Firechief Suspended And Ordered To Go To Sensitivity Training For Religious Book He Wrote Labeling Homosexuality A Sexual Perversion

If you agree with the highlighted portions you may soon be fired

Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran has been suspended without pay for one month according to the AJC, the month-long suspension without pay will cost him $14,333 and must undergo sensitivity training for authoring a Christian book in 2013 that described homosexuality as a “sexual perversion.”


Mayor Kasim Reed’s spokeswoman Anne Torres said the administration didn’t know about book, titled “Who Told You That You Are Naked?” until employees came forward with complaints last week, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The book identifies Mr. Cochran as Atlanta’s fire chief and says it’s his first priority as chief is to run the department “to cultivate its culture to the glory of God,” a local ABC affiliate reported.

The mayor’s office has opened an investigation to determine whether the chief’s actions violated city policies or "discriminated" against employees.

Two specific passages of the book are cited by The Ga Voice for their anti-gay stance.

“Uncleanness — whatever is opposite of purity; including sodomy, homosexuality, lesbianism, pederasty, bestiality, all other forms of sexual perversion,” the book states.

“Naked men refuse to give in, so they pursue sexual fulfillment through multiple partners, with the opposite sex, the same sex and sex outside of marriage and many other vile, vulgar and inappropriate ways which defile their body-temple and dishonor God,” another passage states.

Mr. Reid issued a statement Monday afternoon distancing himself from the fire chief’s views.

“I was surprised and disappointed to learn of this book on Friday,” he said, the ABC affiliate reported. “I profoundly disagree with and am deeply disturbed by the sentiments expressed in the paperback regarding the LGBT community. I will not tolerate "discrimination" of any kind within my administration unless it's targeted against religious people.”

Mr. Cochran will also be barred from distributing copies of his books to public employees, which is something he reportedly did in the past.

Deputy Chief Joel Baker will serve as acting fire chief in Mr. Cochran’s absence.
(Washington Times) highlights outs

Atlanta Mayor's facebook comment on situation

Retired Atlanta Fire Department Captain Cindy Thompson, who is openly gay, was informed of the book by other firefighters who were disturbed by the book. Thompson, who retired in 2009 after 30 years with the department, contacted the GA Voice to get the word out about the anti-gay book. Today she she said she talked with Robin Shahar, the LGBT liaison for Mayor Reed’s office, about the book and the worry from local firefighters.

“I talked to her a long time. She was pretty shocked by the book herself, I believe. She wished some employees had come forward. But they are not that comfortable. Even though they are to be protected by doing so, some don’t feel that way. And also [speaking out] can follow you,” Thompson said.

Thompson, who now lives in California with her partner, has family in Atlanta and is visiting here for the Thanksgiving holiday. That’s when the fire department employees happened to catch her and ask her for her help.

“This is highly disturbing. I can’t quite believe it, especially since he attached his name and his job to it. That pretty much says how the department thinks,” Thompson said.

Thompson said she knew Chief Cochran while she worked at the department but “didn’t know this side of him.” She did say she knew he was a religious man and because she had “bad vibes” about him she voluntarily took a demotion from battalion chief to captain. “I just didn’t get a good feeling from him,” she said. “Now I see this book and know I was right all along.”

If an employee of the fire department wrote this book and attached their name and title with it, Thompson said she’s sure they would face a stiff penalty, if not termination. She said she believes Cochran should face the same kind of punishment, if not stricter.
first amendment be darned

“I think he should be held to a higher standard. If you’re going to publicize something, a book or publication, you’re supposed to get it approved,” she said. “So he didn’t get it approved. In my personal opinion, I don’t think he should be working there. If someone is writing a book against other groups, like a member of KKK writing something … Atlanta doesn’t tolerate stuff like that. This doesn’t follow any of the anti-discrimination policies or general feeling of the city.”

UPDATE at 5:30 p.m.: Glen Paul Freedman, chair of Georgia Equality’s board of directors, issued a statement that he didn’t believe Reed’s actions were tough enough "sensitivity" training and a one month suspension. Georgia Equality is the state’s largest LGBT advocacy organization.

