NCLR January-February 2006 E-Newsletter

From the Desk of Kate Kendell, Esq.

Dear NCLR Supporter,

The juxtaposition of the death of Coretta Scott King on the same day as the confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito to the United States Supreme Court was bitterly ironic. Coretta Scott King sought justice long before it was easy or popular and she strived to unite different communities in the name of equality and peace. In a time when fundamental injustice reigns and full equality is imperiled, we must make a choice: Do we strive to embody Coretta Scott King's lifelong work for justice or quietly accede to the Bush administration's dismantling of our hard-won work?

The relentless attack on LGBT civil rights is not a slow erosion of our civil liberties, but an avalanche of injustice. In six long weeks, the Bush administration appointed Alito, who opposes reproductive freedom and will use his position on the court to undermine this fundamental right; backed an Iranian initiative to deny United Nations consultative status to organizations working to protect the rights of LGBT people; and aligned itself with such regimes as Zimbabwe, whose president, Robert Mugabe, calls gays and lesbians "people without rights" and "worse than dogs and pigs."

The National Center for Lesbian Rights joined with civil rights organizations and women's groups to mount an unprecedented effort to defeat Alito's confirmation. As the hearings progressed, NCLR was the first national LGBT organization to call for a filibuster. Although we were unable to prevent Alito's appointment, the battle was closely fought, and the strong coalitions forged bode well for the years ahead. Alito ended up with more 'no' votes than all but one previous Supreme Court Justice in our nation's history.

Every day, NCLR works to advance the rights of LGBT people. We are instigating an asylum appeal on behalf of a gay man from Zimbabwe, a man we hope to protect from his home country's oppressive, homophobic regime. We strive to protect all families, including a lesbian mother whom we represented in a case this week before the Kentucky Supreme Court. And we continue our ongoing advocacy to combat homophobia in sports.

Coretta Scott King's vision of equal rights and her unwavering commitment to social justice transformed our country. If her life and death mean anything, we must make a difference and emulate her vision. We must identify what we are willing to stand up for and what we are willing to sacrifice.

Kate Kendell, Executive Director

NCLR Asylum Case: Protecting a gay man from dangerous anti-gay regime in Zimbabwe
NCLR is proud to represent W.K., a gay man from Zimbabwe, who is appealing a decision by a Federal Court of Appeal to deny him asylum. As a teenager in Zimbabwe, W.K. was imprisoned for being gay and was released only when his guardian, a Catholic nun, bribed the police. W.K. also suffered harassment and abuse from local authorities and neighbors. On one occasion, a group of villagers beat him, poured water on him, and shocked him with an electric wire. Robert Mugabe, the current President of Zimbabwe, is one of the most notoriously anti-gay leaders in the world. He has called lesbians and gay men "worse than dogs and pigs" and promised that he will do "everything he can" to eliminate them from Zimbabwean society.

In fear for his life, W.K. fled to Kenya and then eventually to the United States. Tragically, an immigration judge denied W.K.'s petition for asylum on the ground that he was persecuted because of his "sexual misconduct," specifically that he had sex with another man in violation of Zimbabwe's sodomy law, not because of his sexual orientation. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals recently affirmed the denial. NCLR filed a petition asking the court to reconsider its decision.

If the Court refuses to rehear the case, W.K. will be forced to return to Zimbabwe, where his life will be endangered, and the decision will set a dangerous precedent for other LGBT asylum applicants. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, Immigration Equality, the International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission, Heartland Alliance Midwest Immigrant and Human Rights Center, and Lambda Legal filed amicus briefs supporting W.K.'s petition. Learn more about the case.

Sports Project: Penn State files motion to dismiss NCLR's lawsuit
NCLR represents Jennifer Harris, former star player for the Penn State Women's Basketball team, in a groundbreaking federal lawsuit against Coach Rene Portland, Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley, and Penn State. The suit alleges that Coach Portland discriminated against Jennifer based on race, gender, and perceived sexual orientation. The lawsuit has generated national attention and already is helping to call attention to the terrible impact of homophobia and other types of discrimination in sports. On February 9th, Penn State filed a routine motion to dismiss NCLR's lawsuit. We are confident that we will vindicate Jennifer and the many other athletes who have suffered this type of discrimination at Penn State. To learn more, visit NCLR's Jennifer Harris Action Center.

