Jerry's email update on the fight for Equal Rights (February 10, 2005)
  

N.Y. Court to Decide on Marriages - - Three other states finalize amendments

Friends,

Ed and I received a WONDERFUL wedding gift last week from our friends Kathleen and Richard, A DONATION TO MassEquality!  THANK YOU KATHLEEN AND RICHARD!!!

I've been told by a few people that they prefer not to donate to political charities... Please reconsider as this particular organization has direct impact on the lives of your friends.  Same gender marriage rights are still in jeopardy in MA.  Donations to this organization can help keep marriage rights alive in America.

I'd like to thank the few people that completed my request below and ask everyone else to please help.  

THIS IS A PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT ACTION FOR PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF MA TO TAKE:
STILL!, only a few people have contacted their representatives using the link below. (I receive email confirmation on those who do)

If you have spoken out already, THANK YOU, but if not,  Please CLICK HERE NOW to go right to a pre-written letter to legislators from your state, telling the to oppose writing discrimination into the US Constitution!

Notable item(s) this week:

N.Y. Court to Decide on Same-Sex Marriages
ALBANY, N.Y. --  The court that could ultimately decide whether same-sex marriages are legal in New York may be dominated by Gov. George Pataki's nominees, but that may not give him much comfort.

Over the last 25 years, the court has ruled favorably on other issues involving homosexuals' rights. In 1980, it decriminalized acts among consenting adults formerly defined as sodomy. Fifteen years later, it decided that the domestic partner of a parent -- even if gay -- could legally become an adoptive parent of their partner's child.
FULL STORY

 
Gay marriage bans advance in 3 states
Constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage moved forward this week in Virginia, Alabama and Indiana.

During the last November elections, voters in 11 states ratified constitutional bans on same-sex marriage..
FULL STORY
 


TAKE ACTION HERE
   

Please revisit my HRC, take action page.  

There is a new prewritten letter to send to your representatives in DC!

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEND!
Submit an editorial to your local paper every 35 days.  Helpful suggestions
Please e-mail MA legislators Remind them that we are as determined as ever to defend equal marriage rights. 
Boycott FedEx!
They refuse to provide health benefits to married gay couples in Ma!
e-mail fedex.com to tell them what you think of their policy of predjudice.


call CBS today at:
(212) 975-4321
or e-mail them at:
audsvcs@cbs.com
Urge them to publicly clarify their position on the network's recent refusal to air the United Church of Christ's inclusionary ad.

Visit Dontamend.com

Volunteering at GLAD:
GLAD welcomes volunteers of all ages & backgrounds. Volunteers contribute invaluably to work toward Equal Justice Under Law.
Please consider getting involved
News Articles of Interest

Previous updates: 

 
Gay Marriage Ban Goes to Full Senate 
INDIANAPOLIS - The debate was respectful but the division clear Tuesday as members of a Senate committee heard hours of testimony before voting along party lines to approve a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
FULL STORY
 

White House Wants Gay-Policy Suit Tossed
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration on Monday asked a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the Pentagon’s 11-year-old "don’t ask, don’t tell’’ policy. 
 FULL STORY

House OKs Gay-Marriage Ban.
The House voted 78-18 for the measure, which would define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. A similar proposal easily cleared the Senate on Monday and so would seem likely to go before voters in November 2006..
FULL STORY
   

Goodbye Mr. G: Reporter Quits Amid Credential Questions
A conservative writer who attracted attention by asking President Bush a loaded question at a news conference last month has resigned amid questions about his identity and background.
FULL STORY
 

Gay Activist Appointed to Utah Senate
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The first openly gay member of the Utah state Senate was sworn in Monday. Addressing colleagues in one of the most conservative legislative bodies in the nation, Democrat Scott McCoy, 34, said his sexual orientation will not define his work as a lawmaker
FULL STORY
 

Anti-gay U.S. groups lobby against Canada bill
The Knights of Columbus, a Catholic group based in New Haven, Conn., and Focus on the Family, a conservative religious ministry out of Colorado Springs, Colo., are among the groups with ties to organized lobbying campaigns through affiliates in Canada.
FULL STORY

PLEASE DONATE TO OUR SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS! Our Opposition has gained significant ground! 