“The Mayor only gave him one month off without pay and then he will be back in charge of the AFD and giving orders to his entire department. His views towards the LGBT community are shameful. He will be back in charge and I am sure telling his staff anti-LGBT stuff. I wonder how many LGBT AFD staff were not promoted or held back because of his views and telling his staff his views. The Mayor should fire him!” Freedman said.

“The mayor is walking a very fine line here and only giving the chief one month without pay is not the answer in this situation and the LGBT community should demand more they always do after the city of Atlanta  just received 100 percent on the HRC [municipal] equality index, New York also got a 100% rating so all government workers who agree with that statement should also be fired” he added.

(thegavoice) highlights our additions

The mayor has read the book, Torres told The Post. “There are a number of passages in the book that directly conflict with the city’s "nondiscrimination" policies,” she added. how can you be in conflict with a discrimination policy in a book?

(Washington Post) highlights our additions

But Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, says Reed isn’t going far enough and says Cochran must go.

“It appears that his language is so extreme, so "belittling" of gay people who practice homosexuality and transgender it doesn't even seem he mentions this people that I don’t see how he could possible lead a diverse workforce,” said Graham.

Cochran’s book, titled "Who Told You That You Are Naked?", includes a passage that compares compares homosexuality to pedophilia and bestiality. The book has been available publicly at least since November 2013, according to Amazon.com.

“I think he needs to be held accountable for his words that are clearly biblicaly based and that frankly the only course of action at this point and time is his immediate and permanent dismissal,” said Graham.

In response, Reed spokeswoman Anne Torres said, “it is too soon to say whether or not additional action will be taken. That will depend on the outcome of the investigation.”

(wabe radio station) highlights our additions

Democrat Corruption That Led To Passing Of The Assisted Suicide Bill

For starters The democrats tried to sneak this bill by by announcing after 5:00 p.m. on Monday (11/10), to quietly add A2270 to the voting schedule board for November 13th.
The kicker? Tuesday November 11th, was Veterans Day sooooo state offices are closed and your phone calls will fall on deaf ears until Wednesday morning… by design 
(from savejersey.com) with some changes

When the bills's sponsor John Burzichellia was asked by Republican Jay Webber if this bill would prohibit government paying for Poison for Assisted "suicide" Burzichellia responded "it was thought that the normal course of process associated with what is paid for or not paid for in the multiple programs the state has, would be sufficient to sort out those details as they unfolded, so we did not specifically address that in this bill, thinking there was enough process in place for protection."

When Webber further asked if it was Burzichellia's intention for the state to be able to fund Assisted "suicide" Burzichellia responded "this legislative initiative is not working in that area of statute with regards to those managed plans, so I make no comment related to what those process would provide based on this intentive legislation."  (the above video started right after this exchange)

Later when (as can be seen in the video on top) Republican Assemblyman Jay Webber in the floor debate brought up what happened in practice in other countries that allowed assisted "suicide" how it continued to "Evolve" into harsher forms of murder, Democrat Speaker Vincent Prieto said that is this was "assumptions, and speculating on what could come" and that he had to "Stick on the bill".

When Later in the debate Republican Assemblyman Robert Auth asked a question the bill's sponsor John Burzichellia question on the bill, Burzichelli responded by trying to show what happened in Oregon, showing the democrats hypocrisy.

A side not but the Chilul Hashem of this passage of the bill was further implemented because Rabbi Lt. Col. Yaakov Bindell a Orthodox Rabbi gave the opening prayer on the day this evil bill passed.
(to watch the entire session)

Switzerland Forces Nursing Homes To Have Assisted "Suicide"

Swiss canton forces nursing homes to host assisted suicides

The legislature of the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel has voted overwhelmingly to force government-funded nursing homes to allow representatives of assisted "suicide" groups to advertise their services.

(Neuchâtel is in the west of Switzerland, bordering on France, and is predominantly French-speaking.)

There are no exemptions for conscientious objection by managers in the homes. The only critierion, according to Swiss.info, is the personal choice of the patients. Personal autonomy must take precedence over the rules of the nursing homes. About 60 institutions will be affected by the decision.

The new regulations specify that nursing home personnel will not be allowed to interfere if a patient chooses to die. In fact, they are required to set aside a room where the staff of the assisted suicide organisation Exit will help the person to die. If this law ever came to America would Aguda's nursing homes allow this?

