North Dakota Human Rights Coalition
Working to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights
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North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Working to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights |
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~North Dakota Human Rights Coalition~ PAUR Report
Programs ~ Announcements ~ Updates ~ Resources
Visit our Website at www.ndhrc.org
March 3, 2004
Hello members and friends of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition!
In this week’s PAUR Report:
Announcements 1) Press Release: Equality North Dakota Condemns President Bush’s Endorsement of Proposed Marriage Amendment 2) Pride Collective Discrimination Survey 3) Registration for Town Hall Meeting, “Within Our Grasp: Building a Better Bismarck Through Diversity, April 6, Bismarck 4) North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Paid Summer Internship
Newspaper Articles 5) Larry R. Peterson letter to The Forum (Fargo) regarding the history of marriage and same sex marriage 6) Robert Uebel letter to The Forum (Fargo) regarding same sex marriage 7) Grand Forks Herald, Events: Panel to discuss impact of Supreme Court case 8) Grand Forks Herald, Dorreen Yellow Bird Column: Much-needed Project Peacemaker trains specialists in tribal law 9) The Forum (Fargo), Speaker promotes transgender understanding 10) Grand Forks Herald, Mailbag: ‘Invited drums only’ policy defies tradition
Events 11) Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus to Perform in Moorhead, March 7 12) Free Anti-Racism Training, March 22 and 23, Moorhead 13) Hate Crime and Bias Incident Community Response Plan Meeting, March 10, Fargo
Reminders 14) Project Democracy, March 8-13 and March 15-19, Orlando, Florida 15) Building Bridges: Understanding Community Crisis, April 2 – 3, Bismarck 16) AmeriCorps 2004 Informational Meetings 17) Tri-College NEW (National Education for Women) Leadership Development Institute, May 23 – 27, 2004, Moorhead 18) Knowing & Understanding Your Rights is the First Step in Receiving Equal Rights 19) Conference Registration and Information Available for the 3rd Annual Building Racially Inclusive Communities Conference, May 6-8, Fargo 20) Black History Month at NDSU 21) YWCA (Fargo) Women of the Year 2004 Nominations Being Accepted 22) UND (Grand Forks) Forums Focus on American Indian Experience 23) Principles of Community Organizing Training, April 24-27, 2004, Fargo 24) Sisters of the Presentation at Sacred Heart Convent Presents “Peace Studies” 2003 Series (Various Locations in ND and MN)
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1.) Press Release: Equality North Dakota Condemns President Bush’s Endorsement of Proposed Marriage Amendment
EQUALITY NORTH DAKOTA CONDEMNS PRESIDENT BUSH’S ENDORSEMENT OF PROPOSED MARRIAGE AMENDMENT
FARGO - Equality North Dakota, the statewide advocacy organization for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) North Dakotans, today sharply condemned President Bush for endorsing the proposed marriage amendment to the federal Constitution. The amendment would ban marriage rights for same-sex couples and could forever invalidate civil unions or other legal protections for same-sex couples and their children, even if state legislatures passed them and voters approved them.
“Not only is it horribly wrong to use the Constitution of the United States to enshrine discrimination against any class of people, it’s even more shameful that his endorsement is designed to jumpstart his campaign for reelection and divert attention from other issues where he is being sharply criticized,” said Robert Uebel, co-chair of Equality North Dakota (END). “You don’t even have to be in favor of same-sex marriage to see that this is a cheap ploy to use gay and lesbian Americans for political gain. The president has often spoken of himself as a ‘compassionate conservative’ and a ‘uniter, not a divider.’ Sadly, he has chosen to endorse an amendment which is neither compassionate nor uniting.”