Join/Donate to the Human Rights Campaign

Donate to MassEquality

In a few months, a state Constitutional Convention will again vote on an Amendment to strip away equal marriage rights. This is our last chance to stop it in the Legislature and keep it off the ballot. If the vote were held today, we would lose!

Many people don’t realize that, but it’s true.  We’ll have to fight hard to win... but MassEquality, our leading supporter, 
is broke! They  bet the farm on last November’s elections — they simply had to — but now we have nothing left against opponents with deep, deep pockets.

Please act quickly to help us.  
Visit: www.MassEquality.org/gift

If we lose, discrimination will be embedded into the world’s oldest written Constitution — and thousands of families would have their marriages taken away by the state.

Your contribution will help to mobilize supporters of equality across the state... reach out to voters to influence the Legislature... build field operations... staff phone banks... send advocacy mail ... ramp up our online efforts... and hire professional lobbyists. In short, you’ll help us do everything it takes to win.

 
2/3/2005: "I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage."- George W Bush

1/27/2005: FEDERAL MARRIAGE AMENDMENT PROPOSAL IS BACK

1/20/2005: White House Again Backs Amendment on Marriage

1/13/2005: Gay Marriage Tops Vatican’s 2005 Agenda

1/6/2005: 2005 kicks off civil rights granted & refused

12/23/2004: "equal" rights in CA begins January 1st

12/16/2004: Marriage reversal case begins in OR

12/9/2004: Canada & New Zealand grant marriage & union rights

12/2/2004: Supreme Court Declines Ma Gay Marriage Case

11/26/2004: ACLU Drops Marriage Case

11/18/2004: SS Marriage Ruling 1yr Later

11/11/2004: No marriage Backlash in Ma

11/4/2004: Dealing with the bad news!

10/28/2004: Last chance to spread the word...VOTE!

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!!!

View The Full Timeline/Newsletter History HERE

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11 Beacon St., Ste. 1125
Boston, MA 02108
617.482.1600 (main)
617.878.2380 (fax)

Marriage Week is February 12-19
There is a lot going on!!

To kick it off, our 6th annual Valentine Gala is coming up next Saturday - February 12th at the Boston Park Plaza. This is sure to be a fantastic night! We have an amazing silent and live auction, great music by DJ Ann Rogers, and a special awards presentation to the Clerks of Massachusetts who, since May 17th, have married over 4,000 same-sex couples! Please join us for this terrific night by purchasing tickets online at:

     http://EqualMarriage.org/gala.php

And check out this wonderful Gala Love Story shared by a member just like you!

Our Premiere sponsors, Bay Windows and The Boston Phoenix Personals, are making incredible in-kind donations - so be sure to check them out as well! 


Join us at the State House next Thursday - February 10th from 12:00-1:00pm in the Great Hall for the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry Awards Luncheon. The RCFM celebrates its 7th Anniversary and you are invited, but you must RSVP to info@RCFM.org. 

 

The RCFM traces its birth to February 12, 1998. To celebrate the first National Freedom to Marry Day, The Freedom to Marry Coalition organized a breakfast for clergy. From this small gathering the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry was born. Today, the RCFM numbers over 600 ordained clergy and congregations and it is a powerful voice in support of civil rights and religious liberty.

Here are this year's honorees:

RCFM Peace and Justice Award
Honoree: The Unitarian Universalist Association

RCFM Building Bridges Award
Honoree: Episcopal Bishop Thomas Shaw

RCFM Freedom of Religion Award
Honorees: Senator Marian Walsh and State Representative Marie St. Fleur

RCFM Signer's Award
Honoree: Rabbi Dan Judson

If you have any questions about the luncheon, please call Rabbi Devon Lerner at 617.878.2360. Download the flier at http://RCFM.org and distribute it to services over the weekend.

