And it comes not a moment too soon for those of us in Tennessee wondering what the 106h General Assembly has in store for us. Here are the pledges, starting at about the middle of the page.
Though falling shor of supporting full marriage equality, the agenda outlined by the transition team (if pursued!) will remove many obstacles to the security of GLBT families. Expanding hate crimes and employment protections are basic to protecting the lives and livelihoods of our community. There is also discussion of adoption, but it's not clear what an Obama administration would do since the matter has been largely a state concern. Repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act is called for along with affording same-sex couples in a civil union or domestic partnership all the federal rights that opposite-sex married couples have. There is also discussion of Don't Ask/Don't Tell and HIV/AIDS issues.
It could be a major sea change. No administration has ever embraced such a far-reaching equality agenda. We'll see if Congress goes for it after they take some action on the economy.
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The first two items on that list - hate crimes legislation and employment non-discrimination laws - should be avoided. As gays and lesbians, we should seek equality and a government that stays out of our private relationships as much as possible, not special treatment. The other six points (although the last one is just a subset of the one above it) would be tremendous steps in the right direction. Let's hope he pursues this agenda. More importantly, all of us need to maintain our visibility and work to help those around us realize how much we all have in common.
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