Travis County Marriage Equality Sit-In

A sit-in took place on Valentine's Day at the Travis County Clerks Office for equal marriage rights while the Travis County Clerk looks on in support (woman in red suit). The three women, who engaged in the sit-in, were identified to be Brittney Tovar, left, Tiffani Bishop, center, and Iana Di Bona, right.



GetEqualTX along with the First Unitarian Church and the Occupy Austin OccuQueers staged a protest on February 14, 2012 at the Travis County Clerk's Office. Same-sex couples attempted to get marriage licenses, and then some got married outside.

Watch as the three GetEqual activists are arrested and lead away into police custody :



More and more, LGBT civil rights activists are organising into a mass, grassroots movement for equality.

GetEqualTX: http://www.getequaltx.org/
First Unitarian Church of Austin: http://austinuu.org/
Occupy Austin: http://occupyaustin.org/

LGBT Activists Protest Against Texas Gov. Rick Perry's Hate Event

Protesters Travel From Across Texas to Picket Hate-Based Event

HOUSTON, TX — On August 6th, Governor Perry spoke at an event inside Reliant Stadium in Houston that he organized with the American Family Association, an organization recognized as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Outside, GetEQUAL protesters from across the Lone Star State joined together and raised their voices against the hatred and bigotry being voiced inside the stadium.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community has recently seen a rise in hate crimes against them, both in Texas and across the country. This event is one more example of religion-based bigotry that helps spur such hate crimes and helps send the message that discriminating against one particular group is okay.

“Our Governor invited, and therefore endorsed, groups to preach hate in our state,” said GetEQUAL Texas State Lead Organizer Michael Diviesti. “The American Family Association and the Family Research Council empower the bullies that are driving our youth to suicide and the murderers who kill out of hatred and ignorance.”

For the LGBT community, this was a day to stand up and fight back — not against prayer, but against those using their religion as a justification for the harm they cause to others.

LGBT civil rights activist Iana Di Bona was among the activists, who took part in the protest outside the Reliant Stadium. Read the entire press release issued by GetEQUAL about Texas Governor Rick Perry's hate convention.

Civil Rights Fast Ends

What are we going to do for LGBT civil rights ?

LGBT Activist Calls Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's Office

LGBT Civil Rights Activist Calls Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's Office about American Equality Bill

At about 4 p.m. on Nov. 11, 2010, I placed a call to Sen. Gillibrand's New York office (1-212-688-6262). I left a voice mail, asking that the Honourable Senator please file the American Equality Bill. Just like Lady Gaga did in her famous ''Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' YouTube video, I invite everybody to call Sen. Gillibrand and videotape themselves, and then post their videos on YouTube.

Iana Di Bona Calls Senator Gillibrand's Offices

Iana Di Bona records herself on camera as she calls Senator Gillibrand's office on Nov. 9, 2010

On Day 8 of Alan Bounville's fast for LGBT Civil Rights, Iana Di Bona calls Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's offices in New York and Washington, D.C. Please record yourself placing your own call to Sen. Gillibrand's office's.

Call her at : 1-212-688-6262. Ask her to file the American Equality Bill. Then, post your video on YouTube.

Civil Rights Fast begins Second Week

Alan Bounville has lost 14 pounds in his first week of the fast for LGBT Civil Rights.

In this first week of his fast for LGBT Civil Rights, Alan Bounville has lost 14 pounds, according to a news release issued last night. "Under a doctor’s care, Alan is watchful and cautious with his energy. Iana Di Bona is managing their personal needs and assisting in the overall conservation of energy. A group of people are assisting in distributing information, posting videos and accompanying Alan and Iana to their events," read the statement issued by Zoe Nicholson.

