We celebrate the recent victories for marriage equality regarding Prop 8, Washington State, and New Jersey.
First, Prop 8. The Ninth Circuit affirmed the decision of the U.S. District court, authored by Judge Vaughn Walker. However, this decision is much narrower in scope than Walker’s original opinion. Slate magazine has a great explanation of the decision and here’s an excerpt:
They issued what can best be described as a Bush v. Gore type of ruling, good only in instances where states have granted gay couples the rights and privileges of marriage, thousands of citizens have availed themselves of that right, and a ballot initiative has then withdrawn that right.
Basically, this decision is tailored to California. The decision is also stayed until defendants(supporters of Prop 8) choose whether or not to appeal. Make no mistake, this is still a victory - it’s one more chip in the foundational arguments of those pushing anti-gay laws.
The New Jersey Senate voted to approve same-sex marriage, with members stating the current civil unions law in the state does not go far enough to protect gay couples. However, Gov. Chris Christie has promised to veto the bill, and it appears a 2/3 majority to override the veto cannot be rallied.
The political landscape is changing. This legislative session is a budget session, but opponents of marriage equality have vowed to attempt to ban recognition of same-sex marriage in 2013 - a bill that has failed every single time.
We look forward to the day when Wyoming becomes The Equality State in deed as well as motto.
Photo: A logo designed by Meg Lanker-Simons for the 2011 legislative session in Wyoming.
Wyoming Governor Nellie Tayloe Ross assumed office on this day in 1925, becoming the first female Governor in the United States. (She is the only woman ever to have served as Governor of Wyoming.)
She later became the first female Director of the United States Mint, a position she held for 20 years.At the 1928 Democratic National Convention, she received 31 nominating votes from 10 states to be Vice President of the U.S. She later served as Vice-Chair of the Democratic National Committee.
First Women to Vote: John A. Campbell, Wyoming’s first Territorial Governor, signed a bill December 10, 1869 making Wyoming the first state to grant women the right to vote.
First Woman Justice of the Peace: Esther Hobart Morris was appointed February 17, 1870 in South Pass City.
First Woman Statewide Elected Official: Estelle Reel Meyer was elected as Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1894.
First All Woman Jury: The first all woman jury was sworn in March 7, 1870 in Laramie.
First Town in America to be Governed Entirely by Women: The city of Jackson, from 1920 to 1921, had a woman mayor, town council and town marshal. One of the councilwomen defeated her husband for her council seat.
First Woman Governor in the U.S.: Nellie Tayloe Ross was elected to complete the term of her husband who died in office. She served from 1925 to 1927. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed her the first woman to head the U.S. Mint, a position she held until 1953.
First Woman Bailiff: In 1870, Martha Symons-Boies-Atkinson of Albany County was appointed the first woman bailiff in the world.
First Business West of the Missouri River: In 1834, Fort William was erected at the confluence of the Laramie and North Platte Rivers by veteran fur traders William Sublette and Robert Campbell. Thus, the first trading post west of the Missouri River was established.
First National Park: In 1872, Congress named Yellowstone National Park in northwestern Wyoming as the first national park in the world.
First State to Have a County Public Library System: The Laramie County Public Library System was organized in August of 1886.
First National Forest: By an Act signed by President Benjamin Harrison in 1891, Shoshone National Forest became the first national forest. Wyoming now has 9 national forests.
First Ranger Station: Wapiti Ranger Station was established in the Shoshone National Forest in 1891.
First National Monument: Devils Tower in northeastern Wyoming was designated the first national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.
First Artificially Lit Evening Football Game: The first interscholastic football game to be played under artificial light took place in Midwest, Wyoming in 1925.
We still have quite a ways to go when it comes to becoming the Equality State in full though. Every year, we have to beat back bills limiting reproductive rights and attacking the rights of the GLBTQ community. It’s in the spirit of a state that had the first female governor, and that pragmatically granted women the right to vote to gain statehood, that we continue to fight.
We wanted to pass this along on the 86th anniversary of Nellie Tayloe Ross taking office as Wyoming’s first (and only) female governor since becoming a state in 1890. We agree with Meg, author of Cognitive Dissonance, that we have a ways to go in our fight for equality for all people. This is an interesting list of Wyoming’s firsts and a reminder that Wyoming, the least populous state in the union, can still be a leader.
