S.B. 1070 was signed into law by the Republican Governor of Arizona. This legislation requires police to question people about their immigration status if they suspect they're undocumented.

I read a painful article that was filled with right-wing stupidity and teabaggery... on FoxNews.com. Of course.

 Here is a mix of some of the comments from that article: Click here for the full article

"Look around. Isn't there a mexican/asian restaurant on every corner? How about the non-english speaking neighbors who just moved in next door. Check out your public school if you don't already have kids at one."

"This bill reminds me of the Schindler's list. Where is the United States Laws?" <- smart reader

" Illegal aliens should have been rounded up and deported by U.S. Immigration Dept.long ago" (sound familiar? JEWS! JAPANESE! GAYS AND LESBIANS! WWII INTERNMENT CAMPS)

"Boy we are on a slippery slope. Being a vet and puertorican while in uniform i was stop because i looked like a wet back and just might cause trouble. Miami, 1979. so i'am good enough to serve my country but not walk the streets. get real people, if it happened to me it can happen to you."

"If your REAL goal is to stop illleagal immigration you would punish the employers who create the huge demand for these workers. But you won't. You still need someone to keep your country club beauitflly manicured, Maria to take care of little Trevor while your at the spa. Your husband needs them to finish the McMansion he is building for the congressman because he won the low bid using illegal workers. WAKE UP!!!! It's Y'all who are causing this. I hope you are sucssfull at stoping illegal immigration, maybe them I'll start making a living wage and be able to live in YOUR neighborhood!"

"I want ALL of the illegal invaders kicked out regardless of what race they are. All illegals need to leave immediately because the free ride is over!"

"If you are here illegally you are and ILLEGAL ALIEN not and UNDOCUMENTED! If you want to come to our country-... WE did not ask you to come here, so if you don't like paying for licenses, taxes, VISAs, etc... you may leave at any time or you do NOT have t come here. We have enough problems on our own without adding you to the mix!!!"

Wow on this next one... #wtffail

"I am a lifelong democrat, and all I can say is thank god for the republicans. Someone has to look out for the American people, and in this case, the good people of Arizona. I have felt for some time, and continue to feel, that there is going to be much violence and bloodshed over this issue. I think that this is a good start to remedy the problems, and hope more states will follow."

"So arrest these wet backs and either keep them in jail or ship them back. Or better yet, sell them to China as slaves. Why not. They want to cut lawn and do laundry. Put them on a boat. Good Job AZ"

"It is the job of any soveriegnty to discriminate! Otherwise there would be need for a constitution. The constitution exists soley to discriminate between our country and others. Not only is it legal, but it is demanded. WE must discriminate based on nationality. Race is inconsequential and at best coincidental. Good for you Arizona! Well Done!"

The Republican/Teabagger party platform...

"As a vet, and former Arizona land owner my border solution is simple and low cost. Unroll some wire and mine it! The vultures will clean up as needed."

" I am sick and tired of our politicians voting for special interest groups instead of for the citizens. Join numbersusa and you can send free faxes and get notices when amnesty issues come up. Harry Reid seems to think he has enough votes to pass amnesty-well not if we shout loud enough. Please dont let this happen to our nation."

" Passing a bill about illegal immigration has absolutely nothing to do with Martin Luther King, so what if someone does not want to celebrate that "holiday". African American people have their own schools, holiday, month. If white people had those things, we would never hear the end of how racist we are. Totally ridiculous"

"My husband was stabbed in broad daylight by an alien in a store parking lot."

The just got worse from there... I have taken my stand against #AZRacism, will you?

April 10th, 2010 was filled with chants of "Si Se Puede" (Yes we Can!) and "Reforma Inmigratoria, el tiempo ya llego!" (Immigration reform, the time is now!), each of these phrases perfectly embodied the atmosphere around Downtown Las Vegas. It was a beautifully sunny day as I was talking towards the rally, you could see the cars on Las Vegas Boulevard lining up to park for the event, you could hear the chants already echoing through the Downtown area, and the excitement was bubbling.

