Jerry's email update on the fight for Equal Rights (June 24, 2004)
  
 
 PLEASE!... Re-visit my HRC page and take action. 

Time is running out!  

Leaders will vote on the Federal amendment next month!

Hi Friends,

In case you haven't heard, now MA Governor Mitt Romney has gone to DC to address the US Senate to promote the bigoted amendment to the US Constitution to deny civil rights country-wide... 

... Leaders may vote on the Federal amendment next month!  
You can speak out in several ways. PLEASE REVISIT MY HRC PAGE as there are now a total of 7 different actions that you can each take. My goal of 100 actions by friends is not even 1/2 way yet!

I will follow up with everyone, individually in the next few days to see if you are having trouble with the online tools.

Notable items this week:

Senate GOP speeds vote on Federal marriage amendment. 

WASHINGTON -- Senate Republican leaders said yesterday they plan to put a federal ban on gay marriage to a vote by mid-July -- accelerating their schedule for the proposed constitutional amendment and potentially forcing Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts and other Democrats to cast a controversial ballot right before the Democratic National Convention..

Read the FULL STORY
 
 Read the complete text of Romney's statement

  

Openly gay Randolph resident runs for Quincy/Randolph rep 

Paul Meoni, 44, is challenging Democratic state Rep. Bruce Ayers of Quincy for the First Norfolk District seat, which includes parts of Quincy and Randolph. The winner of the Sept. 14 Democratic primary will square off in the Nov. 2 general election against Republican candidate Marco Sandonato of Quincy.

Read the FULL STORY

Contribute and Volunteer your time to the campaign of Paul Meoni.   Paul is challenging the My local representative who has consistently voted against my civil rights.

 

Romney urges federal ban on gay-marriage 'experiment'. 

WASHINGTON -- Governor Mitt Romney urged the US Senate yesterday to immediately pass a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, but Democrats and other opponents of the measure were predicting that the measure would be defeated if it comes up for a vote next month..

Read the FULL STORY
 
 

Former MA (Republican) Governor Weld Officiates At Gay Wedding 

BOSTON - Boston, Massachusetts – While current Republican Governor Mitt Romney was in Washington telling a Senate hearing that if Congress doesn't pass a constitutional amendment gay marriage will "spread like wildfire" across the nation, former Massachusetts GOP Governor William F. Weld was officiating at the gay marriage of his old college roommate.

Read the FULL STORY

 


MA Democratic Party website runs Romney cartoons.

THE MDP is pleased to present its very first web ad (perhaps the first web ad by any state party in the US). Today we poke fun at Mitt Romney's "record of reform" with Ani-Mitt Romney in "The Magic Reforming Powder." Click here to see the ad. You must have FLASH player, and the ad has sounds. 

 Visit the MDP Website to view the "south park-like toon

   

Another interesting "Romney" site that 
I found... 

TooStupidToBePresident.com Salutes Mitt (His REAL name is Willard) Romney. 
   
   

Quiet reaction to South Shore's first gay parade: Few protesters; most just go about daily lives.

 In an age of legalized same-sex marriage and a growing awareness of gay rights issues even in the more traditionally conservative suburbs, the mixing of gay-straight culture is no longer an automatic recipe for conflict.

Read the FULL STORY by Dan DeLeo
  

 

TAKE ACTION HERE

 
Please sign my HRC Federal petition and forward to friends, if you haven't already.
There are new actions you can take to help me make my goal.
I only have 41 out 100 so far.
   
Contribute to the campaign of Paul Meoni   
He is challenging the My local representative who has consistently voted against my civil rights.

Contribute to the campaign of Representative David Linsky.  
He is under republican and religious attack because of his decision to stand up for us.
  
THANK YOU MAUREEN! THANK YOU for submitting several editorials to local papers.