Replace Tom Finneran with pro-equality candidate, Linda Dorcena Forry! We strongly endorse Linda in her efforts to become the new State Representative for the 12th Suffolk district. The choice in this election is clear. Linda has worked for many years in public service, is winning numerous other endorsements, and is an outspoken opponent of the anti-gay Constitutional Amendment.

We strongly encourage you to volunteer for her campaign:

     http://www.lindadorcenaforry.com/

As you know, money matters a great deal in politics. Candidates with enough funds are able to do mailings, post signs, run phone banks, and much more. The anti-gay candidates in this race are well-funded. Make a contribution to preserve equal marriage rights:

     http://urlcut.com/ElectLinda

Our Student and Youth Coordinator (and full-time college student!), Maggie Crowley, is working around the state with students and youth to help them organize a Day of Action on their campuses and to learn how to talk to their peers, parents, and legislators about marriage equality. In the upcoming month, she is providing trainings at UMass Amherst, Worcester State College, Mount Wachusett Community College, Brookline High School, and Springfield Central High.

We value the commitment and passion that GLBT and allied students bring to this issue. They are incredible connectors to many voters and people of influence such as teachers, counselors, parents, and grandparents. To schedule a training or Day of Action with FTMC, please contact Maggie Crowley at Maggie@EqualMarriage.org. 

 

Tax Seminar for Married Same-Sex Couples

Are you puzzling over how to file your 2004 tax returns as a recently married same-sex couple? Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), in collaboration with the accounting firm of Sandberg, Gonzalez & Creeden, PC, will try and answer your questions with a tax seminar this Tuesday February 15, 2005, from 7:00-8:00 pm in downtown Boston.

Seating is limited and you must register to attend. Both spouses are welcome, but only one spouse is encouraged to attend so that as many couples as possible can participate in this seminar. To register, go to http://www.glad.org. Participants will be registered on a first-come, first-served basis and you will be emailed a confirmation and detailed location directions.

If you have any questions, please email or call GLAD's Legal Information Hotline Coordinator, Bruce Bell, at bbell@glad.org or 617.426.1350.

Democratic Party Delegate Selection Going On NOW!

The Massachusetts Democratic Party will adopt its party platform for the next four years at its May 14th Convention in Lowell. If you are interested in being a delegate and helping ensure that the platform has strong language on equal marriage rights, please consider running at your local meeting. For many communities, there are more delegate slots than there are people to fill them. Being a delegate gives you a good opportunity to meet local Democratic activists and build relationships with them, which can help you build connections with your legislators. To find out about the meeting, go to http://urlcut.com/CaucusLocations.

If your meeting has already taken place and you would still like to be a delegate, there are add-on positions available (last year, everyone who applied was given a position). To get an application, email david.howard@massdems.org or call 617.472.0637.

Finally, allow me to close by saying that your support is critical to winning in the upcoming Constitutional Convention. We've spent the last few months building a stronger infrastructure to handle the level of work that we feel will be required to win the next round. We have moved offices, purchased a new database and email delivery system, bolstered our staff, and deployed multiple training programs all over the state.

Our families are under attack - whether it's the new Education Secretary, Margaret Spellings, going after PBS for its show, Postcards from Buster, about maple sugaring in Vermont with a lesbian-headed family or George Bush coldly going after our freedom to marry with a Constitutional Amendment, we must be vigilant. I urge you to continue your support for marriage equality. Donate online here:

     http://EqualMarriage.org/give.php

Happy Marriage Week and we'll see you at the Valentine Gala!

All my best,

Jennifer Hess
Director of Programs and Operations
617.878.2354 (Direct) 
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about all that is going on!
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