As I approached the main stage area, I was handed a sign that read "Reform Immigration For America" and I took it proudly. Activists and speakers took the stage for the first hour of the demonstration, riling up the thousands of people in attendance. Stories of hardships, of struggle, and of tragedy are the usual suspects when you think of immigration reform, but at this rally it was something different. The speakers and activists that took the stage spoke instead of their determination to fight for equality and justice rather than present their cases for pitty before the jury of the people; making their stories even more powerful.

One story that truly made waves with the audience was that of a young girl as she retold the story of how she would help her mother clean houses in order to pay the bills after her family was torn apart by the deportation of her father. It spoke to the core of what that day was really about, keeping families together through the passage of CIRASAP (Comprehensive Immigration Reform As Soon As Possible), legislation in the House that would place immigration reform on the center stage. Another young girl made an amazing case in explaining her sense of activism, she told a story of marching with the late leader, Cesar Chavez with her mother when she was just a child. She then went on to thank her mother and every other mother and father in the audience that was brave enough to fight for what they believed in. One delightful note was the many ordinary people that came to support the day's demonstration, neighbors shaking hands and talking about how everyone that they know was there at the rally. The sad part is that those stories won't get published in the papers, they never do.

A woman that I knew was there at the rally who's husband had been deported last year while they were still living in California, I'd met her a few months ago at a different event in the city. She was there with her young child wrapped in the American Flag and shouting at the top of her lungs "Si Se Puede"! I ran into another man who had came to stand next to me, I greeted him and we got to talking. His name was Jose Barrios, a naturalized citizen from Los Angeles, he had driven to Las Vegas to support the rally. He told me that his wife was caught in a raid and deported whie being 8 months pregnant, he then told me that he hadn't seen his wife in two years and in turn that he had never met his now two year old son. He told me that it's important for people to understand that our immigration system is tearing families apart, and that even after going through the proper channels, he has still gotten nowhere. He let me know that he was waiting for his son to be a little older before he tried to buy their passage through a coyote or people smuggler. He said the trip was too dangerous for his son to make until he was older.

It was nice to see the several different union groups out in support of immigration reform! It was also great to see the Stonewall Dems Chair, Derek Washington, at the demonstration in support of the movement. I'm going to tell you honestly that I was a little disappointed that I didn't see the usual suspects/Democrats out at the rally. I can understand that it's hard to rally behind a cause if you don't feel that it directly affects you, but I wish people would understand that if they can do it to one of us, they can do it to all of us. Although I noticed the lack of those strong Democrats, I was overjoyed to see my dear friends, Sandy Eddy and Simone Simpson wearing candidate apparel (Paul Murad t-shirts), and then I also met up with Paul Murad as I was walking away from the stage. I had friends at my side and I became energized and ready for the rally!

Then Ruben Kihuen took the stage, letting people know that his success story was one that everyone in the crowd could be proud of, being the first Mexican immigrant to be elected to the Nevada legislature. Another young man took the stage right after Ruben, but this young man had an even more powerful story to tell. He was an Iraq-War Veteran, having served his country, having to return from duty as a permanently injured soldier. He told the crowd that it gave him great pride to fight for the people of Iraq and the United States, but that he couldn't understand how he could be asked to lay his life on the line for a country that won't let him vote because he was an Indian living in America, not an Indian-American/American citizen. Michael Flores from RIFA was on the stage most of the time leading the masses in cheers and chants, warming them up for the real heavy hitters that were getting ready to take the stage. Being Southern Nevada's favorite Congressional Representative, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley came onto the stage and shared the story of her grandparents being immigrants to this country, not being able to speak english. It's always great to hear her speak because you never know what she's going to say! Then she created a buildup for the next speaker, however a slip of the tongue lead to the Congresswoman introducing CongressWOMAN Luis Gutierrez, a mistake that she immediately tried to correct, LOL. The crowd ate it up and laughed right along with her and the CongressMAN. He took the stage with grace and won the crowds over with his pledge to fight for immigration reform.

