Alice in Wonderland - Extended Trailer

Alice in Wonderland - Extended Trailer | Movies & TV | SPIKE.com

A war hero in support of Marriage Equality!

Here is a WWII Hero who spoke out in support of Marriage Equality.

Watch the video and listen to the testimony...

All I want to say is, Thank you Mr Spooner. You don't know me but in my family, you are a hero!

What President Obama Needs to Address tonight.

First off, I want to congratulate President Obama on winning the Nobel Peace Prize. I pray this exerts pressure on him demonstrate leadership on all fronts in the pursuit of peace.

As he prepares to make his big speech in front of Human Rights Campaign Annual Dinner in Washington DC tonight, here are some of the things that I would like to see him speak about:

• Stand up and speak more firmly for a public option for the Health Care Reform. One of the things that is barely spoken off during all this debates is how a public option will be good for the LGBT Community and those who are HIV+. While many of them rely on their private health insurance to pay for their medications and doctor's visit, a great many HIV+ patients depend on government assistance programs to provide health care. If we have a public option, we would not have to rely on the fickle funding formulas of the Ryan White Act or AIDS Drugs Assistance Program to pay for the medication.
  
  
• Speak strongly and follow up with action to push congress to pass the following gay rights bills.
  
  
  • - Repeal of Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) - Now, more than ever, he needs to fulfill his campaign promise to Repeal DOMA. With 5 states enjoying marriage equality and a few other states providing recognition of LGBT relationships, the time has come for the federal government to fully recognize these relationship and provide FULL FAITH AND CREDIT on a federal level so that the committed couples can enjoy the 1,138 federal rights and responsibilities that comes with marriage.
    
    
  • - Repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) - I will never understand why anybody would want to join the military… that said, people do and I respect their service. DADT is a bad policy and should be abolished - short and simple. All the rhetoric about unit cohesion if we allow gays in the army is just that: (empty) rhetoric… Gay men and women are already serving in the armed forces and rather than protect them, the policy forces honorable men and women to lie in order to serve. Lying is contrary to every code of honor. DADT is wrong and needs to be addressed now.
    
    
  • - Passage of Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) - President Obama responded to a HRC questionnaire last year during the primary indicating that he supported this bill. He however did not sponsor the bill when he was in the senate. The bill has an excellent chance of passing this time around either as a stand alone bill or through a Inclusive Comprehensive Immigration Reform. What the bill does is add 3 simple words "or permanent partners" after spouse in immigration law. Those 3 simple words will, allow an American who is LGBT to sponsor his/her partner, who is a foreigner, for a green card. Under this gratuitously discriminatory Immigration law, there are more than 40,000 couples struggling to continue stay in US, while tens of thousands more couples have either left the country to live in exile or try to maintain a long distance relationships. The time has come for President Obama to take a stand and tell congress that this is unacceptable and MUST change! Couples should not be made to choose between Love OR Country - this is wrong and needs to be addressed now.
    
    
  • - Inclusive Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) - unless you have been through the immigration process or know of someone who is going through it, you would have no idea why there are so many undocumented immigrants living here or that it is so difficult to navigate the system. In short, you will have no idea that our immigration system is broken beyond repair. The philosophy behind Immigration in the US is family reunification - however, LGBT families are not recognized as families by the federal government and therefore unable to take advantage of this principle to sponsor our partners for a green card. It is important that the CIR introduced in January 2010 be an inclusive one - meaning it is one that recognizes LGBT families as a family unit. Rep Mike Honda has already introduced Reuniting Families Act (RFA) which includes the language of UAFA in his bill and we are told that Rep Gutierrez will be introducing an immigration bill in the coming weeks. President Obama needs to demonstrate leadership and speak out for an inclusive immigration reform bill that includes LGBT Families.
    
    
  • - Speak out AGAINST Amendment 1 in Maine and FOR Referendum 71 in Washington - last year, the Yes on Prop 8 put out a brochure targeting certain communities stating that President Obama is against Gay Marriage and implied he is supporting Proposition 8. How much impact did that mailer have on the targeted community, we will never know… but we did loose to Prop 8 and with it the right to get married. It is, therefore, important for him to speak on the stage tomorrow AGAINST Amendment 1 and FOR Referendum 71 - Since our foe's are already recycling the materials from their Prop 8 campaign, I am sure that the mailers with President Obama's face and his quote that he does not believe in gay marriage will be sent to these two states and WILL affect the election in those two states… so he need to step up right now and speak out! Bigotry and hatred are wrong and needs to be addressed now.

Alicia playing in the backyard with her slides

grandma and granpa

Alicia's learning how to pronouce "ah gong" and "ah ma", grandma and grandpa in hokkien - at least for now she remembers what they look like, by pointing at the picture of my mom and dad on the wall.... my baby is growing up. Her hair is also growing long... :)

Mickey and I cannot believe that she is now 16 months old and have been with us for 9 months already! She is our love and joy and we really cannot remember our lives without her - while our lives have turned upside down, she has filled our days with laughter and joy and she continues to amaze us everyday with new stuff...

ah gong and ah ma will be reunited with alicia soon... in a couple of weeks.

IOWA

Washington Post Supports the Uniting American Families Act!

Washington Post today wrote an editorial in support of the passage of Uniting American Families Act. I have copied a few paragraphs here but feel free to click on the link to be directed to their website to read the entire article and make a comment.

Separation Anxiety

Gay couples should be allowed to stay together in the United States
Monday, March 16, 2009; Page A16

THE UNITING American Families Act would allow gay and lesbian Americans and permanent residents to sponsor their foreign-born partners for legal residency in the United States. The bill, introduced last month in the Senate by Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and in the House by Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), would add "permanent partner" and "permanent partnership" after the words "spouse" and "marriage" in relevant sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act. If passed, it would right a gross unfairness.

Under the proposal, a "permanent partnership" is defined as a "committed, intimate relationship" with another adult "in which both parties intend a lifelong commitment." The couple must be financially interdependent and not married to or in a permanent partnership with anyone else. And the partners can't be related. The benefit comes with the same immigration restrictions and enforcement standards that apply to heterosexual couples. Fraudulent permanent partnerships face the same penalties as fake marriages: up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.

"Under current law, committed same-sex foreign partners of American citizens are unable to use the family immigration system, which accounts for a majority of the green cards and immigrant visas granted annually by the United States," Mr. Leahy said upon introducing the bill. "The promotion of family unity has long been part of federal immigration policy, and we should honor that principle by providing all Americans the opportunity to be with their loved ones." According to the most recent census, he added, about 35,000 binational, same-sex couples are living in the United States. The new legislation would ensure that the family connections valued under immigration law are extended to gays and lesbians.

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