“This proposed constitutional amendment that President Bush is endorsing is part of a long history of regulating the legal sanction of marriage to dehumanize groups in our society. Most people know that African-Americans who were slaves could not legally marry and that it was illegal in many states for blacks and whites to marry until the Supreme Court's 1967 decision Loving vs. Virginia,” said Larry Peterson, END recorder. “Most of us do not know that in 1913 southern congressmen introduced a constitutional amendment to outlaw interracial marriage. That effort had the same logic of hatred and ‘defense of marriage’ as the current proposed amendment supported by President Bush,” added Peterson.
Sherri Parsons, co-chair of Equality North Dakota, said, “It is despicable that Mr. Bush seeks to further his political career by constitutionally mandating discrimination and second-class status for lesbian and gay families in America. Responsible, caring citizens need to raise their voices in protest and send a strong message to their legislators that writing discrimination into the Constitution is not what America is all about.”
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2.) Pride Collective Discrimination Survey
The Pride
Collective has developed a survey to gain more detailed information about
discrimination that members of the GLBT community may or may not have
experienced here in the Fargo-Moorhead area. We are hoping for a large number
of responses and from a wide variety of points of view. You do not need to feel
that you have experienced discrimination to complete the survey. In order to
speak more effectively on behalf of our local GLBT community, it's important
that we have a representative sampling of people's opinions.
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3.) Registration for Town Hall Meeting, “Within Our Grasp: Building a Better Bismarck Through Diversity, April 6, Bismarck
View the Town Hall Meeting registration information here.
This workshop is sponsored by the City of Bismarck Human Relations Committee and the North Dakota Fair Housing Council through a U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development grant.
The mission of the City of Bismarck Human Relations Committee is to protect and promote the personal dignity of all Bismarck citizens and eliminate any discriminatory barriers that prevent them from reaching their full human potential. They seek to make education and compliance a meaningful and visible strategy as they work to recognize the value of a diverse community. For more information, visit: www.ndfhc.org/HRC.htm
The mission of the North Dakota Fair Housing Council is to provide support, encouragement and assistance to those seeking equal access to housing in North Dakota and eastern South Dakota. For more information, visit: www.ndfhc.org
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4.) North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Paid Summer Internship
Position Announcement
The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition seeks applicants for a summer intern to interview individuals in North Dakota who have experienced discrimination and to document those experiences, with a focus on people in the gay/lesbian/transgender bisexual community, people of color (including Native Americans and New Americans) and people with disabilities.
This is a full-time summer internship for an undergraduate college student, 40 hours per week, $8.75 per hour. Information about the internship and application information is available at http://ndhrc.org/Annoucements/2004%20NDHRC%20Internship%20Position.htm.
North Dakota Human Rights Coalition P.O. Box 1961 Fargo, ND 58107-1961 (701) 239-9323 (701) 478-4452 (Fax)
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5.) Larry R. Peterson letter to The Forum (Fargo) regarding the history of marriage and same sex marriage
The following article was submitted to the Forum on February 24, 2004.
Larry R. Peterson is a board member for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition. He is also on the Steering Committee of Equality North Dakota (END), a statewide gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights organization. He teaches history at NDSU and his area of research is long-term trends in the history of families. He can be reached at lpeterso@i29.net.
In a statement endorsing a constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriage, President Bush stated: "Marriage cannot be severed from its cultural, religious and natural roots without weakening the good influence of society."
As a historian and an advocate of gay rights I am puzzled by this statement. There have been numerous changes to the institution of marriage even in the history of the United States. Would President Bush and his allies turn back the clock to reverse those changes also because they "severed" marriage from its roots?
In a statement
endorsing a constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriage, President Bush
stated: "Marriage cannot be severed from its cultural, religious and natural
roots without weakening the good influence of society." What is “legal” is not necessarily “moral” for all people. We live in a pluralistic society with long constitutional tradition of separating church and state. For example, both Judaism and Islam forbid eating pork, yet we do not outlaw it. The Old Testament penalty for adultery, or cursing one’s parents was death. In the New Testament Jesus equated remarriage after divorce with adultery. As a society, we neither execute children for cursing their parents nor prohibit divorced folks from remarrying.