Alex was last seen wearing a button-down shirt, jeans, black boots, letterman-style Cheyenne Frontier Days coat. He is a train buff. Alex has been missing since Dec. 31st and was last seen in Cheyenne, Wyo. He is thought to have gone missing somewhere between 6 PM and midnight.
If seen or found, please call the Cheyenne Police Department at 307-637-6524
If you live in or near Cheyenne, and would like to assist in the search for Alex Frye, please contact Bryan Grzegortyk at 307-421-5714. The volunteer command post will meet again tomorrow morning (Jan. 3) at the Legion Post #6 on East Lincolnway at 10am. Help distribute flyers and search for Alex if you can.
The photo above is the booking information for Rep. Bob Nicholas, R-Cheyenne. He was elected in 2010 to represent House District Eight in Cheyenne. The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle has the full story:
State Rep. Bob Nicholas, R-Cheyenne, faces a felony charge of abusing a disabled adult in Florida following a Nov. 23 arrest.
Nicholas, 54, was arrested in Boca Grande, Fla., while on vacation after allegedly punching and kicking his 19-year-old mentally disabled son, according to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report.
The document indicates that multiple witnesses outside of a restaurant saw Nicholas hit his son repeatedly with a closed fist, push him onto the sidewalk and then kick him more than five times. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office contacted Nicholas about two hours after the incident in the hotel room where he and his son were staying.
A sergeant reported a small blood stain on a bedspread in the room and observed that the victim had redness and welts on his neck and a foot-sized abrasion to the skin around his left ribcage that appeared to have a shoelace pattern to it, the report says.
Nicholas was placed under arrest and was released Nov. 24 on a $20,000 bond. Abuse of an elderly or disabled adult is a third-degree felony in Florida, and it carries a prison sentence of up to five years. Nicholas is set for an arraignment on Dec. 27. [Nicholas] intends to fight the charge. He added that he was only trying to keep his son under control. Nicholas’ son suffers from seizures and has a mental condition similar to autism, the report indicates.
Nicholas said his son became disruptive and combative during lunch. He said he was only trying to get his son out of the restaurant, and he described his response as “corporal punishment,” according to the sheriff’s report.
Nicholas added that his son was “not harmed” after the altercation. “I accept I will have to explain my actions,” he said. “And if I was too strong with my son, I will address that as well.”
The biography he provided for his last campaign listed that he has served for more than 10 years as a board member on the Caring for Children Foundation and is a Special Olympics coach. The legislator said he has no intention of resigning his legislative seat. “I don’t think I committed a crime, so why would I?” he responded when asked.
Here at Equality for All, we’re shocked at the allegations of abuse on the part of a state representative. However, we’re hesitant to call for his complete resignation unless he is found guilty or pleads guilty to these charges. A felony is quite serious. The reactions of Wyomingites have varied from defense of Nicholas to calls for him to step down.
This case also illustrates claims from some people who state that in order to control someone who has a developmental disability, physical force is justified. Diane, an Equality for All supporter in Buffalo, Wyo. writes, “I worked with high needs kids in the public schools for a few years and saw my share of ‘meltdowns.’ Never once was a hand raised to any of them. There are things that you can do that will diffuse the situation WITHOUT slapping them or kicking them. He should be kicked out of office…” The APA [American Psychological Association] also roundly condemns corporal punishment.
At Equality for All, we feel there are more effective means of discipline, whether used against children or disabled adults. We hope Rep. Nicholas and his family are able to work through this situation. However, we also believe that if the accusations against Rep. Nicholas are true, he should step down as a representative of HD 8, and from the board of the Caring for Children Foundation and as a Special Olympics Coach.
Our social media and communications intern, Aimee Van Cleave, will be live-tweeting tonight’s CNN Debate over national security. The debate starts at 8 PM EST and 6 PM MST!
I just moved to Buffalo from Cody, thinking it would be different, and boy was I right! I barely read anything about the goings-on with Pat Lynch in the local newspaper, and after actually seeing the discriminatory material he littered those young minds with, I honestly want to go back. But there's this part of me, that remembers that I want my three daughters growing up in a world where you fight against injustice, even in your own backyard. I think he needs to be taught a lesson.
We’re working on spreading the word and getting ideas from folks on what they think should be done. We encourage you to write a letter to The Buffalo Bulletin and submit it here. They’ve switched their tune and are calling for Lynch’s dismissal - a positive step. We stand firm in calling for Lynch’s dismissal as well.