Then we hit the main event, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took the stage, and the thousands in attendance went wild! With cheers of "Harry! Harry! Hary!", Senator Harry Reid was greeted by an overwhelming fanfare. Reminding those in attendance that immigration reform will happen this year, that he will continue to be a champion on this and many other issues, siting comparisons between the recently passed and embattled healthcare reform legislation and immigration reform that has yet to reach the Senate. Calling the case for immigration reform was as much a fiscal responsibility question as it was a moral question. Immigration reform is the right thing to do for our country, and Senator Reid assured us that he was going to fight and win for us! The Senator let everyone know that he only needed a handful of Republicans to cross the aisle in order to get the legislation off the ground, and that it was the responsibility of those in attendance to help Senator Reid acheive that.

Senator Harry Reid left us all with high hopes for a better year, he left us with a new sense of urgency and determination for the case of immigration reform. With shouts of "Se ve, se siente, el pueblo esta presente" (you can see it, you can feel it, the community is present) and the timeless "Si Se Puede" wrapped up the day's festivities and encouraged everyone to go home and work harder for reform.

Everyone that was present had their own reasons for attending, some had a husband or wife torn from their side by hideous raids that criminalize hard-working people, others had mothers and fathers that suffered the same fate, but I was there representing my cousin who was recently deported. His residency status was revoked after being accused of a crime that had no evidence against him, I was at the rally for his wife and his newborn son, because no family should be torn apart like that. A thought that will stay with me was the thousands in attendance representing the millions in the shadows.

Nevada needs comprehensive immigration reform, The United States needs comprehensive immigration reform, doing nothing is not an option.

Hello Senator Reid's staff,
My name is Leo Murrieta, I am a strong supporter of Senator Harry Reid. I always defend the Senator when I get the opportunity, because I know that he has done many great things for Nevadans.

I'm writing you because I ask that the Senator encourage jobs in Nevada by becoming a supporter in the Senate for the Employer Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Nevadans need his leadership with this bill that would retain jobs for Nevadans, strengthen our local economies, and provide stability to the rising unemployment figures in our great state.

The LGBTQ citizens of Nevada strongly support the Majority Leader, and were adamantly overjoyed at the passing of the Matthew Shepard and William Byrd Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act. However, the great and presing matter at hand in our state is not a case of equal rights, it is simply and purely, jobs.

Senator Harry Reid, please continue representing Nevadans in the U.S. Senate. Please continue being a leader behind job creation, please become a champion of ENDA.

Your supporter,
Leo Murrieta

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello Senator Ensign's staff,
My name is Leo Murrieta. I am a registered Democrat, but I strongly believe that job creation in Nevada should out-weigh partisanship. Please do not write me off.

I'm asking that Senator Ensign please support job creation and retention in Nevada. I'm asking that Senator John Ensign show leadership and the U.S. Senate and support the Employer Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

Nevadans need leadership with this bill that would retain jobs for Nevadans, strengthen our local economies, and provide stability to the rising unemployment figures in our great state.

Job creation is a bi-partisan issue. Creating and retaining jobs is what Nevada's crippled economy needs in order to recover.

I ask that Senator John Ensign please support job creation in Nevada. I ask that Senator John Ensign please stand up for Nevadans, I ask that Senator John Ensign please support legislation that would strengthen Nevada's economy.

Thank you,
Leo Murrieta

For the sake of transparency, I'm the Political Director for Paul Murad, but I'm open to discussing the reasons why Paul Murad is the best choice to be Nevada's Lieutenant Governor.

Things you need to know first:

Nevada's Lieutenant Governor is responsible for the following offices;
The Lieutenant Governor is the Chariman of the Commission on Economic Development, Chairman of the Commission on Tourism, serves as a member of the State Board of Transportation, and also handles the office of Re-usable Energy and Energy Conservation and the Nevada Film Office.
THIS OFFICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING JOBS FOR NEVADANS BY SERVING AS NEVADA'S AMBASSADOR TO THE BUSINESS WORLD

Why you should vote for Paul Murad on June 8th and November 2nd;
I could give you his stump speech, but that wouldn't give you too much information about why you should vote for him.

You need to look at the offices that the Lt. Gov is responsible for, and then you need to look at Paul's resume. Let's take them on one by one, I'll explain to you his plan for each as we go.

The Commission on Economic Development:
Paul did business development and marketing for multi-national corporations for more than 10 years, working and living in over 40 countries. This is important because in order to approach international businesses, you need to know how to do business in other countries. He speaks THREE languages, English, Russian, and Spanish! He has also owned his own small business in Downtown Las Vegas for more than five years. He has the resume that the job needs.