Protecting Our Families One State at a Time: Kentucky Supreme Court NCLR is representing lesbian mother, B.F. in a case before the Kentucky Supreme Court. B.F. and her former partner T.D. raised two children together for six years. When the women separated, however, T.D. cut off the other mother's contact with the children. The lower courts denied B.F.'s visitation petition, but the Kentucky Supreme Court agreed to hear the case this week. Check NCLR's website for updates on this case and other family law developments.

Welcome Kris Hermanns, NCLR's new Director of Development
NCLR is very pleased to announce that Kris Hermanns has been named Director of Development. Kris comes to NCLR with more than a decade of expertise as a high level fundraiser and program manager.

Until recently, Kris served as Director, Special Funds and Program Officer with The Rhode Island Foundation, which is comprised of more than 850 individual funds. There, she created Equity Action, a field-of-interest fund for LGBT concerns, and developed the grantmaking program for the Women's Fund of Rhode Island. Prior to the Rhode Island Foundation, Kris worked for Brown University's Howard R. Sweater Center for Public Service, which builds links between the university and the local nonprofits by developing partnerships that address community-identified needs. In addition to her professional work, Kris served on the board of directors of Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues.

Kris earned a Masters of Education: Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Congratulations Karen Doering!
On January 20th, NCLR Senior Counsel Karen Doering received the Florida Bar Association Public Interest Law Section's Allan H. Terl Award for Excellence in Advocacy for Individual Rights on Behalf of Individual Rights and Responsibilities for her outstanding efforts in addressing the legal needs of Florida's LGBT community. The award was presented in tribute to the late Allan H. Terl, recipient of the ACLU's Nelson Poynter Award, Florida Bar President's Pro Bono Award for the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, and Florida Chief Justice's Tobias Simon Award for his work on LBGT civil rights.

Job Announcements
Managing Attorney
Director of Finance and Administration

NCLR events coming to a city near you
To learn about NCLR events, parties, speaking engagements, and sponsored tours, visit http://www.nclrights.org/events/

Don't miss the hottest lesbian party in the country!



This event will sell out!
NCLR's 29th Anniversary Gala Dinner
April 22nd, 6:00 p.m.-Midnight in San Francisco
For details and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.nclrights.org/29ann/

NCLR is a proud sponsor of Kate Clinton's 25th Anniversary Tour: It's Come To This
Come join NCLR in applauding "the other" Kate: a retro pomo homo promo from Major Lesbo Domo, Kate Clinton.

Don't miss out on this hysterical, historical tour celebrating 25 years of laughter and good times had by all and support "the other Kate," who in addition to being one of the most hilarious women in comedy, has been the hugely popular emcee of NCLR's Gala in past years and will be back with us on April 22, 2006.

Kate is a faith-based, tax- paying, America-loving political humorist and family entertainer. She has worked through economic booms and busts, Disneyfication and Walmartization, gay movements and gay markets, lesbian chic and queer eyes, and ten presidential inaugurals. She still believes that humor gets us through peacetime, wartime and scoundrel time.

As a sponsor of the tour, NCLR is collaborating with Kate Clinton on NCLR events in some of the cities where she will be performing, so keep a look out for updates on NCLR's site. For information about performances and tickets, go to www.kateclinton.com

NCLR is a proud sponsor of Cris Williamson's 30th Anniversary Tour: The Changer and the Changed
Cris Williamson's legendary classic, The Changer and the Changed, became one of the best-selling independent releases of all time, and sold nearly a million copies. Cris now honors her album's 30th Anniversary with a national tour of concerts.

Decades before independent labels were the norm, and years before women had any real access to the music industry, Cris was busy changing the face of popular music. Her stellar vocals and compelling persona are regarded as legendary for good reason. Despite being like a well-kept secret, and dwelling almost completely in the independent music world, she nonetheless had an impact worldwide. During an interview in Washington, D.C., she conceived of a national all-women's record company, which subsequently issued The Changer and the Changed.

As a sponsor of the tour, NCLR is collaborating with Cris on NCLR events in some of the cities where she will be performing so keep a look out for updates on NCLR's site. For information about performances and tickets, go to www.criswilliamson.com

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