You wanted it, so I made it. (Click through to make it larger)
Here’s the follow-up to the GOP Family Values Bingo game for the next debate. The next one is Nov. 22 at 8 PM EST on CNN and is over national security issues. I’ll be live-tweeting it like usual. Follow me @meglanker. Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Jon Huntsman, Newt Gingrich, and Ron Paul are all confirmed to attend.
Send me your filled out bingo card, and I’ll post it here. Good luck! I’m not sure if getting a bingo is winning or losing in this game.
Our director of communications, Meg, created a bingo card for the followers of her personal website. Now, the language at her site is a little salty and Equality For All is separate from Cognitive Dissonance; however, we found this bingo game a nice diversion from the same talking points. The next debate will be on CNN at 8:00 PM EST (so 6 PM MST) and we invite you to watch it. If you do, shoot us your thoughts about the debate - we might post them here.
Currently, we’re watching Jon Huntsman. He’s a moderate Republican who believes in climate change and has endorsed civil unions. He’s an interesting candidate and you can read up on him here.
Thank you very much! We intend to keep working for equality for all Wyomingites. We truly believe drafters of the Wyoming Constitution meant what they said when they wrote in Article 1, Section 2: “Equality of all. In their inherent right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, all members of the human race are equal.”
Please, feel free to write us. You can submit posts with links here or submit short questions here.
Equality for All was shocked to see that Pat Lynch, former coach of Buffalo High School’s football team, was retained as a guidance counselor after distributing a survey to his players with anti-gay and misogynist language language. View the survey, “The Hurt Feelings Report,” here. This story has garnered national and international press, and we felt it necessary to respond.
Our letter has generated much comment and discussion at the Casper Star-Tribune’s website. A few comments:
LJGR said on: November 17, 2011, 3:58 pm While I do not know whether this coach intended this flier as a joke or some sort of failed motivator for his football team, nor do I know the sexual orientation of any of the football players, I do think that as a teacher and guidance counselor he should have known better than to use such inflammatory language. When working with children a person should assume that at least some of their words will be taken seriously and that they could potentially cause harm to those who are subjected to them… I cannot say whether he should be disciplined - that is not my decision to make - however if his tactics for acting as a guidance counselor are the same as those he uses for coaching I question whether he is the best person for the job.
bane of trout said on: November 14, 2011, 5:02 pm Wow. So much to respond to here… These terms constitute a “hostile work environment” which is “frowned upon” by normal people (not to mention the EEOC), and will lead to “lawsuits the size of Texas.” Secondly and more to the point, the offensiveness of these terms is beyond the pale, and I can laugh at political correctness as much as the next guy.
If my kid were in BHS, I’d demand a review of institutional practices. Given the Board and superintendent’s stupid reaction, I’d want proof that this kind of thing isn’t systemic. And I sure as shootin’ wouldn’t have my kid see Lynch for her guidance counseling needs. Maybe some coaches use names to motivate players; I’ve seen plenty of good ones who don’t. But this isn’t about football. This is about district employees being agents of bullying. Repugnant. Utterly repugnant.
The Wyoming chapter of the ACLU also responded. Jennifer Horvath, ACLU staff attorney, writes:
“The material Lynch distributed was disparaging to LGBT and female students. It’s hard to imagine how any of these students — half of the student body — would feel comfortable going to Lynch for guidance, whether he is under ‘administrative supervision’ or not.
We encourage students at Buffalo High School to show that Lynch’s intolerance is not shared by students or the community, and demonstrate their support for LGBT students by establishing a student Gay-Straight Alliance.
Pat Lynch still remains as a guidance counselor at Buffalo High School. If you’d like to express your outrage, contact the district superintendent, Dr. Rod Kessler, at rkessler@jcsd1.us. Encourage him to abide by Johnson County School District #1’s policy regarding harassment, which states: “It is the intent of Johnson County School District One to maintain a learning environment that is free from discrimination, including sexual harassment.”
There are also two petitions circulating calling for Lynch’s full resignation. They can be found here and here.
We’re encouraged by the discussion our letter, Ms. Horvath’s letter, and the comments online have generated. Since its publication Sunday, our letter has remained the most commented item on the Star-Tribune’s website. It is wonderful to see an ongoing thread dealing with what kind of state to we want to be - one that condones bullying of students by administrators, or one that shrugs and says “Toughen up!” to the possible detriment of some students.