Marriage within a religious tradition and as a celebration of a community of faith with friends and family, is not the same as marriage as a legal institution. You cannot be legally married without a marriage license, but you can be legally married by a justice of the peace. Those of us who support the rights of gays and lesbians to marry do not seek to force any religious denomination to perform same-sex marriages. We only want the same legal protections and rights for our friends, our relatives, or ourselves that heterosexual couples enjoy.
Marriage as a legal institution has changed considerably in Western Europe and the United States. Throughout much of our history, marriage was often "traditionally" defined as a union of two people of the same religion, or the same race, or as a relationship in which the female was simply the property of the male. With the rise of individualism and equality of all individuals, those "traditional" elements have changed. Now we emphasize that marriage is matter of personal choice of each of the individuals involved, not their parents, their church, or their government. Let me give you some examples of how the "traditional" definition of marriage has changed.
· From the 5th to the 14th centuries, the Roman Catholic Church conducted special ceremonies to bless same-sex unions that were almost identical for those to bless heterosexual unions. At the very least, these were spiritual, if not sexual, unions.
· In 1076 Pope Alexander II issued a decree prohibiting marriages between couples who were more closely related than 6th cousins.
· In the 16th century servants and day laborers were not allowed to marry in Bavaria and Austria unless they had the permission of local political authorities. This law was not finally abolished in Austria until 1921.
· From the 1690s until the 1870s “wife sale” a type of public self-divorce in which a woman with a rope around her neck was “sold” by husband to another man was common in rural and small-town England.
· Marriage was strictly a civil and not an ecclesiastical ceremony for the Puritans in Massachusetts Bay from 1630 until 1686. They explicitly wanted marriage as a civil ceremony, not a church sacrament as it was in England.
· In the seventeenth century, the Pilgrims outlawed courtship of a daughter or a female servant unless consent was first obtained from parents or master.
· Until 1662 there was no penalty for interracial marriages in any of the British colonies in North America. In 1662 Virginia doubled the fine for fornication between interracial couples. In 1664 Maryland became the first colony to ban interracial marriages. By 1750 all southern colonies, plus Massachusetts and Pennsylvania outlawed interracial marriages.
· Under English common law, and in all American colonies and states until the middle of the 19th century, married women had no legal standing. They could not own property, sign contracts, or legally control any wages they might earn.
· In 1848 New York became the first state to pass a Married Woman’s Property Act, guaranteeing the right of married women to own property.
· Throughout most of the 19th century, the minimum age of consent for sexual intercourse in most American states was 10 years old. In Delaware it was only 7 years old.
· In 1913 southern congressmen introduced a proposed constitutional amendment to outlaw interracial marriages because Jack Johnson, the Black heavyweight boxing champion had married a white woman the previous year.
· As late as 1930, twelve states allowed boys as young as 14 and girls as young as 12 to marry (with parental consent).
· As late as 1940 married women were not allowed to make a legal contract in twelve states.
· In 1967 the U.S. Supreme Court struck down state laws banning interracial marriage (usually called anti-miscegenation laws) in Loving v. Virginia. As a result of the decision, Virginia and fifteen other states had their anti-miscegenation laws declared unconstitutional. Those states were: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia. In the fifteen years prior to the decision, fourteen states had repealed their anti-miscegenation laws. Those fourteen states were: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
· In 1978 New York became the first state to outlaw rape in marriage. By 1990 only a total of ten states outlawed rape in marriage. In thirty-six states rape in marriage was a crime only in certain circumstances. In four states, rape in marriage was never a crime.
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6.) Robert Uebel letter to The Forum (Fargo) regarding same sex marriage
February 24,
2004
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7.) Grand Forks Herald, Events: Panel to discuss impact of Supreme Court case
EVENTS: Panel to discuss impact of Supreme Court case
Grand
Forks attorney to speak in Belcourt, N.D.
