Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota » KenS

Fresh Fruit and so much more

KenS — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:38:33 +0000

Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota board member, Broc Dobervich, participated in a radio interview tonight on America’s longest running Queer radio show Fresh Fruit, in production since 1978. Hosts Kendrick Davies and Peter Gokey welcomed Broc and Stonewall DFL chair David DeGrio to talk about LGBT issues and how they relate to politics both locally and nationally. This was the first time LCR has been invited to participate on this program and it was an honor to take part. Broc and David did a fantastic job. We want to thank them for taking this time to address the issues we are facing today.

Please take the time to listen to the program here LISTEN NOW

Follow us on Twitter, visit us on Facebook, or email us at info@mnlogcabin.org for more information about our organization.

Post Pride Wrap Up

KenS — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 19:50:29 +0000

Join Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota as we celebrate the close of the 2011 Twin Cities Pride month. As proud recipients of the 2011 TC Community Pride award, we are humbled and honored to be a part of this community.

We want to thank you for being a member of Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota. We also want to extend a warm welcome to those new individuals who volunteered at our booth, sought additional information about us, or inquired about becoming members while attending the 2011 Pride Festival.

As our way of saying thanks to you, we are hosting a cookout on Sunday, July 10, from 1p-5′ish pm at The Towers Condominium Complex located at 17 1st St S, Minneapolis, MN 55401 (corner of First St S and Hennepin Ave). The gathering will be in the Party Room. When you arrive please dial my name Ken Smoron on the keypad to get buzzed in. Or, you may call my cell 612-236-3455 or Michael Hammond at 612-201-7439 and we will be sure to get you in.

This is a casual meet and greet so please come as you are. Feel free to bring any other liberty minded friends who might find us interesting. Know a closeted conservative but they just haven’t realized it yet? Heck, bring them too! We are providing the grilled food AND beverages. Now you can’t beat that in today’s economy!

We will have updates available on DADT, MN Marriage Amendment, memberships, how to get involved in your neighborhood caucuses, participating in elections, and more. We are more than pleased to answer any and all questions you may have.

Please respond to this invite if you are able to make it so we may attempt to have enough food and drinks for everyone.

We can’t wait to see you there.

Ken Smoron
Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota Board

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Senate Floor Vote – Unite in Pride

KenS — Wed, 11 May 2011 04:34:45 +0000

The Senate is set to hold a floor vote Wednesday May 11, at 10:30am on the ill-timed anti-liberty, anti-family, anti-business marriage amendement to the MN state constitution.

This is a call to arms. Come to the capitol building and join Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota to show your support. If you have a knack for lobbying, we could use your talents to assist with members in the House committee. LCR Members will be in the capitol as early as 9am.

Call 612-309-8058 or 612-644-8483 when you arrive and someone can help direct you.

Springtime Happy Hour!

KenS — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:07:10 +0000

You’re invited to our next happy hour for members and friends of Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota.

Join us Thursday April 14, 6-8 (?) pm at Keegan’s Irish Pub in Northeast (16 University Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN) for drinks and conversation with fellow MN Log Cabin members and like-minded individuals.

We will meet at the bar by the North side (to the right as you walk in).

Bring ideas and suggestions for future meetings and events. We can chat about our current plans for Pride!

If you have trouble locating us or have questions, email me at the info address in the contact box to the left. Include the Subject: Happy Hour so I know to respond quickly. You may also call or text me at the number provided below.

Also, our national LCR convention in Dallas is fast approaching, April 28-May 1. Feel free to join us if you can. Register using the links at Register. Members who have paid their membership dues receive a discount on the registration fee! Contact me for details. Our Chairman Mark Knief, board member Mike Hammond and myself will be among those attending. We hope to see you there.

If you need directions, can’t seem to find us once you are there or just have questions, please contact:

Ken Smoron
Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota
info@mnlogcabin.org
612-236-3455

or Michael Hammond
612-201-7439

February Membership Meeting

KenS — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 01:53:48 +0000

Join us for our February social and meeting featuring an update on Log Cabin’s legal battle with the Obama administration on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and review of the 2011 CPAC.

The TC Pride festival is just around the corner June 25/26 and we want to start discussions on theme and message.

MN saw a ‘revolution’ in the 2010 elections like none other in 40 yrs. With this sweeping change comes the hope of renewed fiscal responsibility. With this change also comes the very real possibility of other big changes. National Organization for Marriage (NOM) is in full swing with their push for DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) which requires our attention. We will discuss what we can do to protect our state.

Social hour is from 6:30-7:30 pm and the meeting will start at 7:30 pm. We will be located in the front dining room (enter through the hall under the stairs)

If you have not done so, please visit our website and renew or start your membership. Or, consider giving a gift to help us continue our journey to educate and advocate for full equality and for an inclusive MN GOP.

http://mnlogcabin.org/contact-us/

If you have questions about the event, need directions, or can’t locate us at the venue, feel free to contact Ken Smoron (612) 236-3455 or Michael Hammond 612-201-7439

Thank You

KenS — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 04:17:20 +0000

Thank you to everyone that came out to the happy hour tonight. It was great to see old friends and new faces! See you soon at the group meeting!

