July 20 – Around 125 people gathered in the Penrose Library to watch Republican El Paso County Sheriff candidates debate, an event Citizens Project co-sponsored.
KKTV has an article and short video on the debate here, and you can read the Gazette article about it here.
Here are some pictures from the event:
Citizens Project would like to thank the Independent, as well as our other co-sponsors, the League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region, Colorado College, KRCC, FOX21, Inside/Out Youth Services, Artemis, Pride Center, and the NAACP for making this event such a success!
El Paso County voters will have the opportunity to hear from – and ask questions of – republican primary candidates for El Paso County Sheriff at a nonpartisan forum co-sponsored by Citizens Project and the Colorado Springs Independent. The winner of the republican primary election for this office will run unopposed on the general election ballot. Please join us as we hear from EL Paso County candidates Maketa and Shirk.
With the recent developments regarding the United States’ military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, which effectively bans openly gay and lesbian citizens from serving in the military, it is an appropriate time to examine where the policy came from, where it currently stands, and the possibilities for its future.
Leading up to his 1992 presidential election victory, Bill Clinton promised to end the ban on gays and lesbians in the US military. However, once in office President Clinton encountered fierce resistance from Congress. During the Congressional debates, Dr. Gregory Herek, a respected social psychologist with over 15 years of research in topics of sexual orientation, spoke on the potential consequences of lifting the ban on gays and lesibans in the military. His ultimate conclusion was that “the research data show that there is nothing about lesbians and gay men that makes them inherently unfit for military service, and there is nothing about heterosexuals that makes them inherently unable to work and live with gay people in close quarters.” Despite these affirmations, President Clinton was unable to persuade congress, and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was formed as a compromise. This was, at any rate, progress, because it allowed gay and lesbian troops to serve in the military, as long as they kept their sexual orientation a secret.
Every year, a bill is used to decide the budget of the US Department of Defense, and the 2010 version includes an amendment that would eliminate the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law. This was voted on by the House of Representatives on May 27, and it passed on a 234-194 vote. The Senate Armed Forces Committee also voted on the bill, and it passed there with a 16-12 vote.
The biggest argument against passing the bill is that its potential effects on the military are unknown. The Pentagon is currently undergoing a review that was commissioned after President Obama’s State of the Union Address, where he discussed his desire to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. The goal of the review is to determine whether or not the repeal would affect the “military’s standards of readiness, effectiveness, unit cohesion and recruitment and retention,” and to offer strategies on how to implement the law if it was passed. The results of this review are not due until December, so many Representatives who were not in favor of repeal said that they were reluctant to agree to the bill without first knowing the results of the Pentagon review.
What is known about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is there are many negative consequences. Apart from its obvious discriminatory nature, which can alienate troops and force them to lie, it is very expensive. A 2006 study showed that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell has cost the US over $363 million dollars in investigations and training replacements. Over 13,000 people have been kicked out of the military since 1993 due to their sexual orientation, which includes troops with critical skills such as Arabic linguists, fighter pilots and doctors, whose skills are invaluable during a time in which the US is involved in two wars. There are over thirty countries that allow gays and lesbians to serve openly, including Israel, England, Canada, Australia, and Spain.
There are still many obstacles in the way before the repealing of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell can be passed. The next step is that the Senate must vote on the bill, which could occur this summer. If it were to pass in the Senate, the president, the defense secretary and the Joint Chiefs of Staff all must sign off on it as well. This might be a very significant obstacle because President Obama has threatened to veto the bill because it contains money for defense projects he deems wasteful.
Despite these obstacles, there is more hope than ever that the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law will finally be eliminated. As Dr. Herek mentioned, there is absolutely nothing that prevents gays and lesbians from serving as well as heterosexuals. And with numerous examples of countries successfully embracing gays and lesbians into their militaries, isn’t it time that the United States, a self-professed powerful force for good in the world, did so as well? As someone close to me always says, there have always been gay and lesbian troops in the military, and I believe that it is long past due to finally allow them to serve their country openly and freely.
On Saturday, April 17, 2010, Citizens Project hosted the inaugural Citizen’s Religious Freedom Institute, which focused on how the First Amendment to the US Constitution protects religious freedom in public schools. It was a resounding success! Over 30 participants learned how the law defines religious freedom in the public school setting, about best practices for schools to respect all students’ religious freedom, and how to be an advocate for religious freedom in schools.
Attendees included parents, teachers, school board members, as well as students. In their evaluations, participants gave the main legal presentation a score of 4.8 out 5, and most said they would apply what they had learned. Their comments showed how much of an impact the event had:
“This was incredibly insightful and I found this day particularly rewarding.”
“I learned about things I’d only had a very abstract understanding of.”
“My beliefs about religious diversity in public schools have changed, in that I need to think more about what is respectful and inclusive.”