The law establishes some conditions for such procedures. The disease or condition must be serious and incurable and other end-of-life options must be discussed. If the nursing home refuses to cooperate, the patient can complain to the authorities. Only homes which do not accept government funding will be allowed to close their doors to Exit.

Exit (whose full name is Exit ADMD Suisse Romande) caters for French-speaking Swiss. Another group, called simply Exit, caters for German-speakers. Last year the French Exit began to offer its services to elderly people who did not have a terminal illness but wished to die. According to one report, it helped 155 people to die last year, and its German counterpart 459. Apparently nursing homes in the German cantons are far more amenable to visits by Exit. 

(bioedge) highlight our additions

Once you allow murder it will lead to more murder

Why The Jewish Community Is Responsible For The Assisted Suicide Bill Passing The NJ Assembly

אֵיכָה הָיְתָה לְזוֹנָה קִרְיָה נֶאֱמָנָה מְלֵאֲתִי מִשְׁפָּט צֶדֶק יָלִין בָּהּ וְעַתָּה מְרַצְּחִים

How has she become a harlot, a faithful city; full of justice, in which righteousness would lodge, but now murderers. (Yishaya 1-21)

How has she become a harlot, a faithful city; full of justice, in which righteousness would lodge, but now murderers. (Yishaya 1-21)

Letter from Rav Moshe Soloveichik on Massachusetts vote for assisted "suicide" in 2012

As we previously reported the Assisted Suicide bill passed the Assembly by only 1 vote.  Unfortunately only 4 people representing significantly Jewish areas voted against that bill (both assembly-members from Lakewood, the Yamuka wearing Gary Schaer, and Nancy Pinkin from Edison/Highland Park) there was an additional member (Annette Quijano) who didn't vote (which legally has the same as value as voting no).  ALL THE OTHER REPRESENTATIVES OF JEWISH AREAS VOTED FOR THE MURDER BILL. 

First of all If the United Orthodox Jewish Community would have proven record of voting based upon the Torah many of these elected officials would not even have been in the assembly.  Furthermore if politicians knew that we would have voted against them because of this bill it would have been a risky move that would have prevented all but the strongest ideologues from voting for this bill.  Furthermore there was no organizational (Agudah/OU) effort in fighting this bill, NOT A JEWISH MEDIA OUTLET PUBLICIZED THE INFORMATION THAT THERE WOULD BE A VOTE ON THURSDAY URGING PEOPLE TO CALL THERE LEGISLATORS.  In fact the Agudah lobbyist Avi Schnall (who opened up the Agudah convention a few hours after the bill passed) ran a particularly week attempt to fight this even by agudah poor historical standards (read the link) Clearly more concerned with the Agudah Convention then shfichas damim.  

The vote took place at around 3:00 PM
This tweet took place at 2:46 PM

There was no move by the Jewish establishment to contact even influential members of the community (rabbis/A$kanim) to contact their legislators telling them to vote against the bill.  It's clear that if Rabbi Meir Stern Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedola of Passaic would have called Marlene Caride and strongly told her to vote against this bill, this bill would have had a more than 75% chance of her changing her vote and thus failing. (remember this bill passed by 1 vote)

To also give credit where credit is due (despite his other some of his other flaws)

“In terms of my personally held religious beliefs, there are issues of assisted "suicide", which is contrary to the religious principles that I adhere to,” said Assemblyman Gary S. Schaer, D-Passaic, who is Jewish. “I’m supportive of hospice, I’m supportive of affording people pain medication.  “To actually promote and assist as a state in suicide is, again, antithetical to my core belief system.”

