News & Commentary

Valentine's Day – a day to show your loved one just how much you care, to exchange cards, give gifts and celebrate the joy of being together. While LGBT relationships are increasingly public, Valentine's Day continues to be a bittersweet reminder of how far we still have to go to have our relationships acknowledged and validated. Today, 5 states extend to gay people the fundamental right to marry that is rooted in the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In Michigan, not only do we have a state constitutional amendment that says we cannot marry, but according to the Michigan Supreme Court, it says we cannot have civil unions, domestic partner health insurance benefits or any other basic recognition of our relationships. For some of our clients, like Jim and Paul who have been together in a committed relationship for almost 20 years, under Michigan law they are virtual strangers. They lack the legal right to make medical decisions for one another, to inherit property without a will, or to make funeral and burial decisions. And our clients Nancy and Margo were legally married in Massachusetts, but their marriage is ignored by the State of Michigan and the federal government. They are not entitled to each other's social security benefits, the IRS does not acknowledge them for tax purposes, and they are not considered married for purposes of immigration. And because Thom and Dan cannot marry, Michigan courts deny them the right to jointly adopt their children and to ensure that their children have the legal protection of both parents in case something should happen to the other. Imagine a country where the majority, through a voter referendum, can deny a minority group the same constitutional right that is afforded to the majority. You wouldn't think that this is democracy, but this is exactly what has happened in more than 30 states in the United States. Denying LGBT couples fundamental rights won't diminish their love for one another, but it does put them at risk. On this Valentine's Day, while we share the love for others, let us also think about how to create a fairer and just state for all people who love, including our friends in the LGBT community.

Today marks the first congressional hearing on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in 17 years. The repeal of this misguided policy, which calls for the discharge of members of the military who engage in “homosexual acts” or “demonstrate a propensity to engage in homosexual acts”, is long overdue.

Guest Blog: Rev. Cathi Feldpausch, Pastor of First Baptist Church of Ferndale What a gift! Circuit Court Judge Denise Langford-Morris upheld the decision by the City of Ferndale Zoning Board opening the way for South Oakland Shelter to bring their administrative offices into First Baptist Church of Ferndale. My congregation’s mission and outreach has always been to assist those within the area who are in need of a helping hand. We run a food and clothing pantry, mentor children and participate in the Oakland County Warming Shelter program. We believe that with SOS moving into a portion of our educational wing we will be able to partner with them to provide, not just a hand out to folks, but a hand up as well. This has been a long process and one that has made many emotions run high. However, the bottom line for us is and always has been that SOS is an outstanding organization. They work with the disenfranchised and partner with 64 churches, temples and synagogues in the area. Each of these institutions lends their own vision of ministry to SOS’s clients by providing overnight housing and meals. Because of this, we feel strongly that this is a hand in glove partnership for us. The City of Ferndale did indeed play by the rules and we are thankful that all their hard work paid off. I pray that those neighbors who oppose this move will, in time, come to realize that this partnership is not a threat but an opportunity. So often the ACLU comes under fire, but I for one want to say how much we have appreciated their support. It has been wonderful to feel as though someone really understands that this is what the church universal is called to do – feed the hungry and cloth the naked-- and then is willing to stand with the church to see that justice is done. What a Christmas gift this has been for me and for our church. Playing by the rules, keeping the faith and doing the best for the least of these still reigns in the wonderful City of Ferndale. Rev. Cathi Feldpausch is the Pastor of First Baptist Church of Ferndale. Previously, she was the Assistant Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Birmingham, Mich for 10 years. Her husband, Dale, and their family live in the church parsonage next door to the church.  

You may have already heard—yesterday the Supreme Court asked the lower court to reconsider its ruling that would have required the government to release photographs showing the torture and abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Supreme Court decision was three sentences long, unsigned, and came after a new law passed permitting the secretary of defense to block any photos from ever seeing the light of day -- a privilege he invoked immediately with respect to the photos in our case. There has been a lot of debate around the release of these photos, but one thing is clear to me – the photos are a vital part of the public record. In fact, Steve Shapiro our national legal director put it best yesterday when he said: "No democracy has ever been made stronger by suppressing evidence of its own misconduct." But don’t take our word for it; listen to the stories of the men who were recently released from Guantanamo after years of abuse, with no charges or meaningful opportunity to challenge the legality of their detention.  

I support affirmative action. As a University of Michigan double graduate, I benefited tremendously from educational diversity. I was proud to attend a university that recognized inequality and valued multiculturalism, and I could not have imagined my personal and professional development without it.

