Jerry's Weekly Update on the Fight for Marriage Equality
Full Edition Available at: http://home.comcast.net/~SSCIVILRIGHTS/newsletter.htm

October 1, Edition

Rhode Islanders can now marry in MA, but...

"If we don’t make an immediate turnaround, we will lose on November 9"

- Marc Solomon
Director, MassEquality

Hi friends,

I am taking the quote above to heart and sending the letter that you see to the left in blue to my legislators. Please feel free to copy/paste to send to your politicians as well...

Representative Ayers,

The 2006 primary is over and once again, every legislator who has publicly taken a stand in support marriage equality is secure, while the minority of anti-equality politicians has lost three more of its most outspoken proponents. One of which, had outright lost to her pro-equality challenger.

Still, national anti-gay organizations continue to influence the effort to write discrimination into the MA Constitution. Some of these groups will be here in MA, on October 15th, to telethon across the country for more funding to promote the current citizen’s petition. As you know, it was national organizations that funded the deceptive signature gathering campaign.

When we last met in the State House, we seemed to be in agreement that our constitution should not be amended in this way. Yet, even today I worry that you may vote to allow the proposed amendment to move forward.

I need your support. In return, you will have mine, on call whenever needed. I have a lot that I can offer your campaign including web and direct mail design expertise and an extensive list of additional contacts in your district. Please let me know what else it will take to gain your support on November 9th. I look forward to working with you!

Sincerely,

Jerry Ringuette.

It is official: our opposition is bombarding legislators like never before, while our community is doing next to nothing!

This is a terrible situation that we are in. I am stepping up my efforts to re-contact my legislators to ask for their support on November 9th, when the citizen's petition to take away marriage protections is again voted on by the MA Legislature. I plan to contact them AGAIN 30 days later. PLEASE, PLEASE do the SAME.

I know that many of you/us have in fact been busy campaigning for pro-equality candidates/incumbents but in the meantime, no one on our side of the issue is maintaining communications with all those politicians that will vote on November 9th.

Marc Solomon is preparing a communication to escalate our current situation. Marc says, "Astonishingly, our side is dangerously complacent. Attendance at our events is down across the state.

While 20 or 30 supporters came to local meetings a year ago, only the same five or six show up now. Half of our past donors have contributed nothing this year. And many of our advocates don’t even know there is a vote.

Meanwhile, the Right has become incredibly organized and energized to defeat us:

• Family Research Council president Tony Perkins is hosting a live broadcast from Tremont Street in Boston to 80 million people nationwide, mobilizing the Right to overturn marriage equality in Massachusetts; local pastors heavily involved

• Legislators are now receiving more postcards from the other side than from ours

• The Right is ambushing legislators, inviting them to one-on-one meetings, then surprising them with over 100 angry supporters

• One pro-equality legislator was protested while volunteering at a food bank. Another found a picket line outside his restaurant

We did receive some good news in that RI couples have now won the opportunity to marry in MA, but unfortunately the offer may only be valid for a short time, unless we can get our friends together to get more active and help us to keep the marriage protections that are slipping away from us.

Please use the elections data on the right as reference when completing these 5 actions:

Supporting "equality" legislators' efforts for November elections: Many of the incumbents listed on the right have put their jobs on the line for us.

These heroes need our help and WE NEED them, as well as those new candidates running to either replace retiring supporter or trying to unseat our those who disagree with our right to legal protections.

You can find out what district you are in by going to wheredoivotema.com

If you do not have any pro-equality races in your town, look to nearby towns where you can lend support.

Continued Donations
As time passes, funds deplete for many of our supportive organizations. Please donate $ on a regular basis.

We would not have the protections that we currently have if it were not for the efforts of Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD).

We would have lost these protections through recent proposed constitutional amendments if it were not for the efforts or MassEquality, the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry (RCFM) and The Human Righs Campaign (HRC).

Don't have the cash right now?... TIME is just as important as money, these same organizations are in dire need of volunteers.


Public Relations/Education

Letters to the Editor of local newspapers are in CRITICAL need as out opposition is currently launching a major assault against legislators that support us, using false or twisted data in order to sway the general public.

Wary of listing your name locally?... then write in to other areas The Attleboro, MA area is in serious need of our help as well as the Boston South Shore.

Note: Letters from married gay couples are important but those from straight and single allies make a HUGE impact.


Contacting MA legislators regularly

Everyone has both a state senator and a representative, each with a crucial vote for our protection.

Regular communications via hand-written letter of quick phone calls are crucial in the constant battle for equality.