Grand Forks Herald –
2/19/2004 A Supreme Court case involving a Turtle Mountain American Indian who struck a police officer from another tribe is the topic of discussion at 11 a.m. Friday at Turtle Mountain Community College in Belcourt, N.D.
The court has made no decision on United States v. Billy Jo Lara, but some Indians fear the case could diminish tribal sovereignty.
Grand Forks attorney Alex Reichert, who argued against the government before the Supreme Court, will be speaking along with law professors and tribal government officials.
Project Peacemaker, a nonprofit organization with the goal of strengthening tribal justice systems, is sponsoring the discussion panel.
"This discussion should help tribes to develop strategies with protecting their sovereignty no matter what outcome is reached by the U.S. Supreme Court," said Huma Ahsan, an attorney with Project Peacemaker.
<snip>
View full article here
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8.) Grand Forks Herald, Dorreen Yellow Bird Column: Much-needed Project Peacemaker trains specialists in tribal law
DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Much-needed Project Peacemaker trains specialists in tribal law Grand Forks Herald – 2/24/2004
One of the great things about the relationship between Indian country and university communities is that outstanding ideas sometimes sprout, are nurtured and blossom into great programs. Examples are the RAIN program, or Recruitment and Retention of American Indians Into Nursing. and the Indians Into Medicine program at UND's School of Medicine. On the horizon is a new program where tribal colleges will work with UND to develop a program that probably will be called Indians Into Law.
During a windy Friday, I trekked over icy roads to Belcourt, N.D., and the Turtle Mountain Community College to listen to panelists and their key speaker, Alexander Reichert, discuss tribal legal issues. Reichert is a Grand Forks attorney who recently argued before the Supreme Court in United States v. Lara - a complicated case that will have lasting affects on Indian country.
The case asks this question: If a tribal member has been tried for an offense in tribal court, can he or she also be tried for the same offense in federal court? Tribes across America are awaiting the decision, because the court's opinion could outline new limits on tribal sovereignty.
The group sponsoring Friday's intense panel discussion is Project Peacemaker, which is staffed by attorney and teacher Huma Ahsan and project director Susan Davis DeCoteau.
Ahsan's parents are from India. She married a Langdon, N.D., man and commutes daily to teach at the tribal college in Belcourt. Richard Monette, attorney, law professor and former tribal chairman of the Turtle Mountain tribe, offered counterpoints to some of Reichert's arguments.
The project is from the American Indian Studies Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. The project is "a collaborative initiative to develop, pilot, and implement tribal legal studies curricula for tribally controlled colleges," project literature notes.
Project officials currently are formalizing the design, development and printing of Tribal Legal Studies textbooks and instructors guides for nine study courses.
<snip>
View full article here
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9.) The Forum (Fargo), Speaker promotes transgender understanding
Speaker promotes transgender understanding
Debra Davis always knew she was different.
Growing up in Minneapolis as a boy named David Nielsen, Davis preferred playing with the girls in the backyard to roughhousing with the boys in the front yard.
As an adult with a wife and kids, Davis was a cross-dresser who hid the behavior from her family.
“I can tell you that all the boxes of tools in my garage didn't have tools,” she said.
In 1997, Davis decided to stop living a lie. She made headlines by transitioning "over a weekend" from man to woman while employed as media director at Southwest High School in Minneapolis.
Tuesday, she shared her story with about 65 North Dakota State University students and others at the Memorial Union, hoping to provide a better understanding of what it means to be transgender.
Transgender is a broad term that refers to men and women who dress and behave like the opposite sex, and who may or may not have had their bodies surgically altered. It includes all who cross-dress or otherwise transgress gender norms.
<snip>
View full article here
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10.) Grand Forks Herald, Mailbag: ‘Invited drums only’ policy defies tradition
MAILBAG: 'Invited drums only' policy defies traditionGrand Forks Herald – 3/1/2004
GRAND FORKS - I would like to voice my opinion about this year's Time Out Wacipi Powwow at UND and the "Invited Drums Only" policy that the powwow's leaders have decided on. I totally disagree with this decision and feel it is wrong for many reasons.