Speakers at the event included Eric Hall, attorney at law with Rothgerber Johnson and Lyons, who presented First Amendment Fundamentals; Lindsey Hodel, a community organizer and consultant for Crossroads Campaign Solutions, presented strategies to organize for social change. The day included group exercises, an interactive panel and activities to advance participants’ knowledge.
For more information on the next Citizens Religious Freedom Institute and other upcoming Citizens Project events, join our email list list, connect with us on Facebook, or visit us at www.citizensproject.com/events.
ay, April 17, 2010, Citizens Project hosted the Citizen’s Religious Freedom Institute, which centered on religion and public school, specifically how the First Amendment to the US Constitution protects religious freedom in public schools.While participants were educated in how the law defines religious freedom in the public school setting, the best practices for respecting all students’ religious freedom, and how to be an advocate for religious freedom in your school, its overarching goal was not just to know the law, but to promote best practices.
Speakers at the event included Eric Hall, who discussed First Amendment Fundamentals, as well as Lindsey Hodel, who discussed what to do if you have a concern.
This was incredibly insightful and I found this day particularly rewarding.
I learned about things I’d only had a very abstract understanding of.
Comments from attendees
For more information on upcoming Citizens Project events, connect with us on Facebook or at www.citizensproject.com
With the excitement of recent successes still fresh in our minds, Citizens Project has another big announcement to share with you – our donors, volunteers and supporters.
Citizens Project’s Executive Director, Barb Van Hoy, who has been a tremendous asset to the organization for seven years, has decided to pursue new adventures, and leave CP to be a full-time mom and a part-time dance teacher. CP is so fortunate that Barb embarks upon
Kristy Milligan
these new endeavors leaving the organization in such a great position, and that Kristy Milligan, our Development Director and Program Manager, has accepted the position of Executive Director. This passing of the baton provides a seamless transition and facilitates the continuation of our great momentum. Kristy’s unique experiences and talents instill confidence in the board for this transition and the future of the organization.
To the Citizens Project community Barb writes,
It has been an extraordinary gift for me to work with so many passionate people in Colorado Springs to make our community a better place. In some ways this was a very difficult decision: I love Citizens Project, and every one of you with whom I’ve
Barb Van Hoy
worked and who have helped magnify our collectivevoice for equality, religious freedom & respect for diversity. It is with both sadness and excitement that I take this leap of faith. I will missworking with you all through CP, but I will continue to be involved in the community. I am also excited for the future of Citizens Project. Though I have been the most visible face of CP, we are blessed with many talented volunteers, supporters, board leadership and of course Kristy Milligan, who will lead Citizens Project to be an even greater advocate for our shared values. I am so grateful for all of your incredible support over the years and for your continued engagement with CP into the future. I won’t be a stranger.
The board has accepted Barb’s intent to resign with sadness for the Citizens Project community, happiness for Barb, and gratitude for her great leadership.
Tempering this regret is our excitement in welcoming Kristy Milligan as our next Executive Director.
Kristy, a native of Colorado Springs who has been involved with the organization for nearly eight years, is ideally positioned to take the helm and will bring exceptional leadership, knowledge and talent to the position of Executive Director. Many of you are very familiar with her enthusiasm and passion for CP’s mission, demonstrated during her three years as CP’s Development Director and Program Manager, which included a stint as Interim Director. Her experience and leadership will ensure a seamless transition. Over the next several weeks, the board and staff will develop a transition time line that honors the organization and ensures continuity for our work in the community.
Citizens Project remains steadfast in our resolve to create a community that values religious freedom through separation of church and state, equality and diversity. We will continue to be a voice for our shared values, and with your help, that voice will only grow.
With sincerest appreciation,
Karole Campbell
Chair, Citizens Project Board of Directors
It is commonly said that history is written by the winners, and that true objectivity is rarely, if ever, attained. The Texas Board of Education might be trying to prove this cliché, based on their recent efforts to change their curriculum to one that is rife with political and religious undertones. The real people who are suffering from this change are the children of Texas, who deserve to learn in an environment that is free from these political and religious influences.
If you were asked to revise a school’s curriculum, how would you go about doing this? You’d probably try to track down experts in the various fields and ask them for their opinions (ask a historian about history, etc) and seek advice by researching other credible sources. Then, with this information, try to make an informed, unbiased (as possible), recommendation. Would you, on your next dentist appointment, let the man looking at your teeth make all of the recommendations based on personal opinion more than on historical fact? Probably not. Unless, of course, you are the Texas Board of Education, whose chair from 2007 until 2009 was a dentist.
The conversation on the idea of historical facts is a difficult one because historians do not always agree on how to interpret historical fact. Taking the Venona papers for example, which “document communication between the Soviet Union and its spies” in America during the Cold War, for every historian saying these are important and justify, to an extent, McCarthyism, there is another that “dispute[s] the extent to which transcripts show Soviet involvement in American government,” (Washington Post). In addition to this, the Texas board of Education is also trying to minimize the efforts of some in the civil rights movements, including an amendment that states “that the movement created ‘unrealistic expectations of equal outcomes’ among minorities,” (NY Times). What can be agreed upon, however, is the absurdity that anyone, let alone an entire state, would be allowed to rewrite history. The members of the Texas Board of Education are making their decisions based not on what history is, but what they want it to be.