Mr. Bounville began his fast on Election Day, Nov. 2. For a period of 36 days before the fast even began, he and other LGBT activists were requesting that all LGBTQIA people to work locally with their own Senators and Representatives to lobby for the introduction of the American Equality Bill. The American Equality Bill is a landmark piece of draft legislation, which if filed and passed, would amend civil rights laws of the United States by adding ''sexual orientation'' and ''gender identity'' into the Civil Rights Act of 1964. People in PA, CA, FL, OH are already on board with asking their local Congressional Representatives to introduce the American Equality Bill.

In the news release issued last night, Ms. Di Bona included a public statement : "In this second week of the Civil Rights Fast, we hope that more voices will continue to rise and demand equality."

Civil Rights Fast is reported about in NYTimes Blog

LGBT Civil Rights Protest Becomes Hunger Strike

News about Alan Bounville's fast for LGBT civil rights has been reported by The Local East Village blog of The New York Times.

A couple of weeks ago, we wrote about the work of QueerSOS, a gay rights group that was taking part in an ongoing vigil outside of Senator Gillibrand’s campaign office. At that time, activists Iana Di Bona and Alan Bounville had slept on the West 26th Street sidewalk for nearly four weeks, vowing to continue until the senator introduced the American Equality Bill to Congress, which would introduce the phrase “sexual orientation and gender identity” to the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.

After 36 days standing vigil, incurring arrests and disorderly conduct summons, but no response from the senator, the activists decided that something more had to be done to bring attention to their cause. On Election Day, QueerSOS morphed into a new incarnation: the Civil Rights Fast.

Senator Gillibrand has declined to comment on the protest.

Read the rest of Hannah Rubenstein's article : ''Rights Protest Becomes Hunger Strike.''

Empty Words Make Sen. Gillibrand an Unwitting Ally of the Far Right

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand - Election Day Victory Party - LGBT Civil Rights Fast Protest for Gay Rights

While Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand held a victory party inside the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Midtown Manhattan, LGBT protesters gathered outside to ask the Honourable Senator to file the American Equality Bill.

Among the protesters was Alan Bounville, who began a water-only fast on the very day, November 2, 2010. Mr. Bounville has said that he would stop eating until Sen. Gillibrand would file the American Equality Bill or similar legislation, or make a public statement of her intention to file such a bill, which would add ''sexual orientation'' and ''gender identity'' to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Almost as soon as they arrived, police asked the Civil Rights Fast protesters to change locations on the sidewalk, and then, as captured on camera, undercover security interrogated the protesters, who were outside the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, with threats of arrest, if any protesters were found to be attending the victory party.

To help end the Civil Rights Fast, please call Sen. Gilibrand and ask her to file the American Equality Bill. Call : 1-212-688-6262. For more information, please visit : http://www.civilrightsfast.com. Meanwhile, inside the Sheraton, Sen. Gillibrand once again said she supported extending civil rights. When is she going to file the American Equality Bill ?

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Victory Speech (11/2/2010)

LGBT Civil Rights Messages to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

CivilRightsFast.com Messages to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and LGBT Activists and Allies

Monday, November 1, 2010, was the day when activists, who had organised the QueerSOS! vigil outside Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's campaign office, would transition into a fast for LGBT civil rights.

One activist, Alan Bounville, was set to begin a water-only fast beginning on Tuesday, November 2, and he has said that he would remain fasting until draft legislation known as the American Equality Bill would be filed by Sen. Gillibrand.

LGBT activists and allies are supporting the American Equality Bill, draft legislation, which, if passed, would add ''sexual orientation'' and ''gender identity'' to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The American Equality Bill would, as one legal act, end major forms of discrimination against LGBT Americans.

Some of the LGBT activists, who were present for Day 36 of the QueerSOS! vigil, shared some thoughts about the need for civil rights for LGBT Americans, based on the de jure and de facto discrimination that takes place in America each day.

In October, the city council of South Bend, Indiana, voted down a proposed ordinance that would have extended employment discrimination protection to gays and lesbians. Recently, the Obama administration appealed a court ruling that outlawed the military policy of ''Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'' To LGBT Americans, the president's appeal looks like he is trying to keep in force a military policy that enforces discrimination against LGBT Americans who serve in the armed forces. Only a handful of states even recognise marriage between LGBT partners.