Submitted to our Communications Director via her personal blog
We decided to share Meg’s response to a WyWatch supporter. WyWatch is an anti-gay, anti-abortion group based out of Carpenter, Wyoming that is responsible for much of the hateful legislation we devote much of our time to fighting. Here’s Meg’s post on what equality means in the Equality state:
Anonymous asked:
Meg,
I’ve noticed that you refer to equality quite often in yourdiscussions. Often referring to the Wyoming State motto of “The Equality State”inferring that equality is non-existent in Wyoming. Could you help meunderstand exactly what you mean when you say “equality”?
Thanks, Marc [Smith]
Marc,
Not everything is black or white. Never have I implied equality is completely non-existent. If you’ve been paying attention over the past few years, you’d understand what I mean. However, I’m feeling generous.
First, let’s start with Dictionary.com’s definition of equality:
e·qual·i·ty[ih-kwol-i-tee] noun, plural -ties. 1.the state or quality of being equal; correspondence in quantity, degree, value, rank, or ability.
In their inherent right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, all members of the human race are equal.
Article 1, Section 3. Equal political rights.
Since equality in the enjoyment of natural and civil rights is only made sure through political equality, the laws of this state affecting the political rights and privileges of its citizens shall be without distinction of race, color, sex, or any circumstance or condition whatsoever other than individual incompetency, or unworthiness duly ascertained by a court of competent jurisdiction.
So equality in Wyoming is really for all people. And by all people, Marc, that means folks you and your BFFs may find distasteful. Every other legislative session, I go over the hill to testify against bills seeking to marginalize and discriminate against GLBTQ people in Wyoming. Bills you all testify in favor of regularly. I’ve heard my friends called diseased, broken, and sick - in a legislative committee! And don’t give me any of this “hate the sin, love the sinner” stuff. Even if you believe that, you are still hating one very core piece of an individual. If homosexuality is a choice, when did you wake up and choose to be straight? Could you, personally, choose to be gay? Doubt it.
I honestly don’t care that you folks believe America is a Judeo-Christian nation. That’s all well and good. However, when you start legislating from a religious book, that’s called a theocracy. Iran does it too. The Bible teaches valid moral lessons. So do many other religious books. I used to be Catholic. I’m now an atheist. My moral foundation did not change. Even without God, I still believe it’s wrong to kill people, steal, lie, etc.
“Gay couples are not lined up at city halls hoping for a marriage license… I have never believed that gays wanted to marry. Their behavior by its very nature is too promiscuous… Gay relationships are for the most part sexually open rather than exclusive… Gays are actively trying to destroy marriage and will take away our freedom of speech and religion in order to do it.”
Here’s a photo of couples lined up at the Albany County Courthouse last Valentine’s Day to receive a marriage license:
So straight couples can enter into a 72-day marriage with a $10 mil. wedding a la Kim Kardashian, then seek a divorce, and God somehow is more cool with that than with any of these couples above getting married. Just for the record, my husband and I have been married for roughly 2.11 Kardashians.
Know what? Let Mrs. Betty Bowers break down “Traditional Marriage” for you:
Study after study has shown that gay “marriage” undermines the institution of marriage. In those societies where homosexual “marriage” has been tried, traditional marriage is increasingly discarded.
Citation needed. I want a peer-reviewed study endorsed by AMA, APA, or ASA. It’s okay, I’ll wait. Here’s Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. dealing with one cited by conservatives often:
Funny that. So there’s no difference between same-sex and opposite-sex families?
I also enjoy that you use “Well, there’s not that many of them” as a justification. You’ve claimed roughly 1.7% of the population is homosexual. So what? Does that justify discrimination? 0.8% of the population is American Indian. Does their low number justify discrimination?
How, personally, has marriage equality kept you from enjoying your heterosexual marriage? If you want to see more of my thoughts, read these two letters.
If marriage equality passes in Wyoming, your church can still refuse to marry same-sex couples, much like a Catholic church can refuse to marry Baptists or those who don’t want to complete their pre-marital counseling.
Further, the opposition to marriage equality keeps boiling it down to sex and procreation. Is that all marriage is to you folks? Pumping out kids and occasionally sweating up the sheets? I see it as legitimization of a committed, loving relationship entered into by two consenting adults. Trust me, straight people can engage in some freaky, non-procreative sexual activity.