Paul Murad offers his "50-50 Plan" that entails that he will agresively pursue the 50 top domestic companies as well as the 50 top international companies to bring them to Nevada. These companies are often looking for new manufacturing and distribution plants as well as warehouses for their products and services, he will proactively promote Nevada to each of these companies.

The Commission on Tourism:
Paul plans to engage the airline industries in order to bring more direct flights to both Las Vegas's McCarren Airport and Reno's Reno/Tahoe International Airport, increasing the traffic to these airports will create more living-wage jobs for Nevadans. Paul also plans to advocate strongly to have the 2022 Winter Olympics held in the Reno/Tahoe area, which will bring great job opportunities to Nevadans.

The State Board of Transportation:
The plan with the Department of Transportation is two-fold; First, Paul plans to secure Southern Nevada's high-speed rail connection to Southern California. Second, he will also secure Northern Nevada's high-speed rail connection to Northern California.

Each of these is vital to both strengthening Nevada's tourism industryand creating living-wage jobs for Nevadans in Sourthern Nevada but most importantly in Northern Nevada where their economy is in worse shape than the south's. Northern Nevada's I-80/Truckee route to California serves as their only bloodline to California, but is often crippled by the harsh snow that is prevelant in the North. Creating a high-speed rail connection from Reno to Sacremento will ensure that the Reno/Tahoe area's economy will have a level of stability that it has yet to experience. Paul understands that we must invigorate all of Nevada's economy in order to lead our state through this recession.

The Office of Reusable Energy and Energy Conservation:
With executive membership experience in the Green Sector with several different national Green initiatives, Paul will continue the great work that Senator Reid has begun in Nevada. Not only will Southern Nevada become more engaged in Wind technologies, but Solar as well. Northern Nevada also has great prospects for Geo-Thermal energy development, and Paul plans to fully promote our state to the international Green community in order to diversify Nevada's economy.

Nevada's Green Economy will provide numerous jobs for Nevada's skilled workforce while also offering great opportunities for Nevada's educated workforce. Nevada's Green Economy will bring jobs to union workers, students, and educated professionals.

The Nevada Film Office:
This office provides Nevada with the perfect low-lying fruit as far as jobs and commerce go! Paul's plan for the Nevada Film Office is directly tied with his plan to strengthen tourism and to connect Nevada and California by high-speed rail. There is no reason why California has to go to Canada and Mexico to film it's large films when Nevada is right next door! Northern Nevada offers wonferful landscapes as well as dynamic city-scapes that would be ideal for film, while Southern Nevada provides the perfect stage for a metropolis-type film.

Nevada is full of opportunities for the Film industry, but Nevada needs a Democrat that is not afraid to engage the film industry for the state.

There you have it

After the passing of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, the Massachusetts senatorial race (between Dem - Coakley and Rep - Brown) should have become the new Democratic battleground with millions of dollars flowing in from the national party and supporters (which would include the LGBT community, and I'll tell you why shortly). However, that isn't what happened in MA, that's pretty much the complete opposite of what happened!

Lets not forget when the GOP picked up two Governorships from Virginia and New Jersey, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) should have kicked it into high gear and defended every seat... except no one suspected that the uber-liberal state and former gem in the Kennedy family crown, Massachusetts, would ever be at risk of falling to the GOP. Until now.

I know you're probably thinking, "Get to the point! Why should LGBT's care about a senate race in MA?!"

The big deal here is that if MA State Attny General Coakley loses this race to now MA State Senator and former Cosmo Centerfold Brown, the deck of cards will come tumbling down, and one by one legislation will die.

RIP Legislation #1 - Healthcare Reform (HCR)

RIP Legislation #2 - Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR)

RIP Legislation #3 - LGBT Equality

That's pretty much the order that we're seeing right now since the Gutierrez bill was announced for immigration reform last month, and of course the LGBT community can expect to be pushed to the back of the bus yet again. You need to realize that if the Democrats lose their 60 seat majority that HCR will die in the Senate, so will CIR, and lastly, you might as well burn the paper that any and all LGBT Equality legislation is written on because it will be dead on arrival.