Many legislators take counts of how many people contact their offices on either side of a debate.

Volunteering
Our progress in this fight does not occur
automatically. There has been a disturbing trend of complacency when it comes to the fight for our protections.

CLICK HERE FOR REGULARLY SCHEDULED ACTIONS AND VOLUNTEER OPPORUNITIES

Editorial Watch:

The table below will track all negative editorial letters in need of response. We should try to gain 2 editorials in our favor for every 1 against.

Local Media Write to the media closest to you	Recent Opposition in need of your Response	Recent Support of Equality
State-Wide & Boston Boston Globe: Send Editorial	Result hardly a referendum on gay marriage SJC treads carefully (both opinions) Lessons to take from rulings on gay marriage (both opinions) Nays, yeas over a gay-marriage vote (both opinions) Considering the ex-gay movement (both opinions) Clash over gay marriage He won't be intimidated by website A civil debate on gay marriage - The Boston Globe Make room for 'bias' in adoption Same-sex rights and bedtime rites	NEW: Gay marriage was indeed put to vote Much is lost along with Pluto Backward logic in the courts SJC treads carefully (both opinions) Some marriages she'd like to put to a vote Lessons to take from rulings on gay marriage (both opinions) GLOBE EDITORIAL: Vote the ban down Nays, yeas over a gay-marriage vote (both opinions) Considering the ex-gay movement (both opinions) Clash over gay marriage Gay-marriage foe goes public Gay marriage, so what? Lexington and discord Re: the bedroom, it's none of your concern Citizenship policies and same-sex partners
State-Wide & Boston The Boston Herald: Send Editorial		Gay-marriage ban restricts liberty
South Shore MA The Patriot Ledger: Send Editorial	READER'S VIEW: Delaying gay marriage vote was a dereliction READER'S VIEW: Civil unions fair way to deal with marriage issue READERS’ OPINIONS: The right to vote and the right to marry (1 for us 2 against) Allow citizens to vote on marriage amendment Let the people vote on gay marriage Rev. Swanson’s courage Contact lawmakers on marriage proposal Quincy church banner an ‘in-your-face’ disgrace Church banner insulting Let the people vote on marriage amendment Pro-gay marriage crowd shows its hypocrisy Another attack on the Catholic Church READER’S VIEW: Catholic Charities READER'S VIEW: Gay rights winning at expense of children’s rights	NEW: READER'S RESPONSE TO "Delaying gay marriage vote was a dereliction" (THANKS JIM!) NEW: READERS’ OPINIONS: Committed to fight for equal marriage rights READERS’ OPINIONS: The right to vote and the right to marry (both opinions) Rights of minorities (THANKS JOE!) Same-sex marriage a civil, not religious, issue What it means to be married, a mom and gay We needs to defend, not amend the constitution Civil marriage is a legal matter, not a sacred one Preserve same-sex marriage in state (Thanks Jim! ) (I got a word in too!) Gauging the ability of parents, gay or otherwise (Thanks Laurie!) Church banner Anti-gay forces trying to desecrate our Constitution Religion in America Catholic hierarchy to blame in adoption issue Civil rights have grown since John Adams’ time (Thanks ED!)
Brockton/Taunton Area The Enterprise: Send Editorial
Plymouth Area Old Colonial Memorial: Send an Editorial
Attleboro Area The Sun Chronicle: Send an Editorial	THIS NEEDS A RESPONSE!: NEW: LETTER: What human rights are involved in marriage? THIS NEEDS A RESPONSE!: NEW: LETTER: Under this logic, oust senators, too THIS NEEDS A RESPONSE!: NEW: LETTER: Constitution puts people at top of the pyramid LETTER: Same-sex marriage issue upstaged by 100 cowards LETTER: Please enlighten me on why gay marriage is legal	Letter: Praises heroes for stand against discrimination LETTER: Happiness, oil prices and the war in Iraq LETTER: Webster's, constitution have already done job LETTER: Exclude no one from wonderful blessing LETTER: Stand up to opponents of gay marriage rights (Thanks JOE!)
Fall River Area The Herald News: Send an Editorial
Taunton Area Taunton Gazette: Send an Editorial
Carver Area MA Carver Reporter Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester, Areas The Sentinel Wareham Area Wareham Courier Send Editorials for above media to Editor: Tamson Burgess
Duxbury, Halifax, Marshfield, and Pembroke Reporters Send to Editor Scott Smith
Kingston Reporter Send to Editor: Charles Mathewson Kingston Area MA