more than 12%!!" (number taken from eQuality Giving)

• Come Out for Intersectional Issues: Have you already come out for full LGBT equality without delay and without compromise? Well, take this opportunity to come out for other issues and identities! Click here to make a pledge to come out for other important issues of justice on National Coming Out Day. If we are going to win this progressive fight for equality and justice, we have to come out for a world with full equality and justice for everyone!
• Occupy Together: You've surely seen the gathering momentum in New York City and across the country that the "Occupy Wall Street" organizers have created. As we approach National Coming Out Day, commit to ensuring that the Occupy events in your area are LGBT-inclusive. This is an amazing moment to continue building a progressive movement for true change. Wave your rainbow flag, carry your equality signs, and call on other protesters to join you in coming out for LGBT equality at events across the country -- and you can find those events at www.occupytogether.org.

Whatever you do to celebrate National Coming Out Day, do something. Take a stand. And if you've already taken a stand for yourself, take a stand for someone else. As long as anyone in this country remains unequal, the United States is less than what we can be. As we fight for full LGBT equality, and continue to come out every day of our lives -- as LGBT or as an ally -- let us remember that our destinies are wrapped up in one another's, and we must stand for justice in all corners of our world.

I look forward to seeing your videos, your photos, your intersectional declarations, and your courageous faces at Occupy Together events across the country!

“Burst down those closet doors once and for all, and stand up and start to fight.” - Harvey Milk

Get Out! Get Active! GetEQUAL!

Robin McGehee, Director

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