Category: No Hate In Our States - PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good

Honoring QCAD founder Joyce Wiley - No Hate In Our States

9/5/2023

QCAD - the nonprofit that started LGBTQ+ support in the Quad Cities 33 years ago

Gender Equity Forum

PACG members interested in gender equity or civil rights will appreciate this wonderful article about Joyce and Jack Wiley and QCAD (Quad Citians Affirming Diversity) from the RealMainstream.com's Christine Hawes.

Joyce Wiley taught me how to be an activist! I'll always be grateful for her and Jack for all they did to help me and for their ongoing efforts to make the Quad Cities a better place to live. You may donate here to QCAD in honor of Joyce.

Alta Price

Support for Transgender rights in Iowa - No Hate In Our States

8/12/2023

Transgender in Iowa - Know your rights!

ACLU Iowa

While there is still much work to be done, Iowa law protects the fundamental right of transgender people for respect, dignity, and equal treatment.

Unlike some states, Iowa has protections for transgender people written into its law. Chapter 216 of the Iowa Code is known as the Iowa Civil Rights Act (ICRA) of 1965. ICRA provides protection against various forms of discrimination on the basis of specific individual traits or characteristics. Among other things, ICRA prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, which were added as protected characteristics in 2007.

ICRA defines "gender identity" as "a gender-related identity of a person, regardless of the person’s assigned sex at birth." ICRA also established the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, the state agency that receives and investigates complaints about ICRA violations. There may be local civil rights and human rights ordinances in your community that provide additional protections.

Transgender people are entitled to equal treatment in every aspect of employment. Read more here, including a link to a downloadable flyer about these issues.

And, during these unfortunate times of injustice for our LGBTQ+ friends, it’s more imporant than ever to support organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Donate to ACLU Iowa here.

PACG Webmaster

San Diego book ban backfires big time - No Hate In Our States

8/1/2023

Attempt to remove San Diego Library’s LGBTQ books backfires

MetroWeekly

Two San Diego residents checked out books from the library’s Pride Month display in an attempt to bar others from reading the books. (MetroWeekly)

(Photo: Robert Kneschke, Dreamstime)

Two San Diego residents checked out nearly every single book in their library’s Pride Month display, claiming that such materials shouldn’t be available to children.

Across the nation, conservative groups have pushed to ban books that discuss LGBTQ issues from libraries and schools, often arguing that they are pornographic or obscene merely because they depict LGBTQ identity.

This attempt to stoke culture-war flames in San Diego backfired, according to The New York Times, ending with an outpouring of community support for the library in the form of increased monetary and book donations.

As soon as The San Diego Union-Tribune reported on the protest, new copies of the checked-out books began to arrive at the library. About 180 people, mostly from San Diego, donated $15,000 to the city’s public library system. The funds, which the city will match, will go toward LGBTQ materials and programming, including drag queen story hours.

Furthermore, the books were recently returned after the patrons who checked them out realized their scheme had backfired — this is not the future that conservatives wanted.

Read the full article here.

Clockwise Connection - LGBT+ Mentoring - No Hate In Our States

7/18/2023

Clockwise Connection - LGBT+ Mentorship Program

Clock, Inc
4102 46th AV
Rock Island, IL

ClockWise Connection provides opportunities to connect LGBT+ youth with mentors that provide support and empowerment to live more full, happy, productive lives. Through this program, mentees are able to develop and implement goal setting, important life skills, obtain access to new opportunities, and are guided through life’s transitions and milestones with the assistance of a mentor. Read more here about the program, and becoming either a mentor or mentee.

Clock, Inc
info@clockinc.org or 309-558-0956

Attacks on LGBTQ+ community and military readiness concerns - No Hate In Our States

7/6/2023

Pentagon Officials Fear Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws Could Impact Military Readiness

The Advocate

"The Advocate is an American LGBT magazine, printed bi-monthly and available by subscription. The Advocate brand also includes a website. Both magazine and website have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) people." (Wikipedia)

The attacks on the LGBTQ+ community has dire consequences across American society.

Officials at the Pentagon warned on Wednesday that states’ policies affecting LGBTQ+ people are potentially damaging to the military.

At an event at the Pentagon celebrating Pride Month, Space Force Chief Operating Officer Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt emphasized that over 400 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced since January in various states.

“That number is rising and demonstrates a trend that could be dangerous for service members, their families, and the readiness of the force as a whole,” Burt pointed out, according to The Hill.