The implicit lazy excuse of activists has to end

’’Don’t go on the fast, Alan. You’re our hero. We need you to do all the hard work for LGBT civil rights, so we don’t have to do the work ourselves.’’

In the last 2 weeks or so, I’ve maybe had a couple of serious conversations with Alan Bounville, a gay rights activist, who plans to begin a water-only fast on Election Day, Nov. 2. Mr. Bounville plans to begin his fast if Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) fails to either file the American Equality Bill before Nov. 2, or make a public statement of her intention to file the bill.

If passed, the American Equality Bill would add ‘’sexual orientation’’ and ‘’gender identity’’ to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and thereby end most major forms of discrimination against LGBT Americans.

I had gotten to know about Mr. Bounville from all the activities I’ve read posted about him on Facebook. I remember seeing a dramatic picture of his arrest at a protest in the New York City marriage license office earlier this year. Then, I remembered reading about what seemed like a national tour of duty he undertook this summer to further equal rights for LGBT Americans. I finally met him in person about 2 weeks ago, at a rally calling for a new hospital in the Lower West Side of Manhattan.

Since having first met him, I have spent a little bit of each night, visiting a vigil that he and Iana Di Bona had organised outside of Sen. Gillibrand’s campaign office. Because I have so much practise making YouTube videos about political issues, I started making YouTube videos about the participants of the QueerSOS! vigil, as it was called, and the American Equality Bill that the vigil participants were advocating. After I did my first couple of YouTube videos, I started to feel like I was now doing my part to support the extension of civil rights to LGBT Americans. I thought that doing my little videos was all that I needed to do, because I could count on Mr. Bounville and Ms. Di Bona to do all the hard work, like sleeping outisde Sen. Gillibrand’s campaign office, and taking all of the criticism that they are taking from other LGBT activists and allies for mounting the vigil, in the first place.

Within the first week of having visited the vigil, I wrote and sent a still as of yet unanswered letter to Jon Reinish, who is supposed to be Sen. Gillibrand’s LGBT liaison. I followed up with an e-mail to Sen. Gillibrand’s campaign staff, who, in reply, were only able to say that the Honourable Senator was working to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in the lame duck. But no response has ever acknowledged the American Equality Bill.

Mr. Bounville then showed me how easy it was to organise an action. Around this time, I asked Mr. Bounville why was he intent on following through with the fast, and I remember he said something along the lines that it would inspire other people into action. I had had a separate conversation about the fast with Ms. Di Bona, and when I said how much we would lose in Mr. Bounville if he was hurt (or worse) as a result of the fast, Ms. Di Bona said that I was making a hero out of Mr. Bounville, and that, instead, I should be looking for a way to increase my participation in the movement, to, thereby, make a bigger difference.

Here I was, increasing my participation with the vigil, precisely to avoid the need for Mr. Bounville to begin the fast, and Ms. Di Bona told me that I should be looking to myself to show leadership, instead of hanging all my hopes on only Mr. Bounville. I didn’t understand what Ms. Di Bona was trying to say. I kept thinking that, through solemn communication with Sen. Gillibrand’s legislative and campaign staff, we could use logic, reason, and persuasion to demonstrate to Sen. Gillibrand that America was ready for the American Equality Bill. And once she became convinced, then the need for the fast would be moot. But nobody in Sen. Gillibrand’s office would acknowledge anything about the American Equality Bil, and the growing number of my YouTube videos were having no acknowledged impact within her offices.

Late into my second week of the vigil, after Mr. Bounville had directly addressed the subject of the fast in at least a couple of my YouTube videos, I decided I was going to spend a night at the vigil, to experience for myself the sacrifice that Ms. Di Bona and Mr. Bounville had been making.

