She didn't have the guts to apologize face-to-face, but the deluge of emails and phone calls to Rep. Virginia Foxx have now resulted in an a an apology to Judy Shepard -- but she is not releasing the note sent to Matthew Shepard's mother.U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx has written a letter of apology to the mother of Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming man whose name is on a bill adding sexual orientation to federal hate-crimes legislation.So she can slur the hate crime against the young man in public, but cannot offer a public apology? Class. Her filthy behavior on the floor of the House stained our great state -- she owes everyone an apology, particularly those who have been the victim of a hate crime and the families of those who lost a loved family member to one.During recent debate on the bill, Foxx, R-5th, called attempts to label Shepard's 1998 murder a hate crime "a hoax." She said that he was killed during a robbery and not because he was gay.
Foxx's remarks caused an uproar, and she later issued a statement saying that her use of "hoax" was "a poor choice of words."
Neither Foxx nor anyone in her office would return repeated calls and e-mails from the Winston-Salem Journal for comment about her apology.
But was it an apology at all? Foxx did reveal this bit of business to a local station:
She told WXII that she sent a handwritten note to Judy Shepard, Shepard's mother, saying that "if I said anything that offended her, I certainly apologize for it and know that she's hurting, and I would never do anything to add to that."Also revealed is that Foxx declined to say whether she now considers Shepard's death a hate crime. Right.
In an earlier interview with WXII (video here), Foxx said she only "misspoke" during her closing remarks. "I was speaking off the cuff and simply chose a poor word, and it happens all the time and unfortunately that gets blown out of proportion." Can we call bullsh*t? Here's what she said on the House floor.
Rep. Foxx: "The bill was named after a very unfortunate incident that happened, where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of robbery. It wasn't because he was gay. The bill was named for him, the hate crimes bill was named for him, but it's, it's really a hoax, that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills." [House Floor Speech, 4/29/09]In the WXII-TV report, Foxx also claimed that 99% of the calls came from outside her district and that she received 10 death threats (the Capitol Police have no knowledge of any threats reported from her office).
One can only imagine that party hacks felt the criticism had reached the tipping point with Rep. Virginia Foxx (since her only public supporters are the hate fringe, like Peter LaBarbera). I mean come on -- PFLAG Winston-Salem was running ads in local papers in NC blasting her inhumanity and ignorance regarding the murder of Matthew Shepard. The Matthew Shepard Foundation has confirmed receipt of Foxx's missive, but did not comment publicly other to say that the organization is focused on getting the federal hate crimes law named after Matthew passed in the U.S. Senate.
Rep. Foxx doesn't get it; like most pols backed into a corner, she did the minimum to stop the carnage. We all know her views haven't changed one iota. She'd vote no on the legislation again, perhaps deciding to keep her bigoted trap shut (ant (and even then, I doubt that).
Related:
* The Virginia Foxx files on PHB
Here's my itinerary for as soon as the kids are off to school...
Have a wonderful day, folks- will catch up with you later on... but a quick example of CLASS below the fold.
Got this awhile ago while at a school event and the sheer decency of taking the time to do this, tonight of all nights, just touched me more than I can say.
Brought me to tears... plus I'm tired!;)
Emphasis mine:
Dear Louise,
We stand at a profound moment in history. Today Maine became the 5th state in the country to establish marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples. We are the very first state to pass a marriage bill through the Legislature and have the Governor sign it into law.
And we are here because of you. Since we began our campaign, tens of thousands of Mainers have raised their voices in support of fairness for gay and lesbian families. Today the Legislature and the Governor listened to you, the people of Maine, and made marriage equality the law of this state.
Two weeks ago at the public hearing, thousands of us traveled from every corner of this state to share our stories and tell our legislators why marriage matters. We testified to our hopes for our families and to the harms that we experience because we cannot marry. Legis lators took these stories not only into their heads, but also their hearts. They have responded quickly, in overwhelming majority, to make marriage for gay and lesbian couples the law of the land in Maine.
Today, the state of Maine has stated clearly what we have known for a long time: that gay and lesbian families are valued citizens, worthy of the same rights and protections as all Maine
families.Congratulations to all of you who have worked so hard to see this day come.
With deep gratitude,
Betsy Smith
Executive Director
EqualityMaine
Lemme add: 58% passage by House
So in celebration of my wonderful state, I am going to go enjoy her and remind myself why one of the first big blue signs vistors coming up I-95 see, having immediately crossed the Piscataqua River into my home state reads:
MAINE: The Way Life Should Be
60% passage by Senate
Same day signature by Gov. Baldacci
Last Friday, individuals and organizations gathered at the state Capitol in Salem to call for comprehensive immigration reform, fair and just wages, and an end to immigration raids that tear families apart. The event was sponsored by CAUSA
Basic Rights Oregon was proud to support the May Day rally, and the ongoing work of Oregon's movement for immigrant rights. If you remember 2004’s marriage equality campaign in Oregon, you’ll remember that CAUSA, the statewide immigrant rights coalition, took a stand by publicly endorsing the No on 36 campaign, and holding conversations with members about LGBT rights. After all, both LGBT and immigrant communities know what it feels like to be marginalized. We all know what it feels like to:
- Live under laws that say we are less human;
- Be a scapegoat for society’s problems;
- Be afraid for the security of our families; and
- Feel vulnerable and unsafe because of policies, institutions and attitudes that keep us on the margins.
The struggles for immigrant rights and LGBT rights are distinct, to be sure, but we share these critical experiences as communities. And leaders in Oregon's immigrant rights movement have been staunch supporters of LGBT rights for years. That's why BRO staff and volunteers from Portland were proud to be a part of the crowd to support our coalition partners in the immigrant rights and labor movements. And that's why BRO supporters from Eugene volunteered as legal observers, to ensure that the rally and march went smoothly and peacefully.
Congratulations to all the rally organizers on a fantastic event, and thanks to the BRO volunteers who joined in!
For more photos: BRO's flickr stream
For more information: CAUSA's press release
For video of the rally: CAUSA's YouTube video
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