Happy 4th of July: From Our President

[Tx4obama]

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
July 04, 2013

Weekly Address: Celebrating Independence Day

WASHINGTON, DC—President Obama used his weekly address to commemorate our nation’s Independence Day, and to recognize the generations of Americans— from farmers to teachers to entrepreneurs—who worked together to make the United States what it is today. The President also thanked the men and women of the military, who have given so much to defend the United States at home and abroad, and said that we are grateful for their service and sacrifice.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, July 4, 2013.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
July 4, 2013

Hi everybody. I hope you all had a safe and happy Fourth of July, filled with parades, cookouts, fireworks and family reunions.

We celebrated at the White House with a few hundred members of the military and their families. And we took a moment amid the festivities to remember what our Independence Day is all about – what happened 237 years ago, and what it meant to the world.

On July 4th, 1776, a small band of patriots declared that we were a people created equal – free to think and worship and live as we please. It was a declaration heard around the world – that we were no longer colonists, we were Americans, and our destiny would not be determined for us; it would be determined by us.

It was a bold and tremendously brave thing to do. It was also nearly unthinkable. At that time, kings and princes and emperors ruled the world. But those patriots were certain that a better way was possible. And to achieve it – to win their freedom – they were willing to lay it all on the line. Their lives. Their fortunes. Their sacred honor.

They fought a revolution. Few would have bet on our side to win. But for the first of many times to come, America proved the doubters wrong.

And now, 237 years later, the United States – this improbable nation – is the greatest in the world. A land of liberty and opportunity. A global defender of peace and freedom. A beacon of hope to people everywhere who cherish those ideals.

Generations of Americans made our country what it is today – farmers and teachers, engineers and laborers, entrepreneurs and elected leaders – people from all walks of life, from all parts of the world, all pulling in the same direction.

And now we, the people, must make their task our own – to live up to the words of that Declaration of Independence, and secure liberty and opportunity for our own children, and for future generations.

I want to say a special word of thanks to the men and women of our military, who have played such a vital role in the story of our nation. You have defended us at home and abroad. And you have fought on our nation’s behalf to make the world a better, safer place. People in scattered corners of the world are living in peace today, free to write their own futures, because of you. We are grateful for your service and your sacrifice, especially those still serving in harm’s way and your families here at home.

So, God bless you all. And may God bless the United States of America.

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http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/07/03/weekly-address-celebrating-independence-day

[Hekate]

1. KnR

[ProSense]

2. Celebrating

living in this country under this President.

VICTORY! Social Security Administration Drops Surgery Requirement for Gender Change

By Chase Strangio

Late last week, after nearly a decade of advocacy led by our coalition partners at the National Center for Transgender Equality, the Social Security Administration (SSA) updated its policy for changing gender designation in Social Security records. The ACLU also included this as one of our top LGBT second term recommendations to President Obama. This change will not only protect the privacy of transgender individuals, but also brings SSA in line with other federal agencies and prevailing medical standards for the treatment of transgender individuals.

For transgender individuals, accessing identification that accurately reflects their gender can be a lifelong struggle. With requirements varying across local, state and federal agencies, transgender individuals are forced to navigate a web of conflicting and arbitrary rules to ensure that identification documents consistently and accurately reflect their gender identity. Without accurate identification, transgender individuals face not only the prospect of being outed and its attendant risks of stigmatization, harassment and violence, but also the potential loss of employment and public benefits when state identification is flagged as inconsistent with Social Security records.

Under the new policy, transgender people are able to change the gender designation on their Social Security records by submitting either an amended passport or birth certificate reflecting the applicant's lived gender, or certification from a physician confirming that the individual has undergone appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition. This policy replaces SSA's outdated and inconsistently-applied policy requiring documentation of surgery.

Though almost all federal agencies now permit changes to gender designation without requiring proof of any specific medical treatments, many state agencies continue to impose these outdated, discriminatory requirements. The ACLU is leading efforts to change these policies on the state level with recent victories in Idaho, Oregon and Alaska. We applaud the Social Security Administration for making this change. The ACLU will continue efforts at the state and local level to ensure that transgender people are able to access identification documents that respect their privacy and accurately reflect their gender identity.

http://www.aclu.org/blog/lgbt-rights/victory-social-security-administration-drops-surgery-requirement-gender-change

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