Opinion

No. 1: Unless you have been in a buried time capsule for the last 15 years, you know the Republicans will vote at all levels for candidates who, if elected, will work to harm the LGBT community. That is a no-brainer.

If you care for members of the LGBT community and/or equality of treatment for all American citizens, you must support Democratic candidates. Even if the Democrat is not friendly, he or she must vote with the party in organizational votes. It is a must do.

We begin the new year hoping for good health and a change of priorities after an unprecedented attack on women's health care access in 2011.

We are in the greatest economic recession since the Great Depression. While Wisconsin citizens are doing their best to weather decreased wages, lost jobs and health insurance fee hikes and coverage reductions, state legislative leaders have instead focused on advancing their personal social agendas.

Three rounds of whatever he wants to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose confident, fearless leadership won over the legislature and led to the adoption of marriage equality for lesbians and gay men in the Empire State. The incredible victory was clinched on the eve of gay Pride weekend in late June. Priceless.

The sharpest stakes of holly and the biggest bowl of putrid punch is reserved for Gov. Scott Walker and the Wisconsin GOP. At a time when people have been swindled out of their savings, are losing their jobs and health care, and living with growing fear for the future, "Scooter" and his legislative henchmen are quashing public sector employment, throwing thousands of poor people off health and unemployment relief rolls, restricting voting rights and birth control, filling the pockets of private-sector cronies and making guns easier to carry.

After 11 months of one extreme policy after the other, Wisconsinites finally get their opportunity to start the recall process against Gov. Scott Walker. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin, United Wisconsin and other grassroots groups officially launched the recall process on Nov. 15. The groups have fanned out across the entire state with recall petition stations in every county.

For the effort to successfully move forward, they need to obtain at least 540,000 valid signatures. But organizers have set their goal at 650,000 to 700,000, which would provide some padding if some of them are ruled invalid. 

At a recent rally for Gov. Scott Walker, former Gov. Tommy Thompson bellowed, "We are going to take our state back!"

Um, would that be the state with the Republican governor and executive branch filled with right-wing appointees? The state with Republican majorities in both houses of the Legislature? The state with the Supreme Court with a growing number of ethically compromised, corporate-funded conservatives?

In a book I got for Christmas, I discovered this clever slogan of the South End Press charmingly etched in lowercase Courier font with three periods for emphasis: "read. write. revolt."

How bold and succinct! It made me think about how to convey my goals for the New Year. I came up with this variation, less succinct but fueled by a similar determination to create change: "Read more. Buy locally. Reactivate."

As we enter the Christmas season, I want to write about peace.

We have many problems closer to home that distract us from the bloodshed in Afghanistan. It's become just another of our perpetual wars for perpetual peace (Gore Vidal's thesis) that's part of the background noise in our frenetic culture. I feel ashamed of that kind of casual disregard, and I am appealing to readers to take action. Here's why.

Earlier this month I visited Milwaukee to attend the Call to Action National Conference, a gathering of progressive Catholics from around the country, and introduce pro-LGBT attendees to the organization I work for, Truth Wins Out.

Many readers will understandably balk at the words “progressive,” “pro-LGBT,” and “Catholic” appearing in the same sentence. However, these words and concepts are far more compatible than many people realize.

Transgender people have never seen a year like 2011 -- nearly every month brought news of a major advance. 

It began with a clarification that any physician can certify a passport applicant who had appropriate treatment for a gender transition. All that is now needed for a transgender person to obtain a passport is the correct name and gender.

The Republican Party has been infused with fundamentalist fervor for decades, but the level of involvement by "Christian" extremists in the GOP has jumped off the charts in the last few years. These people, who fancy themselves the arbiters of what they call "family" and "traditional" values, now virtually control the Republican Party's primary elections in many places.

Among this faction's dearest allies is Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. But as the governor faces a historic recall effort, he has clearly shown his willingness to toss aside the "traditional value" of honesty.

Not even three weeks into the Scott Walker recall, the effort has gathered overwhelming momentum. Organizers recently announced that they obtained more than 300,000 signatures in the first 12 days, after collecting 105,000 during the first weekend.

In total, 540,000 signatures are needed to trigger a recall election. 

Three major LGBT organizations in Milwaukee are undergoing leadership changes right now. Circumstances leading to the need for new directors vary in each case. Instead of speculating on what's gone right or wrong – all organizations face transitions from time to time – I'd rather address more broadly strategies for strengthening these important institutions so they are here to serve us for decades to come. 

Many nonprofit organizations, not just LGBT groups, are going through big transitions, primarily because of the contraction of funding sources. Nonprofits depend on government and foundation grants and corporate contributions and sponsorships to finance their services. The economic collapse has dramatically reduced charitable giving by foundations and businesses and led to huge government budget cuts.