One of the recent proposed and accepted changes is related to separation of church and state. The board decided to exclude Thomas Jefferson from “the list of world thinkers who inspired 18th- and 19th-century revolutions,” (NY Times). Thomas Jefferson is well-known for coining the phrase ‘wall of separation between church and state.’ Texas, trying to minimize the significance of this idea, presented an alternative idea about religious freedom, and how that idea is different from Thomas Jefferson’s famous phrase, despite historical evidence to the contrary. Jefferson’s demotion by the Texas Board of Education from being a ‘founding father’ is an attempt to undermine the credibility that anything he said or wrote might have.
Whatever your personal views on history are, it is hard to deny that Texas is trying to rewrite history in their vision, and by doing so brainwashing the young, impressionable children in their state to think like they do. Unfortunately, their influence does not stop there. Texas’ “huge market for textbooks gives Texas a huge influence on education across the country…” (Texas Freedom Network). This is a dangerous slippery slope that can have impacts across the country because Texas is trying to diminish the idea of the separation between church and state, and by doing so use the public schools to promote their beliefs to children. Texas is going down a path that does not celebrate religious diversity, and is trying to take the rest of the country along. Students deserve to learn in an environment that is free from political and religious influence and ideology and focus more on pure academics.
We are delighted to report that this year’s Creating Community Breakfast has helped us raise almost $60,000 (not including the Gay & Lesbian Fund match) to help Citizens Project create the community we imagine. We had roughly 500 guests turn out in support of Citizens Project and the gifts collected yesterday morning exceeded our wildest expectations.
If you are interested in being a table captain at next year’s event, please email Kristy.
Citizens Project is excited to welcome Cameron Lucke as an intern for the summer!
Cameron just finished his junior year at Michigan State University, where he is majoring in Comparative Cultures and Politics. After moving around a lot as a child, he now resides in Colorado Springs, and calls this city ‘home.’
Cameron is thrilled to be working for Citizens Project, and is excited for the many upcoming events during the summer. Cameron will be contributing to Freedom Watch Online, as well as coordinating voter education and outreach, among other things.
Most cities have a Human Relations Commission (HRC) to mediate disputes, help businesses, individuals and agencies resolve issues involving discrimination, and provide city government a greater understanding of how policies and funding affect less vocal minorities. Our city’s HRC was disbanded in the 1990s and it’s time to bring it back.
The HRC is an all-volunteer committee of nine residents, appointed by the City Council, who have diverse backgrounds and skills in mediation, cultural competency, community leadership, and human services.
The HRC requires no funding, does not have regulatory power, and will operate like most other city boards and commissions.
How will the Human Relations Commission benefit our community?
The HRC will hear grievances from any resident or business involving discrimination, and will use mediation and reconciliation to resolve disputes without litigation. Unresolved conflicts may be referred to the Colorado Civil Rights Division.
The HRC will conduct informed advocacy, and educate the business community, nonprofits and the public sector on how to avoid illegal discrimination and work constructively with employees, clients, customers and citizens with diverse backgrounds.
The HRC will be a resource for residents affected by the loss of services from recent budget cuts, connecting people with existing services or identifying new needs that nonprofit agencies could address.
The HRC will promote public-private partnerships to find solutions to community problems and will improve police-community relations by promoting constructive dialogue.
Citizens Project is proud to present the first Citizens’ Religious Freedom Institute, a one day seminar on how the First Amendment to the US Constitution protects religious freedom in public schools. For teachers, students, parents, administrators, staff, school board members, and open to the public.
Saturday April 17, 2010
To be repeated on Sunday April 18 pending sufficient enrollment University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Participants will learn:
How the law defines religious freedom in the public school setting,
Best practices for respecting all students’ religious freedom, and
How to be an advocate for religious freedom in your school.
May provide in-service credit for teachers. Please check back for details.
To receive information about the Citizens’ Religious Freedom Institute, join our email list for Freedom Watch Online, email Barb Van Hoy, or call us at (719) 520-9899.
Special thanks to Citizens Project youth volunteer videographer Isaac and Impact Video Production for this video! Interviews were taped at the 2009 Everybody Welcome Festival of Cultural Diversity in Colorado Springs’ America the Beautiful Park.
It’s been revealed: Citizens Project is the agency behind the subversive ads you may have seen around town. The Gazette ran a nice story about it, and what these crazy messages really represent is our communitywithout Citizens Project:
Now we invite you to join us to make our community a better place. We are creating a louder voice for inclusion, diversity and equal rights by collecting stories, creating conversations, and telling a new, powerful story of Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region.