I like competition and contact sports. I do not shy away from confrontation and I enjoy a rousing debate where voices are raised and tensions are high. Taking off my shoes does not allow me to think better. In other words, I would have failed miserably if I had been forced into a single-sex classroom that employed “differential learning techniques” based on supposed gender differences.The examples above probably seem odd, antiquated and non-sensiscal. And yet, they are taken directly from Dr. Leonard Sax, who is one of the major proponents behind single-sex education. In fact, some of his recommendations are even more bizarre – according to Dr. Sax, teachers should smile at girls but not boys, and spank boys but not girls.Amongst the many things that trouble me about these “scientific” findings, what stands out is the negative impact that they would have had on my education. In trying to explain to people why single-gender education does not work, I often cite the numerous studies that point out there are more differences in learning styles amongst members of a group of girls or a group of boys than between the two sexes as whole. But I did not need a researcher to tell me this. I know this from my own personal experiences in school.Growing up, I was what a 1950’s sitcom would call a “tomboy.” In the classroom, I would speak up early and often. During lunch, I knew the most about all the Boston –based sports teams. On the playground, I would outplay any student in football or basketballAt my elementary school, these interests and learning styles did not pose a problem. My teachers used a variety of learning techniques to reach a broad range of students, and my surroundings allowed me to find a stimulating peer group. This would not have been the case at schools like Millside Elementary, where the fourth graders have been divided into segregated classrooms and taught differently according to supposed gender-differences.Had I gone to school in such an environment, I would have been both lonely (as the segregation would have ripped me apart from my best friends, who happened to be boys) and educationally frustrated (as the “girls” teaching style would have been completely ineffective for me).I am certain that those who advocate on behalf of single-gender education do so because they believe it will best serve their students. But it won’t. The truth is, all students learn differently, and these differences do not break down simply along gender lines. The better solution is to give teachers the training and resources to reach students with a variety of learning styles, regardless of their gender. This is the only way to ensure that all students, including those girls who are just one of the boys, and visa versa, can reach their full potential.

The pro-choice movement in Michigan has been on the defense in our state legislature for the past ten years. There has not been a single significant pro-choice bill signed into law during this period, and the pro-choice advocates have spent too much time and energy debating the intransigent issue that is abortion. A couple of years ago, we worked with Planned Parenthood and the wider pro-choice coalition in Lansing to move the debate away from abortion and toward common sense solutions to reduce the need for abortions – solutions we believe everyone could agree upon. We reached out to Michigan Right to Life, the Catholic Conference and our anti-choice legislators and asked them to put politics aside and work with us to make sure that Michigan citizens have the resources they need to make educated choices. We made inroads, and as a result Michigan’s legislative pro-choice caucus worked hard to coordinate a package of bills that include policies to address issues such as:

You may have heard that Lansing Mayor Virgil Bernero has formally asked for an attorney general investigation into the release of the HIV status of man arrested in a sex-sting operation. You may have also heard that the Michigan Department of Community Health sounded the trumpet for an investigation as well. Why all the fuss? Well, Michigan law clearly protects the confidentiality of a person’s HIV status. Although there are a number of exceptions to this law, releasing the information as part of a police report does not appear to be one of them. In fact, even if it was relevant to the police investigation, the information should never have been revealed publically. But this is not the only disturbing issue associated with the incident. Lansing’s decision to deploy undercover police officers pretending to be gay in an effort to encourage men to engage in illegal behavior in the park should raise some eyebrows as well. The fact is that indecent exposure and sex in public are illegal. However, there are more effective ways for police to deal with this problem if, in fact, it does exist. Police departments can deploy uniformed officers to patrol the parks and post signs indicating that parks are being patrolled to deter individuals from engaging in these activities. After all, a statement by the Lansing police chief says it all – when asked why deploy undercover officers in the park; he stated that when uniformed officers patrolled the park, they observed no illegal activity. Isn’t that point?

The Bush administration never intended for their torture memos to be seen -- or heard -- by the public. But it’s clear – the abuses committed as a result of the torture program are serious, and the publicly available evidence of senior involvement is considerable and still mounting. Yet the fulls tory hasn't been told. What we do know is that torture is a crime, and that the crimes committed during the interrogations of detainees can no longer be doubted or debated. Despite the voluminous evidence that senior Bush administration officials authorized torture, the only people who have been held accountable for this maltreatment of prisoners are low-ranking soldiers. President Obama has said that no one is above the law, and Attorney General Eric Holder has said that the Department of Justice will follow the facts wherever they lead. It's time to hold them to their word. Send this video to Attorney General Holder and demand that he appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate those who committed and authorized torture -- wherever the evidence leads.