P.S. And about consent - marriage equality is not going to lead to bestiality or marrying brothers and sisters. Your cat cannot consent to a legal contract and legal precedent has validated the state’s interest in preventing close blood relatives from marrying - though there’s more states where you can marry first cousin than your same-sex partner. Any closer than that, and the courts have said no bueno. Supposedly, marriage between the races would lead to the same outcomes. Didn’t happen, but it’s just like how expanding voting rights led to hamsters voting, right? Slippery slope, y’know?
And railing about free speech and freedom of religion - no one is going to stop you from proclaiming gay people are ruining America. No one is going to force you to stop believing your chosen brand of Christianity.
Still with me?
As for gender equality, we’re somehow the equality state, yet my salary is likely to be 67% of a man’s for the same work. I deal regularly in my activism with people like yourself who want to regulate when I can bear children or my choice to not be pregnant - to not bring an unwanted child into the world. Or my choice to use reproductive services period, as evidenced by the nationwide fervor to defund Planned Parenthood.
So in summary, my vision of equality is a state (and a nation) where this debate is unnecessary because full equality for all exists.
I envision a state where my friends don’t have to spend thousands of dollars drawing up legal documents to make sure assets are protected in death. A state where, when I travel over the hill, I don’t hear my friends’ relationships reduced to sex acts, described in disgusting unreality simply to degrade them to a category somehow less than you. A state where my friends cannot be fired from their jobs simply for being gay. A state where their relationships can be acknowledged as marriage. A state where gay or straight doesn’t matter, because under the law, everyone has the same political rights regardless of sexual orientation. A state where, if I do the same work as a man, I don’t have to hope I’m getting paid in a similar fashion. A state where my uterus is none of your business. Somehow, shrinking government entails making it just small enough to fit in my uterus.
Personhood Amendment voted down by wide margin in Mississppi
Issue 2 voted down in Ohio by projected 2 to 1 margin
A majority of Democratic candidates elected to North Carolina’s largest school board
LaWana Mayfield defeats Republican opponent Ed Toney for city council seat in Charlotte, North Carolina. She’s the city’s first openly gay official.
Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce, architect of SB 1070 and BFF of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, is recalled
The man who saved Gabrielle Giffords’ life, Daniel Hernandez Jr., won his school board race in Arizona with 62% of the vote. Oh, and he’s gay.
Adam Ebbin of District 30 in Virginia was elected to the state Senate, making him the Commonwealth’s first openly gay senator.
Mike Laster is the first openly gay man elected to the Houston City Council.
Democrat Greg Stanton wins mayoral race in Phoenix, Arizona.
Iowa maintains a pro-marriage equality majority in their state Senate.
Cincinnati elects first openly gay city council member
All The Heritage Foundation can tweet about now is Obama’s Christmas Tree tax…
A slightly sarcastic, yet on-point round up of Tuesday’s election events. Here at Equality for All, we would argue it’s not so much “Lefty Christmas” as a marvelous night for those who fight for equal rights, regardless of political affiliation.
We are thrilled to see so many GLBT candidates winning elections across the country, amazed Mississippi was able to stave off a quite radical usurping of women’s rights, and very proud of Ohio.
This is an inspiration to those of us fighting for equality for all people in Wyoming.
We’d like to welcome Aimee Van Cleave to Equality for All as our new Social Media and Communications Intern. Aimee comes to us after having served as Co-President of Queer Advocacy Network at UW and previously interned for Wyoming House Rep. Cathy Connolly, D-Laramie.
We’re thrilled to have such a marvelous activist come aboard.
Here’s a handy chart explaining why you should move your money, particularly if you didn’t today. The lobbying totals are for 2011, the political contributions are for the 2010 cycle, and the percentage for Republicans and Democrats are how much each party’s politicians received from the 2010 cycle contribution. The lobbying figures for 2010 were not available; however, the debate over financial reform has intensified this year, so I would imagine quite a bit has gone to lobbying. Also, 2011 is not an election year.
I included the ever-vilified Koch Industries in the chart to show how little they spend as opposed to all various banking corporations combined. Also, Koch Industries lobbies for and against the same bills as the large banks. They play for the same team. Check it out at Open Secrets.
This stems from opposition that I’ve seen to the move your money movement on Twitter, Facebook, etc. that basically states credit unions donated $4 million to Congress last year, so why bother?
Well, adding in lobbying for 2011 and contributions for 2010 together, it’s a grand total of $6,179,817. That’s significantly less than the $38,162,642 spent by the banking industry.
So who do you trust?