Today, we want to hear more about you.
Tell us your story. Tell us about your personal experiences of diversity, discrimination, inclusion, or isolation. Tell us about a time you felt unwelcome or devalued in our community, and tell us about a time you felt included and respected. Tell us what you wish for Colorado Springs and our region, and how you think Citizens Project can help residents make a difference.
You’ve seen the billboards, the print ads, the bus sides and the websites. Church Equals State, Freedom From Expression, Create Isolation, Celebrate Conformity. And now you know that Citizens Project was the organization behind this provocative campaign.
Learn more about what the campaign is all about by checking out Citizens Project’s recent media coverage and stay tuned to learn how you can join the conversation!
The Gazette is a valued partner and supporter of Citizens Project and now they are offering to donate a portion of new subscriptions to Citizens Project!
To participate, simply click on the link below to subscribe and they will donate $25 to Citizens Project. You can stay up-to-date on your local news, and support us at the same time!
Thanks to Diversity Consultant Jody Alyn and her student for this piece in her newsletter:
Is this a race-based business practice? A race-based buying practice? Or a sign of something else?
Check out the news story about Walmart and watch a video about one news program’s effort to recreate Dr. Kenneth and Mamie Clark’s famous research on doll preference and racial identity.
Reprinted with permission.
The linked news story on ABC’s web site is very thoughtful.
Educators, historians, journalists and commentators all over the country are decrying the decision by the Texas Board of Education to approve highly politicized revisions to public school curriculum.
Historians on Tuesday criticized proposed revisions to the Texas social studies curriculum, saying that many of the changes are historically inaccurate and that they would affect textbooks and classrooms far beyond the state’s borders.
The San Antonio Express-News says the “latest example of SBOE incompetence springs from the same source as other outrages: The inability of social conservatives on the state board to distinguish between ideology and education.”
Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, director of the U.S. Latino & Latina World War II Oral History Project at the University of Texas School of Journalism, says the Texas State Board of Education apparently wasn’t listening as witnesses came from across the state to urge members to consider the inclusion of more Hispanic Americans in social studies curriculum standards.
Citizens Project has been following the dangerous extremism on the Texas Board of Education over the last several months. It exploded in the national press yesterday with this cover story in The New York Times Magazine.
The injection of partisan politics into education went so far that at one point another Republican board member burst out in seemingly embarrassed exasperation, “Guys, you’re rewriting history now!”
Citizens Project will keep monitoring local schools to prevent this from happening here. Please let us know if you hear of any inappropriate politicizing we should be aware of.
When local controversy erupts, we don’t have to take our cues from the partisan, uncivil tone dominating national policy debates. After all, Colorado Springs has learned a thing or two from Amendment 2, the Moo campaign, and the Ted Haggard scandal to name a few. We’ve learned that calling other people intolerant does not “Create Community”.
The “Jesus is Alive!” banners on city-owned light poles in downtown Colorado Springs raise high emotions among residents, whether Christian, Jewish or Atheist. Some people see them as just another example of the city thumbing its nose at anyone who does not subscribe to the majority religion. Others view any objection to the banners as liberal intolerance of a positive Christian message. Are either of these really true? Rather than hunker down into our comfortable, adversarial positions, Citizens Project says let’s focus on finding our common ground. After all, our nation really is the global beacon of religious freedom, so let’s reach for our highest selves.
Surely, you may ask, doesn’t our community have more important issues to tackle right now, such as homelessness and drastic budget cuts? It’s a reasonable question, but don’t forget we are talking about the First Amendment; how our diverse residents share the public space together. And more practically, our city’s land use division is required to adopt a code to define who gets banners in the public right of way, since none currently exists.
As a dedicated local watchdog for religious freedom and separation of church and state, Citizens Project wants to lead the way in working with community members to find our common ground. We are reaching out to leaders representing diverse perspectives. Let’s listen respectfully to each others’ point of view, and try to put aside our preconceptions of each others’ motives. We may still disagree in the end, but we’ll understand one another more, and hopefully create real community. Who knows, we might even become a national model for how to have civil debate on core community values. Let’s bring together our Christian, Jewish, Atheist, and other faith communities to build bridges, and bury our national reputation as the “Gettysburg of the culture wars”.
We welcome your ideas! Please comment here or send an email to Citizens Project’s Executive Director Barb Van Hoy. Let the conversation begin.
Thanks to the generosity of supporters in this community and Give! Campaign partners, Citizens Project raised more than $2,500 in the inaugural Give! Campaign. Congratulations to all participating organizations on a tremendous success, and thank you to all the philanthropists who gave through the campaign!
Photo courtesy of Cayton Photography
Pictured above: Executive Director Barb Van Hoy with Independent publisher John Weiss and a really, really big check!
Citizens Project is working to ensure that the U.S. Constitution’s religious freedom guarantees are upheld in the new city’s code regulating such banners.
