Jerry's email update on the fight for Equal Rights (August 5, 2004)
  
 
ANOTHER MAJOR SETBACK!
& ANOTHER WIN!
Missouri state votes for discrimination -
WA Judge allows SS Marriage

Hi Friends,

HRC has created 2 new online actions that you can take to support my "take action" commitments.

One of these new options is REALLY REALLY important.  There is still a chance to defeat the "gay marriage jurisdiction bill" that was recently approved by the House.

Please go back to my TAKE ACTION PAGE and complete the two new options.  I've worked really hard and spent a lot of time on this new fight for civil rights and really appreciate the support of my friends.

Notable items this week:

Missouri Voters Approve Gay Marriage Ban  

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri voters solidly endorsed a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, a decision that was closely watched by national groups on both sides of the battle.

With nearly all precincts reporting, the amendment had garnered 71 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results for Tuesday's vote.
FULL STORY

Washington judge rules for gay marriage  

SEATTLE -- The most potent element of a court ruling this week that legalized gay marriage in Washington state had nothing to do with constitutional principles or legal precedents. It was much more personal..

Judge William Downing ruled that the eight couples suing for the right to marry were stable, upstanding people whose commitment to each other and their families could only strengthen the institution of marriage.
FULL STORY


 
Donate For Equality: The Freedom to Marry PAC supports Equality Candidates.

We are pleased to announce the creation of the Freedom To Marry
Political Action Committee by longtime marriage advocates Josh
Friedes and Marc Solomon. The goal of their PAC is to support
candidates who support equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Mitt Romney wants an amendment that outlaws same-sex marriage.

He has targeted several incumbents that voted against that amendment.

His party has raised over $600,000 to unseat them.

He'd like to pack the State House with legislators that agree with him.

To defeat the amendment we must elect candidates who will vote against it at the next Constitutional Convention. Money matters in campaigns. In Massachusetts, the candidate who spends the most money almost always wins. Money pays for mailings, yard signs, polls, bumper stickers, radio advertisements, and staff.

Please donate to the Freedom to Marry PAC now to help elect
candidates that support same-sex marriage:
http://FreedomToMarryPAC.org/donate.php

Please forward this to friends and family nationwide that
want to help preserve same-sex marriage rights in Massachusetts.
In doing so you help us help the Freedom to Marry PAC.

Every bit helps.

Thank you,
Robert DeBenedictis and Valerie Fein-Zachary, Co-Chairs
The Freedom to Marry Coalition of Massachusetts
http://EqualMarriage.org

'Simpsons' takes on same-sex marriage

During a comic book convention in San Diego last weekend, the creators of "The Simpsons" promised the show would take on same-sex marriage, and one of the characters would come out of the closet.

Full Story

 

 

 

TAKE ACTION HERE

 
Please revisit my HRC, take action page.
I have 65 out of my goal for 100 actions.
   
Contribute to the campaign of Paul Meoni   
He is challenging the My local representative who has consistently voted against my civil rights.

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


Previous updates:

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 

 
Kerry's daughter favors same-sex marriage
Gay activists hailed the daughter of Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry for taking a stand in favor of same-sex marriage, as the issue has been largely muted at the Democratic National Convention in Boston.
Full Story 
  

Jacques marries longtime partner
Four days after calling for "marriage equality" in front of the Democratic National Convention, former state Sen. Cheryl Jacques married her longtime partner Jennifer Chrisler in a private ceremony on Sunday.
FULL STORY

 
Missouri voters approve gay marriage ban; vote seen as bellwether for other states
Although the ban was widely expected to pass in conservative Missouri, experts said the campaign served as a key barometer for which strategies work as at least nine other states, and perhaps as many as 12, vote on similar amendments this year.
Read the FULL STORY


Choir chief fired for backing gay marriage
SEBRING, Fla. -- A church choir director who wrote a newspaper opinion piece supportive of gay marriage was fired after church officials took issue with the article.
Full Story

 
Man Defends Spreading Manure at Gay Parade
CONWAY, Ark. (AP) - A farmer who acknowledged spreading 3 tons of manure along the route of a gay rights parade pleaded innocent Monday, saying he was exercising his constitutional right to free speech.

Two former radio disc jockeys pleaded innocent to handing out gay pornography at the June 27 parade. 
Full Story 
 

Maine Domestic Partner Registry Starts Today 
AUGUSTA — Starting today, gay, lesbian and heterosexual couples will be able to register with the state as domestic partners, a major step toward equal rights, say those who worked to create the registry. Others, however, see it as a step toward same-sex marriage, something they strongly oppose. 
Full Story 

 


Summer of Equality
Last month, we (MassEquality) launched the Summer of Equality.  We are working with the Freedom to Marry Coalition of Massachusetts to provide you and thousands of other MassEquality members with  meaningful opportunities to make a difference in our campaign.  We have volunteer opportunities around the state -- opportunities to identify supporters of same-sex marriage at public events or by going door-to-door.  In addition, we are working to connect our members with electoral campaigns where the outcome could make a difference for us.

Check out the Summer of Equality calendar and sign up today by visiting www.MassEquality.org/soe_doc/index.php