News & Commentary

Throughout our country's history, national security has often been used as a pretext for massive violations of individual rights. In the name of national security, President Jefferson countenanced internment camps for political dissidents; President Wilson authorized the round-up and deportation of thousands of foreign-born suspected "radicals" during the Palmer Raids; and President Franklin Roosevelt interned 120,000 Japanese Americans. The Cold War era brought loyalty oaths, blacklisting and travel restrictions; the Vietnam War era saw the government's attempt to censor the "Pentagon Papers". None of these measures were actually necessary to preserve national security; all of them violated civil liberties.

Since September 11, 2001, our government has introduced countless new security measures as part of its "war on terrorism." Unfortunately, many of these new measures are either ineffective, unnecessary, or both, and they violate civil liberties principles. Whether we are looking at secret arrests and detentions, national ID cards, facial recognition technology, military tribunals, the USA Patriot Act, racial profiling, or the TIPS program encouraging people to spy on one another, we see security measures that will not stop terrorism, but will require us to give up our freedom. Terrorism, by definition, is not just intended to kill and destroy, it is also intended to make us act in fear, and make choices against our best interests. The United States was founded on the principles of freedom, justice and equality; if we give up these beliefs because of fear, then terrorists will have won.

Open government is a cornerstone of democracy that enables advocates, activists and the press to monitor government performance and expose corruption. Without transparency in government activities, the American people are vulnerable to deception and abuse by our leaders.

When gay and lesbian couples are denied the protections that come with marriage, they and their families suffer. One of the best things you can do to advocate for the ability for same-sex couples in your community to marry is to talk to someone who may be on the fence about it.

A new video website,10Couples.org, is a great tool to begin that conversation. It features streaming videos of ten gay and lesbian couples from across the country talking about their relationships and explaining how marriage is necessary for them and their families.

The site also features other helpful resources for taking action, such as a map highlighting the states where marriage fights are most critical, information on how to get involved in your own state, and links to information provided by organizations that are fighting for marriage protections. Additionally, the videos are available on YouTube.com.

The ACLU teamed with Emmy-award winning production company Public Interest to create the site. Campaign partners include the Equality Federation, Freedom to Marry, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) Lambda Legal and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

On the Fight for LGBTQ Rights in San Diego . . .

“Locally, there is virtually no other organization that has consistently litigated the whole range of gay and lesbian issues and supported our cause whenever we needed help, other than the ACLU. . . . In San Diego the ACLU has been the only story in town as far as legal action to protect our rights. I think that the history of the ACLU will show that they’ve been vigorous and generally pretty successful for us. I think it’s an absolutely critical organization for our continued progress.”

Tom Homann
After whom San Diego's LGBT Bar Association was Named
In an Interview with The San Diego Gay Times

Tom Homann Law Association
http://www.thla.org/about/

Our friends at Equality Alliance prepared a list of resources available to AB 540/Immigrant Students. It's a terrific list that provides links to information about college admission, California Non-Resident Tuition Exemption Requests, scholarships, and University AB 540 Resource Guides.

Please visit Equality Alliance and San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium for more helpful information about immigrants' rights and education equality.