Citizens Project is delighted to announce that the recipient of the 2010 Divine Award is John Weiss!
Photo by Cayton Photography
Please join us as we celebrate John’s contributions to the Colorado Springs community at our sixth annual Divine Award event!
Thursday, February 18, 2010 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
The Warehouse, 25 W. Cimarron St.,
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Open to the public, $10 suggested donation
About the Divine Award: Citizens Project’s Divine Award is given annually to an individual inthe Pikes Peak region who has worked tirelessly to create a vibrant democracy in which equal rights are protected and differences are respected. The award simultaneously recognizes the accomplishments of its recipient and honors the legacy of Amy Divine, the founder of Citizens Project, who dedicated her energy to championing traditional American values of equal rights, individual freedoms, separation of church and state, civic engagement and respect for diversity. This year’s recipient is activist John Weiss, founder and publisher of the Colorado Springs Independent. Previous recipients are Mary Lou Makepeace, Dr. Jim White, Pam Jones and Juliet Draper (shared award), Lorne Kramer, and Richard Skorman.
Photo by Catyon Photography
About John Weiss: John Weiss is a visionary entrepreneur, collaborator, and community activist whose leadership has created a more diverse, progressive and green Colorado Springs over the last 27 years.
As founder and publisher of the Colorado Springs Independent, John oversees the region’s only free weekly alternative newspaper, which reaches more than 100,000 readers in the region with local news, diverse thought and untold stories. Through this platform, Mr. Weiss has brought nationally renowned creative thinkers to Colorado Springs to build alliances and elevate discourse, co-sponsored more than 50 civic events annually to promote a vibrant democracy, and organized coalitions to bring positive change to the region.
John is an advocate for environmental sustainability who led successful initiatives to increase funding for open space and establish recycling programs. He has organized and supported campaigns to increase City Council pay, extend health benefits to domestic partners of municipal employees, and reform local tax policy. John recently launched the Independent’s Give! initiative which raised more than $150,000 for local nonprofits, and he produces the annual Fort Carson Town Hall meetings. In his spare time, John can be found volunteering at his sons’ schools, hiking with his dog, and vanquishing reptilian invaders when innocents are threatened.
The Human Rights Campaign released the first-ever “Buying for Equality” iPhone application. This guide will allow shoppers to access its guide for equality as they are shopping to see how hundreds of popular American brands are rated based on the businesses’ treatment of their LGBT employees.
Now let’s make the City of Colorado Springs eligible for inclusion on the “good list” by passing Plus One employee health benefits, which includes domestic partners (gay and straight)! Here is the latest Gazette Opinion piece in support.
I always work on the last day of the year. There are plenty of administrative details to see to, and there are usually several active projects for Citizens Project in late December, so there’s enough work to keep me busy. But there’s another reason I work on the last day of the year and I want to share it with you: gratitude.
December 31 always provides a great opportunity for reflecting on the previous year and looking at the things that went well for us: in our personal lives, our professional lives, and our community lives. 2009 went really well for Citizens Project, in lots of ways.
CP sent 12 editions of Freedom Watch Online to more than 1,500 subcribers and 41 Action Alerts to more than 1,000 activists
We moved our office and held an open house
Our fifth annual Divine Award Celebration honored Richard Skorman and our Creating Community Breakfast event rasied $40,000
We published two comprehensive local voter guides and co-sponsored four election forums
We completed a fantastic strategic plan, which will lead Citizens Project boldly into the next decade and maximize our ability to promote our values in the community
Citizens Project mailed information about inclusive and legal practices at graduations and over the holiday season to all local schools
We totally renovated our web site and electronic communications, created this blog, and tapped into the social networking sites Twitter and Facebook
Citizens Project unveiled a proposal to extend Plus One health benefits to family members of City employees and advocated for the policy with elected representatives, the media, and our supporters
We began planning our inaugural Citizens Religious Freedom Institute, a one-day symposium that will educate and empower students, parents, teachers, administrators and community leaders around religious freedom issues
We spoke out when injustices occured in our community, such as the appearance of Jesus Lives banners on city-owned lightpoles
In all truth, I know that these things were possible for only three reasons:
We have the greatest volunteers on the planet.
We have the greatest advocates on the planet.
We have the greatest donors on the planet.
Citizens Project is the perfect name for our scrappy organization, because we truly are by the citizens and for the citizens of the Pikes Peak region. It is your support, whether emotional support, volunteer support, monetary support, or advocacy support, that makes what we do important and possible.
Earlier today, I prepared the last deposit of the year (and by the way, CP exceeded our individual income goals this year, thanks to people like you), and I was struck by the largest donation ($5,000) and the smallest donation ($4). For each person making these gifts, that amount represented a “stretch” for them – a real commitment to our values and our community - and I like to think that they are equal partners in this thing we call Citizens Project. We all do what we can, when we can, but at the end of the day – and the end of the year – one thing is true: we believe in a vibrant community that values diversity, equality and religious freedom.
