From: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 08 Aug 94 16:10:14 EDT

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ACTION ALERT             ACTION ALERT             ACTION ALERT

               THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN FUND                    

The Nation's Largest Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Political Group   
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To contact the HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN FUND, please call us at
(202)628-4160, fax us at (202) 347-5323 or write to us at PO Box
1396  Washington, DC  20013.  WE CANNOT RESPOND TO E-MAIL.  
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The following Action Alert was sent to the 3,500 members of the
Human Rights Campaign Fund's Federal Advocacy Network (FAN).  For
more information, or to get involved with FAN, call the Federal
Advocacy Network Team at (202)628-4160. 

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Dear FAN Member:

     Jesse Helms is running amok on the floor of the United
States Senate, waging a divisive campaign of hate and
discrimination against lesbian and gay Americans.  Just last
week, he targeted lesbian and gay youth in a mean-spirited
amendment to the Senate education bill that would cut off funds
to local schools with programs "encouraging or supporting
homosexuality as a positive lifestyle alternative."  This bill
prohibits school counselors from talking a gay youth out of
committing suicide -- or even referring a troubled teen to an
outside group for support.  It also robs local school districts
of the freedom to determine how best to meet the needs of
students and their families.

     Helms and his right-wing allies are expected to take to the
Senate floor again.  This time, they are targeting your right to
quality health care.  When the health reform bill comes to the
Senate floor for a vote, Helms and his allies will move to strike
sexual orientation from the bill's non-discrimination clause. 
This would leave lesbian and gay Americans open to blatant
discrimination in health care.  Lesbian and gay people can face
health care discrimination in the form of substandard care or
denial of medical services.  No federal law prohibits health care
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

     We need your help to stop Helms.  Please call your Senators 
now and tell them to support non-discrimination in health care. 
Tell them to VOTE NO on amendments to the health reform bill that
would strike sexual orientation from the non-discrimination
clause.  Tell them: NO ONE SHOULD BE DENIED ACCESS TO QUALITY
HEALTH CARE BECAUSE OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION.  To contact your
Senators, call the U.S. Capitol at 202-224-3121.  If you don't
know your Senators' names, simply ask the Capitol operator.
     
     This is a critical vote for our community.  The federal
government has never before recognized the problem of anti-gay
discrimination in health care or any other area.  We need to send
the message that discrimination is wrong.  Please call your
Senators today!

                                   Sincerely,

                                   Daniel Zingale
                                   Public Policy Director

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     1101 14th Street, NW  Suite 200  Washington, DC  20005      
          phone:(202)628-4160      fax:(202) 347-5323