These are things that you should start taking interest in because it will affect your daily life... LGBT Equality legislation means ENDA, DADT, DOMA, and many many more.

President Obama and the DNC have made a battle plan to send the President to MA to campaign Coakley in order to try and rescue the ground that she has lost, but all we can do now is hope that Coakley and President Obama can pull something out of the air on this one.

It just came through the pipeline that Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd will not seek re-election this fall, leaving the Democrats little time to find a popular enough candidate to defend his crucial seat in the Senate.

Senator Dodd is the chairman on the Senate Banking Committee and had recently taken over the late Senator Ted Kennedy's charimanship on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee; his adbsence on these committees will be another area of concern for the Democrats once the dust settles.

Dodd has faced strong opposition in his state from the Republican party, where a former member of the House, Rob Simmons, as well as Co-Founder of World Wrestling Entertainment, Linda McMahon. Linda McMahon is being seen as the outsider that hasn't been tainted by Washington politics, but nonetheless will face a strong fight.

There is hope for the Democrats though as the State Attorney General for CT Richard Blumenthal appears to be a favorite for the Dems. He's noted as being the most popular politician in the state, so hopefully that will be enough to fend off the Republican party.

Earlier this afternoon on the Jerry Doyle radio show, a conservative radio program that deals primarily with conservative political topics aimed against the President, the Democratic Party, and Liberal Ideologies, Conservative columnist Ben Shapiro had very tasteless words to say about President Obama's recent appointment to the Commerce Department. Shapiro was on air when he called Amanda Simpson, the first ever Presidential appointment within the Transgender community, a "MoMan", assumingly making a play of the words Man and Woman. Very creative indeed. Mr. Shapiro also went on to insinuate that Ms. Simpson was given this appointment for being a Transgender person instead of her qualitifcations, calling Transgender people mentally unstable and unqualified for such an appointment.

What Mr. Shapiro failed to mention however is that Ms. Simpson has quite a respectable resume under her fashionable belt;

1) A Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Arizona in 2001
2) A Masters degree in Engineering from the California State University Northridge in 1988
3) A Bachelor degree in Physics from Harvey Mudd College in 1983
4) 30 years experience in the Aerospace and Defense Industry
(most recently working as Deputy Director of Advanced Tech Development for Raytheon)

Mr. Shapiro is only partially siting findings from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) when he says that Transgender people are "mentally unstable". Though in his defense, Gender Identity Disorder (GID) is classified under the same section as pedophilia in the DSM. What he doesn't realize is that European doctors and medical professionals have removed GID from the books years ago (Yet again, Europe surpasses The U.S. regarding social policy).

It's quite a dis-service to the listener when Mr. Shapiro jumps on the conservative bandwagon and decides that fact-checking has suddenly been removed from a journalist's list of criteria... even if you wish to make an opinion Mr. Shapiro, at least have some facts behind your words, that's all I ask.

God bless America.

This is the letter that I sent to Equality Across America (EAA) this evening. info@equalityacrossamerica.org
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello nameless e-mail account,

My heart is breaking and it's all Equality Across America's fault...

    I, like the other countless LGBTs and their allies, took up the call to initiative in October and made my way to Washington DC to stand up for my rights. I remember hearing about the National Equality March on Facebook and then researching it more on your website and others. I remember the exact moment in time where I decided that the NEM was where I had to be, regardless if I could afford it or not.

    I was filled with so many emotions during my time in DC, I can't possibly put them into words. It was the best moment in my life... this isn't an exaggeration, it was literally the best, proudest, and highest moment of my life. I am still warmed by the remnant feelings of love, compassion, and vigor that permeated about the capitol.

I remember the night before the march, inside the little side room where we had our little pep-talk. I took your words to heart when you said that the march was not going to be the end but the beginning of the grassroots movement.

    In the days after the NEM, I remember feeling inspired by the knowledge that EAA was going to lead my generation of activists onto the battlefield of equality. Then I came to realize that EAA was becoming something it had never intended to become, HRC. With heirarchy taking priority over the movement. You left us to brunt the full force of hatred. You left us to fend for ourselves.