Undersecretary of the Pentagon for Personnel and Readiness Gil Cisneros said, “LGBT+ and other diverse communities are under attack, just because they are different. Hate for hate’s sake.”

Read the entire article here.

PACG Webmaster

SF Gay Men's Chorus message - No Hate In Our States

6/27/2023

Gay Men's Chorus message

San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus

With all of the depressing posts and social media attention regarding attacks on LGBTQ+ Americans, this is a refreshing change. It's a message for those working against gender equality. Take four minutes to watch this uplifting, clever video.

PACG Webmaster

Polling shows that LGBTQ+ adults do not feel safe - No Hate In Our State

6/16/2023

LGBTQ+ Adults Do Not Feel Safe

Data for Progress

This article shares the results of polling results from among the LGBTQ+ population.

Data for Progress is a progressive think tank and polling firm arming movements with the tools they need to fight for a more equitable future.

The LGBTQ+ community in America is increasingly experiencing discrimination and political attacks on its rights. This year alone, nearly 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures nationwide, and at least 75 of these bills have been signed into law. As a result, many LGBTQ+ Americans feel unsafe in their communities and neglected by elected officials.

Recent polling from Data for Progress shows that LGBTQ+ adults nationally are greatly impacted by anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and rhetoric in the U.S. Particularly, LGBTQ+ adults feel unheard and unprotected by the Democratic Party, which is the party that the community strongly prefers.

We find that LGBTQ+ adults have felt a change, with 47 percent saying that society has become less safe for the LGBTQ+ community in the past few years. More than half of respondents ages 55-64 (52 percent) and 65+ (53 percent) believe that America has become less safe.

The article includes graphs of polling results that are titled:

A Plurality of LGBTQ+ Adults Believe That Society Has Become Less Safe for the LGBTQ+ Community
More Than 40 Percent of Transgender Adults Have Considered Moving Due to Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation in Their State
A Majority of LGBTQ+ Adults Believe That Politicians Do Not Care About What the LGBTQ+ Community Thinks
More Than 75 Percent of LGBTQ+ Democrats Think That the Party Is Not Doing Enough to Protect the LGBTQ+ Community
Young LGBTQ+ Adults Are Most Likely to Not Vote in Elections

NOH8 Campaign - After Action Report

6/14/2023

NOH8 (No Hate) Campaign photo shoot After Action Report

Civil Rights and Gender Equity Forums

PACG was happy to co-sponsor the NOH8 Campaign photo shoot to kick of Pride month in the Quad Cities. Over 80 people showed up to receive a NOH8 tattoo and have their picture taken as an act of solidarity for all those who feel hate in this world.

Participants will receive a link to their photos. The NOH8 campaign is a non-profit organization that promotes and raises awareness for marriage and human equality, as well as anti-discrimination and anti-bullying. Those from the national NOH8 (pictured below) were very pleased with the turnout.

A big "thank you!" to PACG co-founder, Cath Bolkcom, for the pictures of our friends. These are not the final images from the photo shoot.

For our local participants - we would LOVE to publish your final NOH8 image on our website and social media platforms. Please contact our Webmaster and Office Manager with your photos. Thanks for participating in this fun event.

Happy Pride Month everyone!

Allison Ambrose

National State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans declared - No Hate In Our States

6/7/2023

HRC declares National State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans

Human Rights Campaign (HRC)

Human Rights Campaign has worked for 40 years to create the most powerful movement for equality in the US. They have now declared a National State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans, stating: We have officially declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the United States for the first time following an unprecedented and dangerous spike in anti-LGBTQ+ legislative assaults sweeping state houses this year. More than 75 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been signed into law this year alone, more than doubling last year’s number, which was previously the worst year on record.
Our community is in danger, but we won't stop fighting back — not now, not ever.

Their State of LGBTQ+ Rights chart describes the status of the following in each of the 50 states:

non-discrimination law
conversion therapy ban
gender-affirming care ban
bathroom ban
sports participation ban
LGBTQ+ erasure law
don't say "LQBTQ+" law
pronoun refusal law
forced student outing law
anti-drag ban

HRC encourages you to "know before you go."

We must push back on legislators who are voting for these hateful, exclusionary laws.

PACG Webmaster

Sioux City valedictorian on gender equity - No Hate In Our States

5/31/2023

The Class of 2023 will not be bullied!

Sioux City Journal on Twitter

Patrick Baughman, valedictorian of Sioux City West High School’s class of 2023, ends his speech with a declaration for trans rights and against "banned books" during graduation. Click here to see his speech.

PACG Webmaster