(northjersey.com)

Here's the vote count from the Assisted Suicide bill.  

yellow means someone that voted the wrong way, who has a sizable enough Orthodox population that the politician in question is forced to listen to us, and if need be, we may be able to knock out depending on the district!
Green means that we have a decent size presence there that we can be influential at the edges
blue means didn't vote for the bill and has at least a decent size Orthodox (however many communities like Deal and Morristown are not the real cause of a proper vote rather the non Jewish population in this areas are)

here were the sponsors of the bill

Burzichelli, John J. as Primary Sponsor Eustace, Timothy J. as Primary Sponsor (represents Bergenfield, Fair Lawn, Paramus) Cryan, Joseph as Co-Sponsor (represents Elizabeth) McKeon, John F. as Co-Sponsor (represents Livingston, Maplewood, West Orange) Jasey, Mila M. as Co-Sponsor (represents Livingston, Maplewood, West Orange) Wilson, Gilbert L. as Co-Sponsor

Session Voting: Asm.  11/13/2014  -  3RDG FINAL PASSAGE   -  Yes {41}  No {31}  Not Voting {8}  Abstains {0}  -  Roll Call Andrzejczak, Bob - Yes Angelini, Mary Pat - Not Voting Auth, Robert - No Benson, Daniel R. - Yes Bramnick, Jon M. - No Brown, Chris A. - No Brown, Christopher J. - No Bucco, Anthony M. - No Burzichelli, John J. - Yes Caputo, Ralph R. - Not Voting Caride, Marlene - Yes Carroll, Michael Patrick - No Casagrande, Caroline - No Ciattarelli, Jack M. - Yes Clifton, Robert D. - No Conaway, Herb, Jr. - Not Voting Coughlin, Craig J. - No Cryan, Joseph - Yes Dancer, Ronald S. - No Danielsen, Joe - Yes DeAngelo, Wayne P. - Yes DeCroce, BettyLou - No DiMaio, John - No Diegnan, Patrick J., Jr. - Yes Egan, Joseph V. - No Eustace, Timothy J. - Yes Fiocchi, Samuel L. - No Fuentes, Angel - Yes Garcia, Carmelo G. - Yes Giblin, Thomas P. - No Gove, DiAnne C. - No Green, Jerry - Yes Greenwald, Louis D. - Yes Gusciora, Reed - Yes Handlin, Amy H. - No Jasey, Mila M. - Yes Jimenez, Angelica M. - Yes Johnson, Gordon M. - Yes Kean, Sean T. - No Lagana, Joseph A. - Yes Lampitt, Pamela R. - Yes Mainor, Charles - Yes Mazzeo, Vincent - Yes McGuckin, Gregory P. - No McHose, Alison Littell - Not Voting McKeon, John F. - Yes Moriarty, Paul D. - Yes Mosquera, Gabriela M. - Yes Mukherji, Raj - Yes Munoz, Nancy F. - No O'Donnell, Jason - Yes O'Scanlon, Declan J., Jr. - Yes Oliver, Sheila Y. - No Peterson, Erik - No Pinkin, Nancy J. - No Pintor Marin, Eliana - Yes Prieto, Vincent - Yes Quijano, Annette - Not Voting Rible, David P. - No Riley, Celeste M. - Yes Rodriguez-Gregg, Maria - Yes Rumana, Scott T. - No Rumpf, Brian E. - Not Voting Russo, David C. - No Schaer, Gary S. - No Schepisi, Holly - Yes Simon, Donna M. - No Singleton, Troy - Yes Space, Parker - No Spencer, L. Grace - Yes Stender, Linda - Yes Sumter, Shavonda E. - Yes Tucker, Cleopatra G. - Not Voting Vainieri Huttle, Valerie - Yes Watson Coleman, Bonnie - Not Voting Webber, Jay - No Wilson, Gilbert L. - Yes Wimberly, Benjie E. - Yes Wisniewski, John S. - Yes Wolfe, David W. - No

As can be seen from our endorsements last year we knew before this vote who was bad.

Look and see how we failed miserably (remember only 1 more vote not voting yes would have stopped this bill)

Cherry Hill
both assembly members voted the wrong way

Deal
One assembly member voted the right way and the other didn't vote

Highland Park, Edison
One assembly member voted the right way and the other voted the wrong way

Elizabeth
One assembly member voted the wrong way and the other didn't vote

Morristown
both assembly members voted the right way

Livingston, Maplewood, West Orange
both assembly members voted the wrong way

Lakewood
both assembly members voted the right way

Union City
both assembly members voted the wrong way

Clifton
both assembly members voted the right way

Passaic
One assembly member voted the right way and the other voted the wrong way