Hear what Citizens Project executive director Barb Van Hoy has to say about our nation’s founding principles, read about religious freedom in the United States, and catch up on the latest Plus One news! Check out the December edition of Freedom Watch Online!
Our Plus One city employee health benefits proposal is in the news again today and the Gazette has posted an online poll about it. A strong showing of support in the poll and on the letters page of the Gazette could make the difference in showing City Council that there is enough public support to pass the plan. PLEASE ACT NOW!
Vote for Plus One in the Gazette’s online poll (click here and scroll down, in the right-hand column).
Forward this and ask your friends and colleagues to do the same.
Write to the City Council and ask them to pass Plus One. Click here for a list of City Council Members and contact information. You can also email all council members at allcouncil@springsgov.com.
Write a letter to the editor and post on online comment voicing your support for the plan. Send to opinion@gazette.com.
City Council members pay attention to these, so your letters and vote MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
You can find some talking points in Barb Van Hoy’s comment posted in the Gazette’s online comment section, reprinted here:
“The “Plus One” policy being proposed by Citizens Project would allow all city employees to buy into the city’s employee health insurance plan for one family member, if they are not already eligible for benefits for a spouse or dependent children. It is not really accurate to call this a “same-sex benefits” plan because that is only one of several types of qualifying family members. Employees could add an adult dependent child, a dependent parent, a domestic partner, or dependent grandparent. The employee would pay the full premium, rather than be subsidized by the city as current family members are (and as the 2003 policy did for same-sex couples that cost the cit $6,000). That’s one reason it is budget-neutral (the premium covers the full per-participant cost in the health plan.) The other reason it is cost-neutral is that the demographic population as a whole that is projected to buy in is not expected to increase the overall costs (based on the analyses of benefits experts).
Now is the time for Colorado Springs to begin catching up to the private sector, as well as the most successful cities across the country by adopting better, more inclusive employment practices. Whatever your personal opinion on same-sex couples, or single mothers or 35 year-old kids living with mom & dad, the fact is that our society includes a huge diversity of families. Competitive employers do right by their employees by adopting more inclusive plans, and our city should to. Attracting the best employees will get the best use out of our limited tax dollars. In addition, it is not government’s role to enforce a religious view of relationships on its employees, so arguments labeling some people’s families as “immoral” are moot. Government should treat all citizens equally. The Plus One plan doesn’t get all the way there, but it is an improvement, expands access to health care, treats all employees more equally, makes the city a more competitive employer, and won’t cost taxpayers a dime. Seems like a pretty good deal to me.”
Houston became the largest U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor, with voters handing a solid victory to City Controller Annise Parker after a hotly contested runoff.
Teaching Tolerance invites you to watch The People Speak, a documentary film based on the works of social activist and educator Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States and Voices of a People’s History of the United States, co-authored with Anthony Arnove and reviewed by Teaching Tolerance magazine.
The People Speak features dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries and speeches of everyday Americans who spoke up for social change, equality and justice throughout U.S. history and helped form and protect the democracy we enjoy today.
The words of suffragists, civil rights leaders, anti-war proponents and labor leaders are brought to life by actors and singers like Matt Damon, Bob Dylan, Danny Glover, Bruce Springsteen, Morgan Freeman, Marisa Tomei and many others.
The film reminds all of us that we must remain active in our communities to promote and preserve social justice and equality. Clips of The People Speak and a classroom study guide for your students are available at History.com.
Sincerely,
Lecia Brooks
Director, Teaching Tolerance
Southern Poverty Law Center
Every year Citizens Project sends The December Dilemma to local public schools. It is a primer on inclusive holiday practices for public schools produced by the Anti-Defamation League.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects religious freedom by not only guaranteeing “the free exercise thereof”, but also by prohibiting our government from endorsing religion (“respecting an establishment of religion”). The December Dilemma provides expert guidance to schools on how the courts have interpreted religious liberty protections for students and staff, to ensure school holiday activities are not only legal, but inclusive and respectful of the great diversity of our country.
“The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from a student who complained that high school officials violated her constitutional rights when they turned off her microphone during her religion-tinged graduation speech.”
This ruling makes a very important distinction about how the Constitution protects religious freedom for ALL public school students. When they are a captive audience at an official school function such as graduation, it is not OK to preach to them. An Appeals Court deemed her speech to be “proselytizing.” Everyone, including this student, is free to hold their own beliefs and to preach to others, but not by co-opting a public school function. No one has that right. Taxpayers are funding the school and the graduation, so it is not appropriate or fair to turn it into a church service. This would apply equally to a student attempting to give an Islamic, Buddhist or Atheist sermon at a public school event.
