|
|
|
Things
have started heating up!
Both sides of this fight seem to be over the recent legislative
vote and are picking up momentum for what could be THE year that
the legal recognition and protection of CIVIL marriage for
couples like Ed and me can be stripped away by a public vote!
The
Key Message This week is that NEW VOICES need to be heard.
Please
try to get one new person involved next week.
You can start by pointing them to my updates. |
Friends,
Throughout the
years, the distribution of this newsletter has grown, from even its
start some of you have been quiet throughout this fight. Some have been
there for support, and some occasionally sending email.
Other's have run themselves into the ground trying to support every
action possible to support either their own protections or that of their
friends. To those who have helped in any way, THANK YOU!
Its now time
where new people need to step up. Legislators already know the
names of those who have been dedicated to this fight so far and seem to
be taking them/us for granted. WE NEED NEW PEOPLE TO CONTACT
LEGISLATORS!.. AND SUBMIT LETTERS TO THE PRESS... From gay AND
STRAIGHT folks alike. It seems that there is a new person who is
reviewing letters to the south shore's main newspaper, The Patriot
Ledger... the new editor is publishing letters submitted by people
outside of the immediate area. I do not know how long this will last so
we need folks to act quickly and submit something now.
Anti-gay groups have been watching the editorial section of the
South Shore's Patriot Ledger and noticing that letters WERE
starting to lean
in our favor. Since my last newsletter, 3 anti-gay letters have
been published that need our response... if 3 are published against us,
then we need to strive for 6 more for us. We NEED to send a public
message to our legislators that majority is against this
amendment. I cannot stress enough, that it is the legislators in
this area that are critical to killing the amendment. PLEASE WRITE
IN... OR... Ghost write for friends and submit for them (with their
permission of course as they will need to respond with a final OK when
the paper contacts
them)
To those
who have been working hard all along, PLEASE don't give up. We
need to keep trying, though our focus needs to slightly shift. We
need to start encouraging and carefully pressuring friends, family and colleagues
to help us.
If you have
comments/feedback that I should include next week, please feel
free to use the feedback link to the left.
| THREADS
FROM THE MA NEWS: |
MA
HATE group is Publicizing Pro-Gay Marriage Legislative Initiative
THIS PARTICULAR UPDATE IS NOT
PUBLISHED IN ANY LOCAL NEWS
Out
of THOUSANDS of topics to be addressed by the MA Legislature
in the 2007-2008 session, one deeply buried proposal in the
list has caught the eye of a highly vocal hate group in
MA. (I prefer not to state the name of the hate
group, as it could improve their ranking in web search results)
House
Bill 1710: An Act to Protect Massachusetts Families Through Equal Access to Marriage:
SECTION 1. Chapter 207 is hereby amended by adding the following new section:—
Section 37A. "Any person who otherwise meets the eligibility requirements of this chapter may marry any other eligible person regardless of
gender." is sponsored by the heroic, civil rights
leader, Rep. Byron Rushing (D-Boston).
This
is not the fist time Representative Rushing has submitted
nearly this same proposal. The difference now, that has local
hate groups concerned is, that in contrast to the last time
this was submitted (2005), we now have a legislative majority
AND a new governor all on our side. From my
understanding, this can in no way kill the current petitioned
initiative that we still need to fight, but it can make
perfectly clear, in no uncertain terms that same-sex couples
are treated as equals in MA, and would make future, anti-gay initiatives
far more difficult.
It
must be repeated that this is in no way (that I understand
anyway) a method for defeating the current amendment
initiative. WE MUST CONTINUE TO DEFEAT THE CURRENT ANTI-GAY
AMENDMENT - THIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE BEFORE GOING TO PUBLIC
VOTE.
|
Romney: Reducing gay marriage to schoolhouse rhymes
Republican
Mitt Romney recited a schoolyard ditty Thursday to underscore his
argument that traditional marriage is essential for improving
education. (Read
More)
Federal Judge Dismisses Anti-Gay Suit against MA School 
U.S. District Court Judge Mark Wolf threw out the lawsuit filed by Lexington parents David and Tonia Parker and Rob and Robin Wirthlin against Lexington Public Schools Feb. 23. The two families sued the schools over the use of gay-inclusive books at Lexington’s Estabrook Elementary School, where both of their children attended school. The suit alleged that Lexington Public Schools violated the parents’ right to freedom of religion and to direct the upbringing of their children by including material in the classroom that conflicted with their religious beliefs, but Wolf ruled that the Constitution does not give parents the right to determine the curriculum in the public schools.
(Read
More)
 Ruling on a case brought by RI Board of Governors for Higher Education clarifies benefits question, but Courts are not bound by decision.
There is no legal barrier in Rhode Island to stop the recognition of same-sex marriages legally obtained in Massachusetts, said state Attorney General Patrick Lynch this week, though Rhode Island law does not affirmatively recognize same-sex marriages.
In an opinion issued Tuesday, Feb. 20, Lynch wrote, "Rhode Island will recognize same-sex marriages lawfully performed in Massachusetts as marriages in Rhode Island."
(Read
More)
PLEASE HELP
by forwarding to me (sscivilrights@comcast.net,)
"letters to the editor" and "news editorials" from
any/all sources possible so that we can keep track and try to
respond.
BOSTON GLOBE EDITORIAL: A shameful reversal of rights
PLEASE CONTACT SENATOR MORRISSEY'S OFFICE
AND ASK HIM TO REJECT THE AMENDMENT ON ITS
MERITS.
(Click here for his contact information)
Contact
Your Legislators... REGULARLY!
Contact
your legislators
Its now time where new people need to step up. Legislators
already know the names of those who have been dedicated to this fight
so far and seem to be taking them/us for granted. WE NEED NEW
PEOPLE TO CONTACT LEGISLATORS!.. AND SUBMIT LETTERS TO THE
PRESS... From gay AND STRAIGHT folks alike.
Learn
about your legislators
View
the 2006 votes [pdf]
Write
your local newspaper... REGULARLY!
Important debates happen in your local newspaper.
Help us spread the word about marriage equality.
Write
your newspaper
Anti-gay groups have been watching the editorial section of the
South Shore's Patriot Ledger and noticing that letters WERE
starting to lean
in our favor. Since my last newsletter, 3 anti-gay letters have
been published that need our response... if 3 are published against us,
then we need to strive for 6 more for us. We NEED to send a public
message to our legislators that majority is against this
amendment. I cannot stress enough, that it is the legislators in
this area that a critical to killing the amendment. PLEASE WRITE
IN... OR... Ghost write for friends and submit for them (with their
permission of course as they will need to respond with a final OK when
the paper contacts
them)
|