Jerry's email update on the fight for Equal Rights (October 28, 2004)
  

Last chance to spread the word... VOTE!!!

Also...
Tell you friends, please vote for national and local candidates of EQUALITY!  

Friends,

Next Tuesday, you have the opportunity to let your voice be heard!  It is critical that members of the Human Rights Campaign (like ME) and the GLBT community and allies are well represented at the polls.  It is our opportunity and responsibility to show our strength through voting.

Americans will be choosing their next President, a third of the Senate and the entire House of Representatives.  This is a critical election and one on which the GLBT community and our allies need to be heard loudly and clearly.

To find out where your Representative and Senators stand on the important issues facing our community, please check out the annual Congressional Scorecard at http://www.hrc.org/scorecard2004.  Please also check out the HRC comparison of the Presidential Candidates at located in HRC Election Central on our homepage at http://www.hrc.org.

Don't forget to make your voice be heard in this important election year. You can make a difference, so be sure to vote on November 2nd!                                                   

Notable items this week:

Message from

Please Read, Take Action and Forwards
 
Dear Jerry and Friends,

This is it.  There are only a few days left before we elect the legislature that will determine the future of equal marriage rights for same-sex couples in Massachusetts.

These elections can show the pundits and the world (along with Mitt Romney) that a vote for equality is not only the right vote, but also a vote that constituents will stand behind.

But we are not there yet.  What we do between now and next Tuesday, November 2, will make a huge difference.

Please give some time over the next week to electing a pro-equality legislature.  This weekend promises to be a great time for last-minute political action.  Visit our website to find out what you can do. And don’t forget our Election Night Party at Club Café - we promise it will be worth the trip.

We are working to send you a special e-mail with information about the legislative races in your district.  In the meantime, please check out the full list of candidates in contested races endorsed by MassEquality PAC.  You can view endorsements (and make a contribution to help fund critical last-minute interventions) at www.MassEqualityPAC.org

Together, we will make history!

Thank you,

Your MassEquality Update Team
 

On November 2nd, do your patriotic duty!  

Vote and then PARTY

with special guest, Representative Barney Frank

post-election party at Club Café beginning when polls close at 8:00 PM

 

Join MassEquality and the Freedom to Marry Coalition, along with pro-equality state legislators, at Club Café on Tuesday, November 2, beginning at 8:00 PM for an ELECTION PARTY. This November, all 200 seats in the Massachusetts legislature are up for grabs. The results of these elections could very well determine the fate of equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. Club Café, 209 Columbus Ave, Boston

TAKE ACTION HERE

 
Please revisit my HRC, take action page. CHECK IN REGULARLY as HRC is always adding new action items.
I have met my goal for 100 actions, but strive for continued support.
Submit an editorial to your local paper every 35 days.  It is important to publicly show support for gay marriage! 
Helpful suggestions

Dontamend.com
 


Previous updates:

10//21/2004: Ohio's anti-gay "Issue 1" campaign gets ugly.

10//142004: La. marriage ban goes to state high court.

10//72004: LA Amendment is THROWN OUT.

9/30/2004: BUB-BYE Bigoted MA House Speaker.

9/23/2004: L.A. VOTES TOTAL DISCRIMINATION

9/16/2004: Primary elections victories for pro- equality candidates, but not for Jerry's.

9/9/2004: House is back in session, to debate marriage again!

9/2/2004: Tell Bush "YOU'RE FIRED"

8/26/2004: JERRY IS MARRIED!!!

8/19/2004: MA Supreme Court Judge rules in favor of discriminatory law!

8/12/2004: California High Court Voids Same-Sex Marriages!

8/05/2004: ANOTHER MAJOR SETBACK & ANOTHER SMALL WIN.

7/29/2004: MAJOR SETBACK!
Discriminatory Marriage Protection Act Passed by a Vote of 233 to 194 

7/21/2004: GOP HAS MOVED THE MARRIAGE DEBATE TO THE HOUSE AND EXPECTS TO WIN

7/15/2004: The US SENATE SHOOTS DOWN THE FEDERAL MARRIAGE AMENDMENT!    But,..

7/08/2004: Court Date Set In Mass. Out-Of-State Weddings Case

6/30/2004: Federal appeals court denies attempt to block same-sex weddings 

6/24/2004: Romney urges federal ban on gay-marriage 'experiment'

6/17/2004: Gay marriage opponents gear up for fall. .

6/9/2004: Tell Mitt Romney To Stop His Anti-Gay Crusade.

5/27/2004: Governor Romney is BOOed at Suffolk Commencement Ceremony!

5/20/2004: WE CAN MARRY!!! 

5/13/2004: Judge refuses to stop gay marriages!!!

5/7/2004: Boston may ignore governor's directive on gay marriage

4/30/2004: Governor Aims to Limit Marriage to Mass. Residents, GLAD Offers Perspective

4/22/2004: I'm featured in today's paper  :-) HORRIBLE PICTURE!

4/13/2004: LETTER FROM QUINCY'S HERO: REP RONALD MARIANO

4/8/2004: Quincy's Rep Mariano Changes Vote to Support Civil Rights!

4/1/2004: CIVIL RIGHTS SETBACK IN MA
  

News Articles of Interest

Upcoming Events 

 

Bush Says His Party Is Wrong To Oppose Gay Civil Unions?
WASHINGTON --  President Bush said in an interview this past weekend that he disagreed with the Republican Party platform opposing civil unions of same-sex couples and that the matter should be left up to the states. 
 Full Story 
   

U.S. to Intervene in Same-Sex Marriage Suit in Orange County
SANTA ANA -- A couple seeking to overturn government bans on same sex marriages will have to contend with the legal weight of the federal government. The U.S. Department of Justice has asked to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Christopher Hammer and Arthur Smelt that claims federal and state bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional.
Full Story 

Ohio Court Rejects Gay Marriage Challenge
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the last pending legal challenge to placing a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and recognition of same-sex couples on the Nov. 2 ballot.
Full Story 
  

Irish bishop backs same-sex couple rights
A senior Catholic bishop has gone against the pope's recent comments and backed equal rights for lesbian and gay couples. 
Full Story 

Lambda files appeal on gay asylum case
The ruling, by an immigration judge in Los Angeles, essentially said that Jorge Soto Vega did not look particularly gay, and that in theory he could safely return to Mexico if he moved to a new part of the country and acted straight.
 Full Story 


Saturday, Oct 30 and Sunday, Oct 31
Join MassEquality members from across the state volunteering a few hours to guarantee that Massachusetts remains a beacon of equality. If you have not signed up to join volunteers at location close to you, please sign-up today. Just enter your zipcode below, and we'll help you find a volunteer location close to you.

Tuesday, November 2
On November 2nd, do your patriotic duty! Vote and then party.
Join us for a post-election party at Club Café beginning when polls close at 8:00 PM.
Join MassEquality and the Freedom to Marry Coalition, along with pro-equality state legislators, at Club Café on Tuesday, November 2, beginning at 8:00 PM for an ELECTION PARTY. This November, all 200 seats in the Massachusetts legislature are up for election. The results of these elections could very well determine the fate of equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.