Liberty Hill

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back on LGBT Rights

At the same time that Mexico (Mexico?!*) has moved to legalize gay marriage, the new U.S. immigration reform proposal leaves gay and lesbian immigrants out of the picture. The Roll Call's report is available to subscribers only. I've reposted it here.

Immigration Bill Leaves Out Gays
Move Fuels Friction Among Democrats
By Jennifer Bendery
Dec. 21, 2009

House proponents of comprehensive immigration reform unveiled an ambitious proposal last week with much fanfare, but lost in the buzz was that their bill isn't entirely comprehensive: They intentionally left out protections for gay and lesbian immigrants.

Local ACORN work poised to pay off

Five years ago, a group of Los Angeles ACORN members who were parents at 28th St. Elementary in South LA began organizing to remove a chrome electroplating facility from the neighborhood. The factory, Palace Plating, operated next to the school and was suspected as the source of a number of illnesses among teachers, students, and area residents, including cancers and serious respiratory and skin conditions.

An article in today's LA Times recounts the work that has brought the 28th St. neighborhood to the verge of a major transformation. This is just one example of environmental justice work supported in Los Angeles by Liberty Hill.

 

Good Green Jobs in LA

In April 2009, the Los Angeles Apollo Alliance, a coalition of over 24 community, labor and environmental groups, organized to win a landmark Green Building Retrofit Ordinance. It will make existing city owned buildings more energy and water efficient; create good union green jobs and a pathway out of poverty for disadvantaged workers.

Now all we need is funding.  We know the city will receive stimulus money for “green jobs” but without your help the implementation of this ordinance will not move forward. 
 
Help us ensure that every community experiences the promise of the green economy and that our neighbors, friends and family are put back to work. 

Sign the petition to jumpstart the creation of GOOD GREEN JOBS in LA!

Click Green LA Coalition to sign up now! 

 

A Significant Decade for LGBT Rights

A new report A Decade of Progress on LGBT Rights was released today.   Just as the decade draws to a close, this new report shows that the past 10 years have been a period of dramatic gains in equality for LGBT people in America.  

By Popular Demand. From the LAANE Dinner.

At last week's L.A. Alliance for a New Economy event, the highlight was a video featuring the Blue Man Group. See the video here.

On December 10th, LAANE honored a panorama of distinguished guests and organizations who have furthered progressive agendas. Among the honorees were the Hotel Diversity Task Force; Mark Ayers, president of Building & Construction Trades, AFL-CIO; the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Amy Wakeland, political advisor, community activist, and co-chair of LAANE’s advisory board—as well as a member of Liberty’s Hill’s board of directors.