This powwow has been going on for many, many years and always has been open to all drum groups.
By having invited drums, the leaders slam the door shut on many other drum groups, the drummers' families and dancers that follow these drum groups. Some of the drum groups have been attending this powwow for 20-plus years. Where is the leadership's consideration for these people, or for the drum itself and the elders and their teachings?
This is just one more thing that will hurt this celebration and the university. This, along with the Fighting Sioux nickname controversy, will drop attendance to the powwow by hundreds of people - and the drop will add up to hundreds of dollars lost.
<snip>
View online article here
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11.) Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus to Perform in Moorhead, March 7
The Twin
Cities Gay Men's Chorus will be performing in concert on Sunday, March 7 at 3:00
p.m. in the ballroom of the Comstock Memorial Union on the campus of Minnesota
State University Moorhead. The concert is a benefit for the Pride Collective &
Community Center and
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12.) Free Anti-Racism Training, March 22 and 23, Moorhead
Monday,
March 22, 5:00-9:00pm &
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13.) Hate Crime and Bias Incident Community Response Plan Meeting, March 10, Fargo
In response to the concerns and workshops that have been offered through local Human Relations, Human Rights, local Non-profits, and many active citizens. You are invited to attend a meeting in which we will discuss the development of a Hate Crime and Bias Incident Community Response Plan.The meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 10, 12:00 pm at Cultural Diversity Resources located at 303 Roberts Street in Fargo. Feel free to bring your lunch.For more information contact Prairie Rose, Fargo Human Relations Commission 237-4453 after 2pm or prose_civic_junkie@hotmail.com.Also for your interest: The ND Department of Labor Human Rights Division will be doing a presentation on what they have to offer in regards to complaint process, and what they do. This will be Thursday, March 5:5 p.m. at the Wesley Center109 9th St.
South Fargo
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14.) Project Democracy, March 8-13 and March 15-19, Orlando, Florida
Project Democracy still has spots left in our 5-6 day trainings in Florida, March 8-13 and March 15-19. We have 8 scholarships left for the Orlando conference (4, $100 scholarships, and 2, $200 scholarships), and 12 scholarships for Gainesville left (8, $100 scholarships and 2 $200 scholarships), so if you have interested students, get them to apply soon, either online at projectdemocracy2004.org!
PROJECT DEMOCRACY Environment. Justice. Civil Liberties. Spring Break 2004. Your vote is your voice.
There's a new kind of Spring break about to break out in Florida. Project Democracy is a new effort to train and mobilize hundreds of students to make an impact in the upcoming elections. Started by a group of young environmental organizers, Project Democracy has a vision in which students – with their energy, passion, and resources – can kick democracy into gear for the next elections.
WHAT WE ARE DOING: This March, Project Democracy will hold two Spring break conferences with students from all over the country, March 8th-13th and March 15th-19th. Instead of hitting the beaches, we'll be hitting the streets, creating a new network of empowered voters. At the conferences, you can:
Meet other student activists, community organizers, and social-change leaders Learn new skills from great trainers Make an impact: help register 20,000 new voters Help refocus the debate on critical progressive issues
What's more, we'll send you home with the skills and guidance to mobilize your campuss and wire your communities for Novemer, 2004. We'll also help you find activist and election-related summer jobs to help you make the maximum impact.
JOIN US: If you are interested in coming to Project Democracy's alternative Spring Break, please email projectdemocracy@hotmail.com for registration information. Need-based travel scholarships are available.
INTERN: If you would like to help lead the charge, email margie_klein@lcv.org for information on applying for internships. Interns will help plan spring break and follow-up efforts, mobilize students on campus to get involved, and lead our 2004 voter education projects. Positions are unpaid, but college credit will be granted where available.