Today we celebrate a victory for the ideals of freedom and equality as promised in our United States Constitution. After a 10-year fight, our nation at last has a hate crimes law that punishes the uniquely heinous nature of hate crimes, which have the chilling effect of creating fear among entire classes of people. Thanks to Bruce DeBoskey of the Mountain States Anti-Defamation League for articulating this in an Op-Ed in Monday’s Gazette:
It has been 11 years since Matthew Shepard was beaten, tied to a lonely Wyoming fence, and left to die because his attackers hated gay men. That same year, James Byrd, Jr., was dragged to his death behind a pickup truck in Jasper, Texas, a victim of a racially motivated crime. One of Byrd’s attackers wore tattoos including the image of a black man hanging from a tree.
Shepard and Byrd were not the only victims of those horrible crimes. In both cases, the murderers were not simply committing a crime against Shepard or Byrd; they were sending a chilling message to everyone who shared the characteristics of the victims — to every American who is gay or black. “You, and anyone like you, are not welcome here,” the perpetrators said through their hateful violence. “You, and anyone like you, are not safe here.” In fact, they were sending that message to all Americans. Read more.
Signing the legislation yesterday, President Obama said,
“You understood that we must stand against crimes that are meant not only to break bones, but to break spirits — not only to inflict harm, but to instill fear,” Mr. Obama said. “You understand that the rights afforded every citizen under our Constitution mean nothing if we do not protect those rights — both from unjust laws and violent acts.” Read more.
This legislation does not punish thoughts, as conservative opponents of the legislation charge. It punishes a distinctive type of crime. Focus on the Family earnestly opposed hate crimes legislation with the baffling claim that the bill would silence religious speech. A July “CitizenLink” email states,
And, pastors who preach against homosexuality could end up prosecuted if they are found to have “induced” a hate-crime against a self-identified homosexual by preaching from the Bible.
It seems surprising that Focus would not understand the difference between preaching a belief and inciting violence. In interpreting the First Amendment, our courts have made careful distinctions in this area. With Neo-Nazis regularly demonstrating publicly without being prosecuted, can Focus really believe pastors will be arrested under this law for preaching that homosexuality is a sin? It sounds far fetched, but such rhetoric is consistent with their shrill denunciations of gay marriage as a threat to heterosexual marriage and their claims that equal rights laws threaten religious freedom (even with religious exemptions). Perhaps their supporters thought Focus went too far with these hate crimes statements, since this was the last such message they sent out. Regardless, in this case reason and fairness have won out.
Citizens Project thanks our elected representatives who supported this important legislation and will continue to fight locally for true religious freedom and equal rights for all.
Focus on the Family is trying again to enforce their interpretation of the bible through public policy. This, from the Gazette:
Last year, Focus on the Family donated nearly $450,000 to support a California proposition outlawing gay marriage.
This year, the Colorado Springs-based organization is setting its sights on Maine, but the outlay is a lot smaller — both because Maine is a lot smaller, and because of the economy.
gives you everything including the kitchen sink about this election in the Pikes Peak region: ballot measures, sample ballot, school board candidates, news articles, election forums, and more.
Last year Colorado turned the tide on opponents of equal opportunity by rejecting a ballot measure that would have banned Affirmative Action. Here’s another bit of good news for equality, from the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights:
Federal District Court Upholds University of Texas Equal Opportunity Admissions Policy
Citizens Project never endorses candidates, but we can’t contain our excitement that Colorado Springs has it’s first openly gay city council candidate! Ryan Acker, executive director of the Pikes Peak Gay and Lesbian Community Center has applied for the District 3 seat being vacated by Councilman Jerry Heimlicher. It’s another sign of the changing climate of inclusiveness in Colorado Springs.
Barb Van Hoy, executive director of Citizens Project, appeared on the Jeff Crank Show on KVOR 740 AM on September 19, 2009 to talk about our school board candidate survey. The survey will be published in the Colorado Springs Independent on October 8th and will feature candidates in School Districts 11, 20, and 49 (with District 2 on the web) answering a questions about broad range of education issues. Join our email list to get it in your in-box the same day.
The momentum toward greater equality is growing! Religious bias against gays and lesbians has been the basis for unjust discrimination for too long. Yes, people must have the right to their religious beliefs, but that does not extend to depriving others of equal treatment. It’s high time for gays and lesbians to realize the promise of our nations founding principles.
In yesterday’s news:
Two openly gay members of Congress on Wednesday urged their colleagues to pass a sweeping job discrimination bill that would — for the first time — protect gays and transsexuals from workplace bias.The testimony from Reps. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., comes as supporters of the measure believe Congress is closer than ever to banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
A Coalition Of Religious And Public Policy Groups Says Legal Memo Threatens Core Civil Rights And Religious Freedom Protections
John J. DiIulio Jr. and Stephen Goldsmith, front left, look on as President George W. Bush announces the faith-based initiative on Jan. 29, 2001.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State today joined a coalition of 58 organizations urging Attorney General Eric Holder to revoke a Bush-era rule regarding “faith-based” funding that the groups say threatens civil rights and religious freedom.