I arrived at about 6 p.m. on Day 34 of the vigil, this would have marked the 14th consecutive day that I had visited the vigil since the first time I had encountered it. (I will recount my evening’s experience below.) After we all woke up to Day 35, either Ms. Di Bona and Mr. Bounville again mentioned the upcoming fast. And again, I said to Mr. Bounville that I did not agree with the fast. I think I had recounted to him what I had remembered what I had heard Cleve Jones mention at his public speech in Jackson Heights last year, namely, that the movement was looking for a focus, and an upcoming rally at that time was meant to connect various activists and to build a national community to the movement. (This is what I remember him saying, so I may be simplifying or summarising his message. Watch my first video in the series I made of his speech.) I told Mr. Bounville that the LGBT rights movement was in need of leaders with a vision, that his life was worth more to be here and present, to help the movement find a focus.

Then came the moment of truth.

That’s when Mr. Bounville challenged me. He said that my argument in opposing the fast sounded more like I didn’t want him to begin the fast, because I wanted him to do the harder work (or all of the hard work) in the LGBT rights movement, so that I could do softer work, or no work at all.

That’s when it all became clear for me. I did want to go back to doing my occassional YouTube video, I did want to go back to having no vigil to visit each day, I did want to go back to watching my Netflix movies and reading my vast amounts of unread books. I wanted Mr. Bounville to be the leader, because the kind of work that he and Ms. Di Bona do and have been doing are exhausting, activists like they open themselves up to criticisms by other LGBT activists, and they draw harassment from haters.

I had to admit that I did want Mr. Bounville to do the harder work, so I could be among the ones, who did the softer work.

All along I had been complaining to Mr. Bounville and Ms. Di Bona about why there weren’t more LGBT activists participating in the vigil. I’m not just talking about average LGBT activists, I was mentioning major LGBT activits that I know about. I thought about all of my Facebook friends, who have been seeing all the links, posts, pictures, or YouTube videos that I have been posting on Facebook since Oct. 17.

They must still be waiting for activists, like Ms. Di Bona or Mr. Bounville to do all of the harder work, so that they could just do the softer work.

What it was like to spend one night on the sidewalk with the QueerSOS! vigil outside Sen. Gillibrand’s campaign office.

I arrived at about 6 p.m. on Day 34 with 2 new, clean blankets that I had bought at a bargain shop, some basic necessities, and my computer case. I had with me my wallet, my Blackberry, and my computer. I had planned to start writing this blog post while outside, but it was too cold to type, I was visiting and talking to some of the activists, who had stopped by to visit the vigil, and then it became too late. At about 11:30 p.m., I laid down my blankets, and turned in for the night.

I spread out one blanket on the cold sidewalk for warmth and cushion, and I was going to use the other blanket to cover myself for warmth. I shoved my wallet into one of my front pockets, and, with a little string, I tied the handles to my computer case to my wrist. It wasn’t easy to lay down on my side, because I could feel the pressure and discomfort of the cold sidewalk all against my rib cage. I wanted to stay curled up like that for warmth, but I couldn’t stay like that for long. Eventually, I settled for that curled position and laying flat on my back, even though I felt more exposed and vulnerable laying on my back. I woke up many times during the night to change between these two positions.

I also woke up many times during the night, because of all of the pre-Halloween parties. There were many people out in their costumes on Saturday night, going to Halloween eve parties, drunkedly expressing themselves in their loud, young ways. When I woke up, at about 7 a.m. on Day 35, I had an urgent need to go the bathroom. My hands felt frozen, and I couldn’t find my gloves. One of my plastic bags (in which I had brought my blankets) was missing. I quietly gathered myself and went to a local Starbucks to use a public bathroom. As casually as I could, I pretended like the only reason I was there was for a short double soy latte.

