From: Laftmc@aol.com Date: Tue, 3 Sep 1996 18:45:39 -0400 Subject: Fwd: Action Alert: Defense of Marriage Act In a message dated 96-09-03 14:18:30 EDT, NGLTF writes: << ****************************************************** National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Alert Contact: Helen Gonzales 202-332-6483, ext. 3236 hgonzales@ngltf.org http://www.ngltf.org ****************************************************** IMMEDIATE HELP NEEDED TO STOP SENATE BAN ON SAME-GENDER MARRIAGE The full Senate will consider and vote on the ill-named "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA) legislation on Thursday, September 5. ACTION NEEDED; CONTACT YOUR SENATORS RIGHT AWAY and TELL THEM TO VOTE NO ON DOMA. Contact your Senators, by phone, fax or e-mail, right away and urge your friends and colleagues to do the same. To talk to someone in their Washington, D.C. offices, call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202/224-3121 and ask them for the phone and fax numbers; the switchboard can also connect you with one of the offices right away. Ask to speak with the staff person handling DOMA. You can also send a telegram to both your Senators by using the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's marriage hotline number, 1-800-651-1482. (You can send telegrams urging opposition to DOMA to both your Senators, and the President, through this Western Union hotline, for $9.95 - the telegrams were drafted by NGLTF.) Talking Points Urge your Senators to vote NO on DOMA no matter what their position is on same-gender marriage. Tell them that this legislation is (1) unneeded - - since no state now allows for same gender marriage and the Hawaii case will not be final for about another year or more - - and (2) discriminatory against lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender individuals - - since it seeks to deny to same gender couples federal rights and responsibilities granted to heterosexual couples. The bill also raises constitutional questions since it purports to give states the power to ignore the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the U.S. Constitution which currently requires states, among other things, to give legal recognition to marriages sanctioned in other states. Remind your Senators that domestic relations issues, such as marriage, are usually issues dealt with by the states and that this year 36 states introduced legislation to ban same-gender marriages. Congress should not be legislating on this issue. At least 18 of the states which introduced this legislation have defeated or withdrawn such legislation, including: Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming. Tell your Senators that the marriage issue is merely a substitute for previous anti-gay initiative campaigns led by these same political extremists who have used both vehicles to belittle and demean the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals. These political extremists clearly do not believe in our democratic principles of respect and tolerance. Instead they seek to divide our country in ways which pit groups of citizens against each other, be they immigrants, single mothers or gays and lesbians. Two Possible Floor Amedments to DOMA Tell your Senators that there may be an amendment to add the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to DOMA. ENDA would prohibit discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation. Urge your Senators to vote YES on ENDA if that amendment is introduced during the Senate floor consideration of DOMA. Also tell them there may also be an amendment offered by to expand current federal jurisdiction to prosecute egregious incidents of hate violence to include such crimes directed at gays and lesbians. It is important to tell your Senators to vote NO ON DOMA, whether or not ENDA or other amendments are added to DOMA. Urge them to join with their state legislative colleagues who were courageous enough to stand up for fairness and against intolerance and discrimination. For further information, contact Helen Gonzales at (202) 332-6483, ext. 3236. ### >> --------------------- Forwarded message: Subj: Action Alert: DOMA Date: 96-09-03 14:18:30 EDT From: NGLTF ****************************************************** National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Alert Contact: Helen Gonzales 202-332-6483, ext. 3236 hgonzales@ngltf.org http://www.ngltf.org ****************************************************** IMMEDIATE HELP NEEDED TO STOP SENATE BAN ON SAME-GENDER MARRIAGE The full Senate will consider and vote on the ill-named "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA) legislation on Thursday, September 5. ACTION NEEDED; CONTACT YOUR SENATORS RIGHT AWAY and TELL THEM TO VOTE NO ON DOMA. Contact your Senators, by phone, fax or e-mail, right away and urge your friends and colleagues to do the same. To talk to someone in their Washington, D.C. offices, call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202/224-3121 and ask them for the phone and fax numbers; the switchboard can also connect you with one of the offices right away. Ask to speak with the staff person handling DOMA. You can also send a telegram to both your Senators by using the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's marriage hotline number, 1-800-651-1482. (You can send telegrams urging opposition to DOMA to both your Senators, and the President, through this Western Union hotline, for $9.95 - the telegrams were drafted by NGLTF.) Talking Points Urge your Senators to vote NO on DOMA no matter what their position is on same-gender marriage. Tell them that this legislation is (1) unneeded - - since no state now allows for same gender marriage and the Hawaii case will not be final for about another year or more - - and (2) discriminatory against lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender individuals - - since it seeks to deny to same gender couples federal rights and responsibilities granted to heterosexual couples. The bill also raises constitutional questions since it purports to give states the power to ignore the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the U.S. Constitution which currently requires states, among other things, to give legal recognition to marriages sanctioned in other states. Remind your Senators that domestic relations issues, such as marriage, are usually issues dealt with by the states and that this year 36 states introduced legislation to ban same-gender marriages. Congress should not be legislating on this issue. At least 18 of the states which introduced this legislation have defeated or withdrawn such legislation, including: Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming. Tell your Senators that the marriage issue is merely a substitute for previous anti-gay initiative campaigns led by these same political extremists who have used both vehicles to belittle and demean the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals. These political extremists clearly do not believe in our democratic principles of respect and tolerance. Instead they seek to divide our country in ways which pit groups of citizens against each other, be they immigrants, single mothers or gays and lesbians. Two Possible Floor Amedments to DOMA Tell your Senators that there may be an amendment to add the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to DOMA. ENDA would prohibit discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation. Urge your Senators to vote YES on ENDA if that amendment is introduced during the Senate floor consideration of DOMA. Also tell them there may also be an amendment offered by to expand current federal jurisdiction to prosecute egregious incidents of hate violence to include such crimes directed at gays and lesbians. It is important to tell your Senators to vote NO ON DOMA, whether or not ENDA or other amendments are added to DOMA. Urge them to join with their state legislative colleagues who were courageous enough to stand up for fairness and against intolerance and discrimination. For further information, contact Helen Gonzales at (202) 332-6483, ext. 3236. ###