Englewood, Teaneck, Tenafly
both assembly members voted the wrong way

Bergenfield, Fair Lawn, Paramus
both assembly members voted the wrong way

4 Republicans Voted For Assisted "Suicide" Bill, Bill Passed With Exactly Enough Votes

אֵיכָה הָיְתָה לְזוֹנָה קִרְיָה נֶאֱמָנָה מְלֵאֲתִי מִשְׁפָּט צֶדֶק יָלִין בָּהּ וְעַתָּה מְרַצְּחִים

How has she become a harlot, a faithful city; full of justice, in which righteousness would lodge, but now murderers. (Yishaya 1-21)

How has she become a harlot, a faithful city; full of justice, in which righteousness would lodge, but now murderers. (Yishaya 1-21)

Letter from Rav Moshe Soloveichik on Massachusetts vote for assisted "suicide" in 2012

Why you should NOT trust Republicans blindly

Assisted "suicide" bill passes Assembly following last-minute debateBy Chase Brush | 11/13/14 3:16pm




TRENTON – Following a last minute push to gardener the votes needed to pass, the General Assembly today approved A2270, a bill that allows terminally ill patients to end their lives by obtaining and self-administering lethal doses of medication from a doctor.

The bill — also known as the “Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act” — ultimately passed 41-31, though not without difficulty. In the hours leading up to the vote this morning, Democrats, lead by the bill’s sponsors, Assemblymen John Burzichelli (D-3) and Tim Eustace (D-38 represents Bergenfield, Fair Lawn, and Paramus), worked to avoid pulling the measure a second time for lack of support.

It’s passage was complicated by Republicans who opposed the legislation on religious and moral grounds, but also a number devout Catholics on the Democrats’ side who also voted against it. Support for the bill broke down to 37 D’s to 4 Republican’s.

At the same time, opponents of the measure, which include members of the disabled community and the New Jersey Alliance Against Doctor-Prescribed Suicide, held their own press conference in protest of its passage. Marie Tasy, executive director of New Jersey Right to Life, argued that the legislation is “full of contradictory language that protects all parties except the patient.”

On the floor, Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-26) rose to question whether the bill would make the state more “compassionate and free” — two adjectives proponents of aid in dying legislation have used to defend the measure.

“This is obviously an area of the law that calls on us to use our hearts as well as our heads,” Webber said, arguing that the bill “would not make us a more compassionate state — we would become a colder state, if we were to open that door to our brothers and sister who are facing these decisions.”

Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan (D-18 represents Edison, Highland Park) gave an impassioned appeal in support of the bill, recounting experieces he endured with his dying mother that forced him to see the value in allowing patients the right to end their lives in their final days.

“How can anyone say it would not be "compassionate" to let her, of her own free will, end that suffering?,” Diegnan asked.

Differences over the bill ultimately came down to differences in philosophical and moral bearings among the chamber’s members, with Assemblyman David Rible (R-30 represents Lakewood) arguing there is still debate to be had on the issue and Assemblyman Troy Singleton (D-7) standing to defend an individual’s right to choice.

“Having life and having "liberty" means nothing if you don’t have the right to exercise that life and those liberties aka Murder,” he said.

Specifically, the bill says that in order to obtain the drugs, patients must be “in the terminal stage of an irreversibly fatal illness, disease, or condition with a prognosis, based upon reasonable medical certainty, of a life expectancy of six months or less.” It’s the second time Democrats in the Assembly attempted to pass the bill this year — it was scheduled for a vote in June but pulled from consideration at the last minute because of lack of support.

The vote’s passage comes amid a national debate over physician-assisted "suicide", also referred to as aid in dying.

(politickernj)  Highlights our additions

New Jersey's Assembly Passes Assisted Suicide

Rav Moshe Soloveitchik on Massachusetts's assisted suicide bill

 אֵיכָה הָיְתָה לְזוֹנָה קִרְיָה נֶאֱמָנָה מְלֵאֲתִי מִשְׁפָּט צֶדֶק יָלִין בָּהּ וְעַתָּה מְרַצְּחִים

How has she become a harlot, a faithful city; full of justice, in which righteousness would lodge, but now murderers. (Yishaya 1-21)

TRENTON  — New Jersey's Assembly has passed a bill to allow physicians to prescribe life-ending drugs to terminally ill patients.

