Lebanon - Gay rights come to the fore as Lebanon prepares to vote

Tamara Qiblawi
CNN

Kadisha (Qadisha) Valley, Lebanon

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Anti-transgender discrimination loses in Alaska vote

Zack Ford
ThinkProgress

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civil rights - Unanimous Vote in Favor of Michigan Transgender Woman is Groundbreaking

Jay Kaplan
PrideSource

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HAVE YOU VOTED YET??? (see video)

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Ecuador transgender people vote for first time according to chosen gender (Malaysia)

Alexander Ulmer and Yury Garcia
The Star Online

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South Dakota may vote on transgender bathroom access in 2018

James Nord
LGBTQ Nation

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HRC Members Meet with Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen to #turnOUT the Vote

Press
HRC

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ezs note:  Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is one of those brave Republicans who is standing by her transgender son unabashedly in the halls of Congress.  Naturally, you have to look at her whole record, warts and all (who doesn't have them?)  but as far as her transgender record goes, she would put some Democrats to shame.

How to Keep Trans Voters From Being Disenfranchised

Michelle Dennis
Advocate

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ezs note:  Especially if you live in one of the states colored red or blue, read the article not once but twice.

Here’s Exactly Why A Vote For Trump Is Vote Against LGBTQ Rights

Kira Brekke
The Huffington Post

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ezs note: Please remember to vote on November 8!

Voter Suppression and the Transgender Vote

Sean McShee
SFGN

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ezs note:  If you live in either a blue or red state, (click to find out) the time for you to approach city/town hall is now, not tomorrow or worse yet, on Election Day.  Don't procrastinate!  

How I'll vote

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President/Vice President:  Hillary Clinton (D) vs. Donald Trump (R), Gary Johnson (L), and Jill Stein (G) 

This race is, of course, the big kahuna.  Now, you might assume that I just fell in love with Hillary, just itching to vote for her.  Uh...no.  I would have loved to have voted for Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts) with a very strong second for Bernie Sanders (Vermont).  Uh, Hillary came in third, folks.  And it took me a great while to warm up to her.  However, having seen her nomination speech, and her first debate performance, I gained a reasonable liking for her.  Not a swoon, mind you - but a healthy liking.  

Now on to Trump.  In case you haven't figured it out yet, he's f***ing nuts.  One quick example:  during his nominating speech, he said kind words to the LGBT cause.  Well, that's perfectly reasonable, said our friends in the Log Cabin sub-party.  However, a few days ago, he picked Rick Santorum as an adviser!   Sorry, Log Cabin, you can pick a candidate on principle - but you can't smooch their ass.

Gary Johnson is an interesting candidate.  He, like Clinton, has a strong LGBT advocacy.  He has a strong appeal with me for decriminalizing marijuana.  However, he has two strong strikes against him.  One is his absolute cluelessness when asked about the problem in Aleppo (it's in Syria, folks).  The other is his belief in the static nature of the Constitution.  Uh, sorry, Gary. The words changed - albeit just a bit - from the time you started taking the oath to the time you finished it.  Now, this may seem like mere semantics - but when you apply them to the Constitution, suddenly the meaning takes on a whole new import.

Next, Jill Stein.  When Ralph Nader took on the mantle, he looked very promising.  (For awhile, I belonged to the Green Party)    Sadly, the party has taken on a bunch of lunatics.  Now, mind you, half of the party's platform looks very promising and exciting.  The other half, however, deserve to be locked up in rubber rooms - for their sake as well as ours.

We often hear how this particular election is 'important'.  However, this one really is, and for those reasons, I endorse Hillary Clinton.

(to be continued)

Please, don't vote!

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So you're not gonna vote this election.  Hey, I understand.

So what if Yaz'min Shanchez were killed and burned - it's not like it's anybody fault, is it?

So what if a brave little transgender girl took to the streets to the streets to proclaim loudly her cause.  Eating potato chips is so much more important - isn't it?

Then again, just do it. VOTE.

Election Day is November 8.  Register early and vote.  Thanks.

So, your vote doesn't count?

Credit:  http://az616578.vo.msecnd.net/files/2016/01/09/635879162501994582-634241222_Importance%20of%20voting.jpg

So, I watched a little TV last night, and Rachel Maddow was on.  She started with the state of Mississippi, which was quite surprising (2 for Trump, within the margin of error).  But then came Texas.  In polls there, Hillary Clinton gained OVER 2 points - a state long considered very safe for Trump.  Good news, right?

There's some sobering news, though - and it rests entirely on YOU.  

Y'see, polls are just that - really best guesses as to the outcome of an election. When the margin gets below plus or minus 3.5 percent, things get a little murky.  When things are dead even (this is actually happening in Ohio) you might as well flip a coin.

Or, you can vote.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8, 2016.  Register and vote - please!  

House Democrats Stage Sit-In Protest To Urge Gun Bill Vote (Orlando shooting)

Kristina Peterson and Natalie Andrews
The Wall Street Journal

please press:  http://blogs.wsj.com

ezs note:  Finally - Democrats (and a few brave Republicans) are showing some balls by staging a sit-in!  My own Representative, John Larsen, is out there! You go!

Flatwoods city council to vote on transgender bathroom ordinance

Brad Myers
WSAZ

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I voted today... DID YOU?

Voting is in Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania

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Edmonton Catholic school board to vote on 'meaningless' inclusiveness policy, critics say (Canada)

Janet French
Edmonton Journal

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Bipartisan Vote Defeats Anti-Transgender Legislation in Virginia

Ryan White
HRC

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SENATOR VITALE STATEMENT ON OVERRIDE VOTE OF BILL FOR TRANSGENDER NEW JERSEYANS

Trish Graber
PolitickerNJ

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I voted... DID YOU???

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