We’ve seen this criticism as well. Equality for All uses a local credit union, UniWyo FCU. The customer service is outstanding. Will Welch, our treasurer, received a clipping in the mail of him and Equality for All Executive Director Andrew Simons marching for equality on September 20th. The sender? UniWyo FCU.
A Wyoming legislative committee has reversed its position on a proposal to change the state’s open records law.
The Joint Judiciary Committee today voted to strike down a proposed change the committee had endorsed on Thursday. The provision would have exempted emails sent to fewer than a quorum of members of a governmental body from public disclosure.
The Wyoming Association of Municipalities had supported the provision, but the Wyoming Press Association opposed it.
Sen. Drew Perkins is a co-chairman of the committee. The Casper Republican says the committee decided it would be best to put the bill into a form that would have the best chance of being approved for introduction in the legislative session that starts in February.
We support transparency as a rule, rather than an exception. This bill would not be good for open government practices and we applaud the committee for reconsidering. We encourage members of the committee to not bring the bill forward again.
![The photo above is the booking information for Rep. Bob Nicholas, R-Cheyenne. He was elected in 2010 to represent House District Eight in Cheyenne. The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle has the full story:
State Rep. Bob Nicholas, R-Cheyenne, faces a felony charge of abusing a disabled adult in Florida following a Nov. 23 arrest.
Nicholas, 54, was arrested in Boca Grande, Fla., while on vacation after allegedly punching and kicking his 19-year-old mentally disabled son, according to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report.
The document indicates that multiple witnesses outside of a restaurant saw Nicholas hit his son repeatedly with a closed fist, push him onto the sidewalk and then kick him more than five times. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office contacted Nicholas about two hours after the incident in the hotel room where he and his son were staying.
A sergeant reported a small blood stain on a bedspread in the room and observed that the victim had redness and welts on his neck and a foot-sized abrasion to the skin around his left ribcage that appeared to have a shoelace pattern to it, the report says.
Nicholas was placed under arrest and was released Nov. 24 on a $20,000 bond. Abuse of an elderly or disabled adult is a third-degree felony in Florida, and it carries a prison sentence of up to five years. Nicholas is set for an arraignment on Dec. 27. [Nicholas] intends to fight the charge. He added that he was only trying to keep his son under control. Nicholas’ son suffers from seizures and has a mental condition similar to autism, the report indicates.
Nicholas said his son became disruptive and combative during lunch. He said he was only trying to get his son out of the restaurant, and he described his response as “corporal punishment,” according to the sheriff’s report.
Nicholas added that his son was “not harmed” after the altercation. “I accept I will have to explain my actions,” he said. “And if I was too strong with my son, I will address that as well.”
The biography he provided for his last campaign listed that he has served for more than 10 years as a board member on the Caring for Children Foundation and is a Special Olympics coach. The legislator said he has no intention of resigning his legislative seat. “I don’t think I committed a crime, so why would I?” he responded when asked.
Here at Equality for All, we’re shocked at the allegations of abuse on the part of a state representative. However, we’re hesitant to call for his complete resignation unless he is found guilty or pleads guilty to these charges. A felony is quite serious. The reactions of Wyomingites have varied from defense of Nicholas to calls for him to step down.
In light of this recent charge, two of Nicholas’ votes concern us: “Nay” on SF 132, which made strangulation of a household member a felony, and “Nay” on HB 256, which established Tenant Rights in Domestic and Sexual Violence Cases. We hope that Nicholas takes issues of family violence seriously. Violence against anyone is not okay, much less a vulnerable adult. If you wish to track Nicholas’ case, the Florida court system provides online tracking.
This case also illustrates claims from some people who state that in order to control someone who has a developmental disability, physical force is justified. Diane, an Equality for All supporter in Buffalo, Wyo. writes, “I worked with high needs kids in the public schools for a few years and saw my share of ‘meltdowns.’ Never once was a hand raised to any of them. There are things that you can do that will diffuse the situation WITHOUT slapping them or kicking them. He should be kicked out of office…” The APA [American Psychological Association] also roundly condemns corporal punishment.
At Equality for All, we feel there are more effective means of discipline, whether used against children or disabled adults. We hope Rep. Nicholas and his family are able to work through this situation. However, we also believe that if the accusations against Rep. Nicholas are true, he should step down as a representative of HD 8, and from the board of the Caring for Children Foundation and as a Special Olympics Coach.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvvgajUUAf1r1wmwlo1_500.png)
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