    I'm most fearful for those young LGBT's that built up the courage to come out of the closet after watching the NEM on tv, under the impression that there was all these people under one banner that were there to help them in some way. I'm angry for them! You left them out in the cold... because they had to watch Maine and New York fall victim to hatred and homophobia! With New Jersey soon to follow. 

Those kids now have to live their lives wondering if they should have just stayed in the closet. The thoughts running through their heads should be posted on your website, so you can understand the gravity of your inaction and silence.

    There are no more safe havens for the LGBT community, as we have watched our strongholds crumble before our very eyes in the course of a little over a year.

We are left out in the cold while you remain silent, your blog hasn't been updated for December as of yet, I'm certain that you're aware of our failing state affairs. EAA was supposed to be our answer to HRC-esque organizations that took our money and held fancy dinners without any progress. EAA was supposed to be our resource to the national communtiy at large with your network of leaders across the nation, EAA was supposed to be a beacon of hope for the young activists yearning to break the mold and make a difference.

I'm in tears as I write this to you, because I have come to the realization that you have left me alone in this. Will anyone even read this correspondence? 

    I don't want EAA to do anything from this point on; I want to forget the taste of venom that fills my mouth when I think about EAA in its current non-existant state, I want you to just dissapear entirely. You've broken my heart to the point where I was shattered... you almost crushed my dreams. You did so by remaining silent and on the sidelines.

You were important to me and countless others, and you let us down. 

My heart is now broken and its all Equality Across America's fault.

With great sadness,

Leo EQUALITY Murrieta

Political Correspondent - QVegas Magazine
Blogger and Political Activist - Citizenzero.us
Youth Advisor - Clark Country Democratic Black Caucus

Cell:702-628-1887
Email: Leo@citizenzero.us

Did you read the headlines today in the LGBT world? "New Jersey Same Sex Marriage Bill Delayed" and what does that mean...? The chances of this bill being passed are as good as gone.

We're waiting for a vote in the lower house of New Jersey's legislature to weigh in on the issue, allegedly to build momentum for the bill by allowing all members of the legislature to hear the public opinion on the matter. It must be said that the people of New Jersey really came out for this one, so this is both a negative and a positive in the same breathe.

We will allow more hatred and fear mongering to take center stage, while our pleas for justice will fall on deaf ears. Quite the delightful afternoon, wouldn't you say?

I pray that I'm wrong about New Jersey and that LGBT's are granted legislative equality in the Garden state! I pray that the wind doesn't get stolen from our sails yet again. I pray that we will be able to hold on to the east coast, because with California's demise last year and large defeats this winter.... our equality seems as good as gone.

...

If you thought that there was a safe haven for the LGBT community, you thought wrong. Another stronghold was lost with New York this past Wedneday. We can only hope for the best with the vote in New Jersey coming up next week, but have the leaders of our cause been learning the right lessons? Have they been reviewing the tapes and figuring out why we've been losing these big states?

President of the National Organization for Marriage, Maggie Gallagher, said, "The gay marriage movement usually looks very smart,” she said. “Now it looks flat-footed.”

Should gay marriage be put on the back burner and replaced by another LGBT issue like -
HR 1283 - Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2009 - Introduced in March
HR 3017 - Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2009 - Introduced in June
HR 3567 - Respect for Marriage Act of 2009 - introduced in September
HR 3827 - Every Child Deserves a Family Act - Introduced in October

Any of the above would be honorable causes, right?

With a crushing defeat of 24-38, the New York Senate slammed the door shut on marriage equality for our brothers and sisters in the former great state of New York. Hundreds gathered in the streets of Union Square to protest the vote, but should we really be angry with the Senate or should we be angry with the "leaders" at the top? By comparing our opponents to slave owners and nazis, did we truly expect for people to say, "Ya know what? Those gays are alright, lets support gay marriage" Yeah, right.

What will be the next step for the equal rights movement? What role will the national organizations play in the coming 2010 year? How about the grassroots organzations? Will we march again? Nobody knows... that's the scary part.

One by one, the rights of my brothers and sisters are being stripped away, and the nation looks on as if it were just another day.

"History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people. " -Martin Luther King Jr.