Follow us on
 >
|
LGBT Lobby Day to be held at Oklahoma State Capitol
By Robin Townsend
Contributing writer
 OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ The Equality Network is hosting a lobby day at the State Capitol and you are invited, in fact, encouraged to attend. The event is geared to visitors
telling our representatives that citizens care about LGBT equality in Oklahoma. There will be a brief training, networking, and visiting with representatives as well as
having lunch together.
“From its inception last year, TEN (The Equality Network) identified an annual LGBT Lobby Day as one of its top priorities,” said Laura Belmonte, Vice President and
Co-Founder of TEN. “We believe a consistent presence at the State Capitol is critical to increasing and maintaining the visibility of LGBT Oklahomans and their allies,
to putting forward a proactive program for LGBT equality, and to giving individuals the knowledge and confidence they need to engage their representatives effectively.”
Belmonte’s personal advocacy experience spans almost twenty years and has entailed public speaking, creating and organizing e-advocacy campaigns, writing op-eds, media
monitoring, and lobbying public officials directly. She is a professional historian and lifelong news and politics junkie – those traits also help shape and inform my
activist endeavors.
“Our most important goal is to secure passage of pro-LGBT legislation and to block passage of bills that are detrimental to LGBT Oklahomans,” adds Belmonte. “This will
be a continual, long-term effort. It is going to take time and effort to move Oklahoma toward more inclusive and just public policies for LGBT people.”
TEN would like to have people from as many of Oklahoma’s political districts as possible participate in LBGT Lobby Day. If concerned citizens from any district register,
appointments will be made with those representatives, including Rep. Sally Kern.
“In the current session, Senator Steve Russell has introduced a bill highlighting theinadequacies of Oklahoma’s hate crimes law,” furthers Belmonte. “Sen. Russell’s bill
makes it impossible for law enforcement officials to work with federal agencies in prosecuting hate crimes targeting people because of sexual orientation or gender
identity. In essence, the senator’s bill attempts to lock in place Oklahoma’s current weak hate crimes statute and to prevent the state from enforcing the LGBT-inclusive
federal hate crimes law, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act enacted in October 2009. Passage of this bill would have a terrifying impact
on LGBT Oklahomans.”
To register for LGBT lobby day, please go to http://theequalitynetwork.org. There is no fee for the event. For more information, contact Laura Belmonte at
lbelmonte@theequalitynetwork.org or 918.906.2134. For more information about TEN, see the article in next month’s Metro Star.
-END-
|
|