MORE INFORMATION: For more information, email Margie_Klein@lcv.org or call (202) 454-4601, or check out our website at www.projectdemocracy2004.org.
Project Democracy is a program of League of Conservation Voters Education Fund. They do not endorse or oppose candidates or political parties.
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15.) Building Bridges: Understanding Community Crisis, April 2 – 3, Bismarck
Building Bridges: Understanding Community Crisis April 2-3, 2004 Doublewood Inn, Bismarck, ND
Conference Objectives
To present the biological and neurological basis for brain disorders as it relates to behavior while interacting in the community.
To provide information on the Crisis Intervention Team Model involving law enforcement officers, mental health providers, family members and consumers of mental health services.
To foster collaboration of community partners in addressing inappropriate incarceration of individuals with brain disorders.
To investigate the purpose, principles and roles of Assertive Community Treatment teams which provide an evidence-based practice for outreach-oriented delivery of services to people with severe and persistent brain disorders.
To explore the treatment of a person’s traumatic experiences using the EMDR method.
Intended Audience
Law Enforcement Officers, Social Workers, Attorneys, Psychiatrists, County & State Correctional Employees, Psychologists, Judges, Professional Counselors, County Commissioners, Nurses, Legislators, Physicians, Families, Consumers of Mental Health Services Clergy, Addiction Counselors Persons who have been incarcerated Any person interested in brain disorders including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia and others.
For more information contact Janet Sabol at 701-527-4936 or email at jsabol@srt.com.
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16.) AmeriCorps 2004 Informational Meetings
Tuesday, March 2 8:30 a.m., MST Dickinson Job Service
2:30 p.m., CST Williston Job Service
Wednesday, March 3 9:30 a.m., Minot Job Service
2-4 p.m., Devils Lake Job Service
Thursday, March 4 9-11 a.m., Grand Forks Job Service
Friday, March 5 9:30 a.m., Cass County Annex
2:30 p.m., Jamestown Job Service
Monday, March 8 9:30 a.m., Bismarck Job Service, Dakota Room
For more information contact Cheryll McDowall, Program Officer, State AmeriCorps North Dakota Department of Commerce, Workforce Development Division, 1600 E. Century Avenue, Suite 2, Bismarck, ND 58503, Phone: 701/328-7263, Fax: 701/328-5320, Email: cmcdowall@state.nd.us
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17.) Tri-College NEW (National Education for Women) Leadership Development Institute, May 23 – 27, 2004, Moorhead
The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition has been participating in the planning meetings for this event. One of the goals of the Coalition is to increase the diversity of representation in state and local government in North Dakota, including increasing the number of women, people of color, people with disabilities, and openly gay people.
Are you interested in developing public leadership skills? Or do you know of a woman who you would encourage to explore public leadership?
The Tri-College NEW (National Education for Women) Leadership Development Institute will be held on May 23 - 27, 2004 at Minnesota State University Moorhead, in Moorhead, Minnesota. The institute is an intensive five-day residential program designed to teach participants about the diversity of women's participation in politics, connect participants with women leaders, and cultivate participants' leadership skills.
Approximately 40 women will be selected to participate at no cost to the participant. Any woman who is interested in politics, leadership, public service, or community service, and has a desire to develop her own leadership skills are encouraged to apply. Both college students and non-students will be accepted; you do not need to be in college or involved in formal political roles, or consider yourself a leader now, to be considered.
More information and an application form is available at http://appserv.mnstate.edu/whitede/conference/. Applications will be accepted until March 15, 2004.
Please forward freely.
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18.) Knowing & Understanding Your Rights is the First Step in Receiving Equal Rights
Learn how to attain your rights
1st Thursday of Each month 1:00 p.m. –
3:00 p.m.
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North Dakota Human Rights Coalition P.O. Box 1961 Fargo, North Dakota 58107-1961 Phone: (701) 239-9323 Fax: (701) 478-4452 Email: humanrights@ndhrc.org
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