Between two visits to the bathroom, I checked Facebook. I couldn’t really focus on the LGBT civil rights aspect of having just spent one night at the vigil outside Sen. Gillibrand’s campaign office, because I was more focused on what it was like to be homeless. As I wrote on Facebook, I was angry that we just awoke to Day 35 of the vigil, and still the Honourable Senator had yet to issue any public statement either about the vigil or her support for the American Equality Bill. It was unbelievable and a shock to the conscious of any reasonable man. After I returned to the vigil, that was when the convesation leading up to the moment of truth happened. Sleeping outside Sen. Gillibrand’s office is certainly not easy work, and it is not pretty. It is hard on the body, and I could see how it could be frustrating if you keep expecting some kind of honourable communication from Sen. Gillibrand’s office, one that hadn’t yet come in 35 days. She claims to support LGBT civil rights, but expressing empty words of support mean nothing if she is incapable of showing leadership to introduce legislation that would do something about actually extending civil rights to 30 million Americans. It is almost always in the news that some municipality or state has passed another law that codifies de jure discrimination against LGBT Americans. Sen. Gillibrand, with friends like you ….

The shocking thing is that after midnight tonight, Mr. Bounville plans to begin a water-only fast. I only hope that Sen. Gillibrand does have an honourable conscious, because she is going to have to do a lot of soul searching to discover her capacity for integrity, courage, and leadership. All we are asking is that she file the American Equality Bill today, so that we can start mobilising to make sure that it passes tomorrow. It is a very simple request to made of an ally. I invite you to call Sen. Gillibrand’s office, and ask her yourself when is she going to file the American Equality Bill. Dial 1-212-688-6262.

Flyering in Union Square ; batch of flyers at the LGBT Center on West 13th Street

As I gathered my belongings to leave the vigil and return home, I found myself shifting some things out of some bags and into others. I’d seen homeless people do this before, and I realised what the importance of shifting your things is all about. It is a way to take an inventory of what you still have, and it is also a way of keeping track what is in what bag. After I came home and showered, I went to Union Square, where I was passing out flyers about Sen. Gillibrand’s gay rights record. I was accosted by two people, one who said that biology made it unnatural to be gay, and she should know, because she studied biology. And the other person told me that he new how to fix the gay problem in American. « The cure for gays is hate » he said. After some time, I walked across town and left some flyers in the news room of the LGBT Center on West 13th Street. On my way home, I stopped by briefly at the vigil, to check in. Ms. Di Bona had found my silver ring, which had apparently slipped off my cold and numb hands during my visit on Friday night. I kept my visit as brief as possible, because the fast is practially here. I am completely uncomfortable now, out of my safety zone, and I feel like I am all of a sudden having to do some of the harder work, and as of midnight tonight, I won’t have Ms. Di Bona or Mr. Bounville to turn to for guidance. Once the fast begins, they are going to limit communication with everybody.

The only communication that will make any difference at all, as it well it could have or would have during the last now 36 days (as of this morning), is any communication to come out of Sen. Gillibrand’s office. Mr. Bounville will begin the hard work of his fast, I will continue with the harder work in my Where is Kirsten ? campaign, others will continue to do the hard work that they are doing, and still yet others will be moved by the fast to do other harder work. And the whole world will be watching.

This post is in the process of being re-edited for clarity and typos, I rushed the post for the sake of trying to make a difference today.

Gay Rights Chalking Party for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

Gay Rights Rally outside Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's NYC Legislative Office - American Equality Bill

On October 26, 2010, Iana Di Bona and others gathered outside Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's Legislative Office in Midtown Manhattan for a demonstration to support the American Equality Bill. Since September 27, the Honourable Senator has been avoiding LGBT civil rights activists holding vigil outside her campaign office, so we decided to hold a direct action outside her legislative office.

Sen. Gillibrand has said that she supports extending civil rights to all LGBT Americans. The American Equality Bill would amend civil rights laws, for example by adding "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

This evening's demonstration was themed a "Chalking Party," and its intention was for participants to write messages in support of the American Equality Bill on the sidewalk outside the Honourable Senator's office building. However, police had warned demonstrators that using children's chalk on a public sidewalk would be considered an act of graffiti.