National Update – A Message From Clark

KenS — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 04:15:39 +0000

Reposted from January 31 National Membership:

My first year on the job has been momentous on many fronts, and I’m proud to be on the front lines as your Executive Director. In September and October, Log Cabin Republicans won two victories in our fight against the failed and unconstitutional ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, and in November Republicans achieived one of the largest electoral waves in our party’s history, electing 87 freshman Republicans, including two impressive new allies, Congressman Richard Hanna and Congresswoman Nan Hayworth from New York. Of our 17 endorsed candidates, 12 were victorious with the help of the Log Cabin Republicans PAC.

In September, at our National Dinner we honored true champions in the fight for equality while also securing the support of National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn in our effort to raise funds to elect new allies to Congress, much to the consternation of leaders in certain social conservative leaders. Our efforts were bolstered by a new but familiar face, as former Chairman of the Republican National Committee Ken Mehlman came out to become one of the leading advocates in the fight for marriage equality. In August, I got to travel the country to meet some of our truly great chapter leaders, including Mel Nimerwho was tapped by the Utah Republican Party to run for the State Senate.

As Congress gets into gear, there are tremendous opportunities and obligations ahead of us. We’re facing an enormous federal deficit that will be an immense burden if Congress doesn’t cut spending immediately. While Log Cabin Republicans expected the free-spending Democrats under the leadership ofCongresswoman Nancy Pelosi to continue to be a problem, we are now also faced with a new challenge as Congressman Jim Jordanhas indicated that repealing Washington, DC’s civil marriage law is more important to him than passing a budget or creating jobs. We need your help in speaking up for the rights of all Americans and reminding GOP leadership of the importance of staying focused on the issues which Republicans campaigned on in 2010 – jobs, the economy, smaller government and individual responsibility. Log Cabin Republicans are working every day to make our party stronger and more inclusive, and we are seeing results – but every campaign needs a war chest. You are the supply line that makes our work at the front lines possible. Contribute today to help us continue the fight in 2011 and beyond.

Sincerely,

R. Clarke Cooper
Executive Director

DADT Senate 4023 Passes – President to Sign Bill

KenS — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 21:01:35 +0000

Moments ago, by a 65-31 vote, the Senate acted to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the policy banning gays from openly serving in the military. The same six GOP senators who broke with their party during the cloture vote earlier also voted for repeal: Sens. Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, Scott Brown, Lisa Murkowski, George Voinovich, and Mark Kirk. Republicans — John Ensign and Richard Burr — joined in to help pass the bill.

The bill will now make its way to the President’s desk for signing. The President has vowed to sign the law shortly paving the way for the process to begin rolling back the restrictions next year.

Cloture Vote Avoids Filibuster, Moves DADT to Final Vote

KenS — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 17:41:34 +0000

Minnesota wants to thank everyone for their hard work on bringing DADT to the closest point of repeal to date. Last night the Senate reached a cloture vote 63-33 (more than the required) to bring the measure to its final vote.

The Senate Bill 4023- “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010 – Provides for repeal of the current Department of Defense (DOD) policy concerning homosexuality in the Armed Forces, to be effective 60 days after the Secretary of Defense has received DOD’s comprehensive review on the implementation of such repeal, and the President, Secretary, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) certify to the congressional defense committees that they have considered the report and proposed plan of action, that DOD has prepared the necessary policies and regulations to exercise the discretion provided by such repeal, and that implementation of such policies and regulations is consistent with the standards of military readiness and effectiveness, unit cohesion, and military recruiting and retention. Provides that, until such time as the above conditions are met, the current policy shall remain in effect”

With the support of Susan Collins (R-ME), relatively newly elect Scott Brown (R-MA), and other bi-partisan members of the senate, we can now set our sights on the final hurdle of the repeal. The final vote must reach 51 votes to pass (House of Representatives passed it with a vote of 250-175) and will swiftly pass to the desk of President Obama who has vowed to sign it as soon as he gets it.

Log Cabin Republicans have taken a very aggressive approach to accomplish what we have thus far including:

* Bringing the main Federal Lawsuit Log Cabin Republicans vs. The United States to trial and getting it heard by the Supreme Court.
* Pressuring the Executive branch and the President to agree to help in the repeal process
* and lobbying Republicans in the House and Senate to sponsor and/or vote for a repeal measure.

After the bill passes and is signed by the President, our fine GLBT men and women, who have been unjustly, discharged will celebrate this victory with the right to change their discharge status and seek the benefits righfully owed to them for the service they so courageously provided to their country!

For additional information on DADT and real-time press releases, please visit LogCabin.org

LCR Advances DADT – October Meeting Around the Corner

KenS — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 04:31:47 +0000

As Log Cabin Republicans gear up for appeals, Federal judge Virginia Phillips, who on Sept 9 had declared the 17 yr old DADT policy of the armed forces unconstitutional, had all but forced the hand of the US Department of Justice today. Judge Phillips withheld a final decision on an injunction with her ruling Sept 9, giving both sides a chance to review the unconstituionality ruling and provide additional information before imposing an injunction. Today, Oct 12 2010, Judge Phillips issued her worldwide injunction effectively telling the armed forces they can no longer enforce DADT on openly gay personnel. The DOJ has 60 days to review the injunction and file for appeal.