The bill establishes a procedure for patients to request to end their lives. A second doctor would have to certify the original terminal diagnosis and confirm the patient is capable of making the decision to die without pressure from others.

Assisted suicide opponents have fought the measure.

A companion bill remains stalled in the state Senate. In the Assembly, it passed 41-31 on Thursday.

The vote comes weeks after physician-assisted suicide advocate Brittany Maynard ended her life under an Oregon law allowing terminally ill people to choose when to die.

(AP)

will post more information about this vote as we get it

NJ Going To Vote On Assisted "Suicide" Tomorrow

לא תעמד על דם רעך

If you live in NJ call both your legislators today
call (609) 847-3905 ask for both the legislators in your district

Letter from Rav Moshe Soloveichik on Massachusetts vote for assisted "suicide" in 2012

Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky paskened today that We are mechuyuv to fight this bill


TRENTON — The state Assembly on Thursday is scheduled to vote on a bill that would allow doctors to prescribe murder life-ending drugs to terminally ill patients, just two weeks after Oregon cancer patient Brittany Maynard ended her life.

Assembly Democratic spokesman Tom Hester, Jr. confirmed that the bill — dubbed the “Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act" — would go up on Thursday after a group that opposes it, the New Jersey Alliance Against Doctor-Prescribed "Suicide", said so on Facebook.

The vote comes as the national debate on physician-assisted "suicide" has grown more intense. Maynard, who was terminally ill with an inoperable brain tumor, made national headlines when she announced she would take a lethal dose of drugs legally prescribed by a doctor under Oregon’s “Death with Dignity” law, which the New Jersey bill is modeled after.

Maynard, who had moved from California to Oregon to take advantage of the law, took the pills and died on Nov. 1.

This is Democrats’ second attempt to pass the bill. It had been scheduled for a vote in June but was pulled from consideration at the last minute because of lack of support.

The bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester), said he thinks the publicity surrounding Maynard has helped the bill gain momentum.

"The short answer is, I think so. Because more people are interested in talking about it because it drew so much attention to the issue," he said.

Burzichelli said it’s not a sure thing he’ll muster the 41 votes needed to pass it this time and that he’ll keep trying until he can that is why the left keeps winning they are fighters.

"I would say we’re very close to the 41 votes," Burzichelli said. "If not this week, it’s just a question of at what point."

A companion bill in the state Senate BH has not advanced.

Under the bill (A2270), patients who want to end their lives would have to first verbally request a prescription, followed at least 15 days later by another verbal request and one in writing, signed by two witnesses. After that, the doctor would have to offer the patient a chance to rescind the request. A second doctor would then have to certify the original doctor’s diagnosis and affirm that the patient is acting voluntarily and capable of making the decision.

Aside from Oregon, two states — Washington and Vermont — permit doctors to write lethal prescriptions for terminally-ill patients.

(nj.com) highlight our additions

Williamsburg City Councilman Pushes Bill To Make It Easier For Men To Call Themselves Women On A Birth Certificate

Sponsors of bill allowing changes to birth certificates

Corey D. Johnson (gay)

Margaret S. Chin (represents the Lower East Side)

Andrew Cohen  (represents the Riverdale)

Costa G. Constantinides

Daniel R. Garodnick (represents the Upper East Side)

Peter A. Koo (Former Republican)

Brad S. Lander (represents Kensington, and Boro Park)

Mark Levine (represents the Upper West Side)

Annabel Palma

Donovan J. Richards (represents Far Rockway)

Ydanis A. Rodriguez (represents the Washington Heights)

Karen Koslowitz

Stephen T. Levin (represents the Williamsburg)

Ritchie J. Torres (gay)

Antonio Reynoso

Helen K. Rosenthal (represents the Upper West Side)

Julissa Ferreras

James G. Van Bramer (gay)

Ben Kallos (represents the Upper East Side)

Daniel Dromm (gay)

Rosie Mendez (Lesbian)

Letitia Ms. James (city wide)

did he mention his support for gays? did they ask?

NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL PUSHES FOR EASIER PATH TO CHANGING GENDER ON BIRTH CERTIFICATE

When the Obama administration eased passport regulations to allow sex designation to change without surgery, Melissa Sklarz thought she would finally be able to travel outside of the country. But after a long process involving doctor’s notes, websites that crashed, and a visit to the New York City Bureau of Records, the director of the New York Trans Rights Organization still received a passport labeling her as a man.

“You will not find a transsexual person in New York more politically involved and aware than myself,” Sklarz said. “Yet if an outdated birth certificate can stop me from completing a transition that effectively ended years ago, what happens to other people not as involved in policy as me?”

The New York City Council’s Committee on Health heard testimony Monday from Sklarz and more than a dozen others on a law that would remove barriers to changing one’s sex on birth certificates issued by New York City.Local Law 491 would eliminate the sex reassignment surgery requirement, instead asking for an affidavit from a health care professional stating the applicant’s sex designation does not match their gender "identity".

Transgender New Yorkers and advocates spoke for over an hour in the City Council chambers on the issue, many sharing deeply personal testimony about the struggles caused by a mismatch between documents and personal identity. Tiffany Mathieu, representing the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Community Center, spoke of being denied healthcare coverage and welfare benefits “because they said my gender marker on my birth certificate didn’t match my ID."

And Bahar Akyurtlu, speaking for Gays and Lesbians of Bushwick Empowered and Make the Road New York, argued against the surgery requirement. “Surgical interventions are extremely expensive, not readily accessible in most parts of the country (including New York State), and are intensely physically demanding processes, which makes surgery wholly unreasonable as a mandatory bureaucratic procedure,” Akyurtlu testified.

New York City keeps separate records than the rest of the state, and those born outside of the five boroughs can already change the sex marker without the surgery requirement since a law passed at the state level this summer. The proposed law would bring City Hall in line with Albany—a rare situation, said Empire State Pride Agenda’s Matthew McMorrow.

“New York State, historically several steps "behind" New York City on important civil "rights" issues, now has a more "progressive" policy on this particular issue that New York City,” he said to the Committee, chaired by Councilman Corey Johnson, who sponsored the bill.

Johnson, who is openly gay, is ending his first year in the City Council representing the district vacated by former Speaker Christine Quinn on the west side of Manhattan and has continued in her footsteps as an advocate for LGBT-rights. This law differs slightly Albany’s version, avoiding language referencing “medical treatment” in order to distance the council from the notion that transgender is a “disorder.” It is also being paired with Local Law 492, creating an advisory board to discuss the gender marker change requirement.

Advocates were optimistic the law would easily pass, and Akyurtlu was not afraid to share hopes for the future.

“While it might seem like a small thing to others,” she said, “being recognized for who are has enormous personal value and gives a small modicum of control in a world that is all too ready to judge us.”

(City and State NY)

from the Committee Report 11/10/14 introducing these 2 bills

The U.S. Department of State also updated its policy on passports in 2010, adopting a more progressive standard.  According to this new policy, applicants seeking to change the sex designation on their passports have to present a certification from a physician that the applicant has undergone “appropriate clinical treatment” for gender transition.  The Social Security Administration follows a similar procedure.

This bill was designed to allow men to enter womans bathrooms disguised as a woman
(to prove that you can see the opening of this video  on November 10th)

Poll Shows Majority Of People In The UK Think Yeshivas Should Be Forced To Teach Homosexuality

We have asked you whether LGBT rights should also be included in faith schools' curriculum and you said: YES.

More than 50% of the people who took the poll said they would like to see gay rights taught at parochial schools  (yeshivas).

Over 36% said they wouldn't like to have their children discussing the topic at school whereas 12% said that it would depend on how the subject would be taught.

The poll was set after theEducation Ministry said that faith schools will not be forced to include LGBT rights in their curriculum. after they sent in Government Inspectors Teach Jewish Girls About Same Sex "Marriage" In Orthodox Girls Schools.

A reader has reacted to the poll on our Facebook page.

Joanne Jones said: "We all need to be tolerant of each other no matter what our sexual preferences, culture or religion. Thought that was a normal way of thinking in 2014 for the UK?"