Submit an editorial to your local paper every 35 days.  It is important to publicly show support for gay marriage! 
Helpful suggestions



Previous updates from Jerry:

6/17/2004

6/9/2004

5/27/2004

5/20/2004

5/13/2004

5/7/2004

4/30/2004

4/22/2004

4/13/2004

4/8/2004

4/1/2004

 

News Articles of Interest MA SUMMER OF EQUALITY

 
 Married Gays May Not File Jointly, Says IRS
Falls Church, VA (UPI) – A conservative policy group released a letter Monday from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service that says same-sex couples cannot file federal taxes as marrieds.

"Only married individuals," as defined under the federal Defense of Marriage Act, "could elect to file a joint tax return," the IRS said in response to a letter from the Public Advocate of the United States. "Even though a state may recognize a union of two people of the same sex as a legal marriage for the purposes within that state's authority, that recognition has no effect for purposes of federal law."
Full Story 

New rites for Vt. civil unions:
Episcopal bishop sees three-year trial period
In a move that is likely to further inflame tensions in the global Anglican Communion, the Episcopal bishop of Vermont today will introduce two new rites, very similar to the liturgy for Episcopal weddings, for priests to use while presiding at civil unions of gays and lesbians.
Full Story
 
    

GOVERNMENT REPORT: RECOGNITION OF MARRIAGE FOR SAME-SEX COUPLES WOULD BENEFIT FEDERAL BUDGET
WASHINGTON — The Congressional Budget Office released an analysis this week showing that recognizing marriages of same-sex couples would be beneficial to the federal budget. The finding is extremely significant and shows that the government would see a $1 billion annual increase in revenue by giving same-sex couples the benefits for which they’re already paying, said the Human Rights Campaign.
Full Story 

 

R.I. Gays Challenge Mass. Marriage Law
They join 12 Bay State municipal clerks and six other couples seeking to overturn a 1913 statute being used to block the marriage of nonresident gays in the commonwealth.
Full Story 

 

N.M. Supreme Court To Hear Gay Marriage Case
Santa Fe, New Mexico – The New Mexico Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments over the issuing of marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Sandoval County.

County Clerk Victoria Dunlap who made headlines earlier this year when she began issuing licenses to gay and lesbian couples is under a temporary restraining order by a lower court preventing her from issuing any more.
Full Story 

Court Weighs Gay Long Island Man's Right to Sue in Partner Death
NEW YORK (AP) – An appeals court is weighing whether New York should recognize a gay civil union from Vermont and allow a Long Island man to sue a Manhattan hospital for malpractice in the death of his longtime partner.
Full Story 

 

More Gay Couples Tie the Knot in New Paltz
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Nineteen more gay couples walked the aisle yesterday in another round of same-sex weddings – a regular event here that has become part celebration, part political statement.
Full Story 

Please Read, Sign Up, and Forward On!

http://EqualMarriage.org/summer.php

We need your help this summer to preserve equal marriage rights!

Today, we are launching the Summer of Equality.  It is an unprecedented state-wide campaign to make sure that the Massachusetts legislature defeats the Anti-Gay Constitutional Amendment next session.

Though it would be nice, we cannot let up this summer. We cannot let the Catholic hierarchy and Mitt Romney gain momentum in their quest to take away our rights.  We cannot let them replace pro-equality legislators with those who want to add discrimination to the Constitution.   

We are making it easy for you and your friends to take part: 

Summer of Equality volunteers will be at festivals, celebrations, concerts, and other events throughout the state identifying supporters of equal marriage rights and asking them to take meaningful action.  We will also be going door-to-door to enlist supporters.

Volunteers will be involved in political campaigns of pro-equality candidates for the legislature.  

Volunteers will register new voters.

We will also be doing office work (data entry, telephone calling, etc.). 

As you enjoy the summer and relish the civil rights victory that all of us in Massachusetts have won, please consider setting aside some time to help preserve the victory.  We are confident you will find Summer of Equality volunteer opportunities meaningful, fun and worthwhile.  

Thanks for your support.  We hope to see you on the Summer of Equality campaign trail!


Sincerely,
Robert DeBenedictis and Valerie Fein-Zachary, Co-Chairs
Josh Friedes, Marc Solomon, and Robyn Maguire, Advocacy Team
The Freedom to Marry Coalition of Massachusetts
http://EqualMarriage.org