Canary in the coal mine

(Only italics are mine.)
Immigration Equality Blacklisted by Bush DOJ

The Washington Blade reported on July 15 that, under President George W. Bush and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the U.S. Department of Justice “blacklisted” a number of organizations focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered (LGBT) and immigration rights, among other issues, in a campaign to deny employment to applicants who worked for “liberal” organizations.

The blacklist, which referred to DOJ’s honors and intern programs, included one national LGBT group: Immigration Equality.

Rachel B. Tiven, Immigration Equality’s executive director, said in a statement that we were “proud to be the only national LGBT organization included in the Bush Justice Department’s list of dangerous organizations” and that “opponents of equality and justice are right to fear us.”

“While few gay rights groups are included on the DOJ’s blacklist, immigrant advocacy groups make up 25 percent of the list,” she said. “The rights of non-citizens are the canary in our constitutional coal mine, and LGBT people, both immigrants and non-immigrants, know that immigrant rights must be zealously defended for everyone’s sake.”

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