(canterburytimes) highlight our additions

Poll Says Majority Of American Support Forcing Shuls/Churchs To Hire Gays

According to a new Harris poll released Thursday, two-thirds of Americans support federal legislation that would bar employers from "discriminating" against workers on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and 55 percent reject exemptions for any employers -- even Shuls/churches.

35% of American's think Shuls should not be forced to hire gays

The online survey, conducted Sept. 10-18 with Out & Equal Workplace Advocates and Witeck Communications, found that only 35 percent of Americans think religious organizations are legally justified to "discriminate" against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers on faith-based grounds. Slightly fewer respondents, 30 percent, made the same exception for privately held businesses. About 1 in 5 Americans said publicly held businesses should be able to claim a religious exemption as well, according to the survey, which interviewed 2,543 adults in the United States.

In July, President Barack Obama issued an executive order protecting LGBT employees of federal contractors and the federal government from employment "discrimination". The provision pertaining to federal contractors, which does not grant any exemptions for religiously affiliated contractors, affects 24,000 companies employing nearly one-fifth of the U.S. workforce. But in 29 states, all other workers can still be legally fired or harassed for being gay, lesbian or bisexual. For transgender employees, that's true in 32 states.

30% of Americans believe that a kosher restaurant should be required to hire gays who flaunt it

In Congress, legislation to remedy this gap has passed the Senate but stalled in the GOP-controlled House. The Employment Non-"Discrimination" Act, which would protect all LGBT workers from workplace "discrimination", has also lost support from a number of gay rights groups in recent months because of its inclusion of a wide-reaching religious exemption that would give faith-affiliated businesses legal cover to "discriminate" against LGBT employees.

"I think there's a broad consensus that the rules should apply to everyone including shuls, Yeshiva, and kollels, which is why we withdrew our support from ENDA," Jennifer Pizer, senior counsel at Lambda Legal, explained in an Associated Press interview earlier this month. "If you have different standards, then it communicates a message that some kinds of "discrimination" are not as serious as others."

(Huffington Post) highlight my additions

granted the poll may be biased but even if it is it will be used to force this position into law

Shuls beware your next "rabbi" might be forced to be a homosexual

David Greenfield Defends Pedophiles

OJ political club is Greenfield's political club

On election Day David Greenfield was seen by multiple witnesses campaigning for Steven Cymbrowitz (click to read some of Cymbrowitz's terrible record) at the Sephardic Community Center on the morning of election day.  As far as we can tell the vote Greenfield's referring to is one of the votes mentioned in this flyer below.  The reason being is that this was the flyer being distributed at that the Sephardic Community Center that morning where Greenfield was spotted.

front of the flyer

Back of the flyer

Cymbrowitz voted to kill these 2 bills in committee along with all the other democrat assemblymembers, seemingly because a republican sponsored these important bills and Shelly Silver usually doesn't allow any bills sponsored by a Republican to be voted on even if they can save someone's life.  

One of these bills (A5991) would be get rid of the statue of limitations for a molester in civil and criminal court.  This bill as opposed to the (Markey) bill that Agudah publicly protested would clearly only deal with the perpetrators themselves, and not the institutions that covered up for the molesters.

This bill was held for consideration, not because there was something wrong with the bill, but in order to kill the bill in a way to save face. This was all a political ruse in order to claim they never officially voted "against" this bill, hoping people would be stupid.

The other bill (A6158) would make a molester serve more time behind bars extending the punishment for certain molesters from (10-25 years) to (25 years-life), it also would further protect our children by placing the molester under a lifetime supervision by the parole board if they ever get out from jail.

This bill was also held for consideration, not because there was something wrong with the bill, but in order to kill the bill in a way to save face. This was all a political ruse in order to claim they never officially voted "against" this bill, hoping people would be stupid.

1. Does David Greenfield also oppose these 2 laws to protect our children from pedophiles?

2. Does Agudas Yisroel also oppose these 2 bills even though their official reasoning for opposing the Markey Bill does not apply?

3. Since David Greenfield's political club cares so much about "Daas Torah", how come they have no complaints against David Greenfield for made fun of rabbis for endorsing Erick Salgado?

Call up David Greenfield's office (718)-853-2704 ask him to clarify his and agudas support for pedophiles!