In June of 2007, the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) issued a legal memo asserting that a federal law called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) gives religious organizations a blanket right to discriminate on religious grounds when hiring staff in taxpayer-funded programs.
In a joint letter to Holder today, a broad coalition of organizations said RFRA does no such thing.
“The Bush administration twisted federal law to buttress its misguided policies and allow religious discrimination in taxpayer-funded ‘faith-based’ programs,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “It’s time for the Obama administration to correct this error.”
The Colorado Springs City Council will be selecting a replacement for Council Member Jerry Heimlicher, who is resigning to move home to Tennessee. Jerry has been a dedicated advocate for disenfranchised residents, and a voice for diversity and equality. In choosing a successor, the City Council should honor the voters in District 3 who elected Jerry by picking a replacement who shares Jerry’s passion for making Colorado Springs a welcoming and accessible community for ALL residents.
Let them know you think so! You can send a message to all City Council members by clicking here.
Thanks to generous designated donations, Citizens Project is the sponsor of:
HANNAH FREE
Directed by Wendy Jo Carlton 2009, USA, 90 min.
Sunday September 20, 2009 ~ 7:45 pm
Armstrong Hall on the CC Campus, 14 E Cache La Poudre
Adapted from Claudia Allen’s award winning play, romantic, touching and poignant, Hannah Free eloquently depicts a lifelong love affair between two very different women.
Some social conservatives want to put their heads in the sand and claim that our nation has reached the ideal of pure meritocracy, where people are judged by their abilities and where discrimination does not rob some of equal opportunity. But facts belie that myth. The the research organization Public Agenda has released A Place to Call Home: What Immigrants Say Now About Life in America, the follow-up to their pioneering 2002 survey of immigrants. Among many findings, it contains an important reminder that our society and culture have more work to do in eradicating bigotry and prejudice.
In an interview on NPR, one of the authors of this study, Scott Bittle, said:
Overall, about six in 10 immigrants say that there is at least some discrimination against immigrants in the United States. And that’s very consistent from the last time we surveyed them in 2002. About a quarter say they’ve experienced at least some discrimination personally. But when you look at it by different groups, you get very different results. For example, Mexican immigrants are much more likely to say there’s discrimination against immigrants in the United States, three-quarters say that, but they’re no more likely to experience it personally. Muslim immigrants, by contrast, are less likely to perceive discrimination in the broader society and just as likely to see it – to experience it personally.
Regardless of how much people SAY there is discrimination, it remains a fact of life for many immigrants, and non-immigrants.
If you believe in equal opportunity and want to fight discrimination, there are many ways to get involved. In addition to supporting Citizens Project, here are other local and national organizations fighting to make the promise of America’s founding documents a reality for us all:
This morning’s Gazette featured an article about Council Member Jerry Heimlicher’s resignation from Colorado Springs City Council, in which Mr. Heimlicher asked his interviewer: ”Did you read the blogs on the first story about me leaving? Eighty-nine as of last night, and 86 of them were ‘Glad he’s going,’ ‘About time,’ ‘Jumping rat leaving ship,’ ‘Now it’s time to get the other eight.’”
These events leave me cold, and they make me wonder: where is civil discourse?
I am proud to be involved with Citizens Project because I believe strongly that mutual respect, especially among people with differing views and beliefs, should be the bare-minimum standard for political and civic interaction. And I believe that Citizens Project helps to advance this standard through our programs and by creating a safe space for people to courteously disagree and – hopefully – find things that we can all agree on.
What do you think? How can CP help to create an atmosphere of decorum in the Pikes Peak region?
Momentum is building for Congress to pass the first major civil rights act protecting gays and transsexuals, supporters say, and one of the stars in the debate is a barrier-breaking transgender staffer on Capitol Hill.
A federal appeals court ruled today that officials at an Everett, Wash., school district were within their rights to omit religious music from a graduation ceremony.
The Gazette is a longtime supporter of Citizens Project and they are extending a special offer to our supporters. Click on the link below to subscribe to The Gazette and they will donate $25 to Citizens Project. You can stay up-to-date on all your local news, and support us at the same time!
Hear what Citizens Project executive director Barb Van Hoy has to say about our nation’s founding principles, read about religious freedom in the United States, and catch up on the latest Plus One news! Check out the December edition of 
poll about it. A strong showing of support in the poll and on the letters page of the Gazette could make the difference in showing City Council that there is enough public support to pass the plan. PLEASE ACT NOW!
Annise Parker after a hotly contested runoff. 
Last year Colorado turned the tide on opponents of equal opportunity by rejecting a ballot measure that would have banned Affirmative Action. Here’s another bit of good news for equality, from the 
![marriage-equality[1]](http://www.citizensproject.dreamhosters.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/marriage-equality11.jpg)
