Subject: CA: AB 257 to be heard in Senate Committee
From: Ellen McCormick <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 1997 13:19:19

ACTION ALERT - WRITE NOW!
Contacts:
Ellen McCormick, Legislative Advocate
Laurie McBride, Executive Director
Sam Catalano, Legislative Assistant
LIFE: California's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and HIV/AIDS 
Lobby

AB 257 TO BE HEARD IN THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - LETTERS NEEDED!

HEARING DATE: TUESDAY, JULY 15, 1997

AB 257, by Assembly Member Antonio Villaraigosa, will add "sexual 
orientation" to the protected classes listed in California's Fair 
Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).  This bill is crucial - as it will 
provide greater access to current laws prohibiting discrimination 
against gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals in employment and 
housing.

SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE MEMBERS: 
Charles Calderon <[email-masked]>; 
Ray Haynes <[email-masked]>; 
Tim Leslie <[email-masked]>; 
Bill Lockyer <[email-masked]>;
Jack O'Connell <[email-masked]>; 
Byron Sher <[email-masked]>; and
Cathie Wright <[email-masked]>.  
Senators Barbara Lee and John Burton do not have e-mail addresses, 
letters to them must be mailed or faxed.

SAMPLE LETTER:

Re: AB 257 (Villaraigosa) / SUPPORT
Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)

Dear Senator,

I am writing to urge support for Assembly Bill 257, by Assembly Member 
Antonio Villaraigosa.  AB 257 would add “sexual orientation” to the 
nondiscrimination sections of California’s Fair Employment and Housing 
Act (FEHA).  This measure would prohibit discrimination on the basis 
of sexual orientation in employment and housing, as provided under 
FEHA, and allow the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) 
to investigate and act on complaints of discrimination.

Why amend the Fair Employment and Housing Act with sexual orientation if 
gays and lesbians are already protected in employment and housing?

The current employment protections provided for gays and lesbians under 
the Labor Code require that you must file your claim within thirty 
days.  Most people who suffer sexual orientation discrimination don’t 
identify the discrimination and/or the remedies available to them 
until well after the thirty day window has passed.  FEHA provides 1 
year from the date of the incident to file.

Individuals who suffer from dual discrimination (for example: race and 
sexual orientation discrimination) must go through two offices, DFEH 
and the Department of Labor Standards Enforcement, to obtain remedies 
for discrimination.  Each office has different filing deadlines.  
Adding sexual orientation to FEHA would simplify the process for 
people suffering from dual discrimination.
	
Sexual orientation discrimination in housing is prohibited by case law 
under the Unruh Civil Rights Act.  These claims are processed by DFEH.  
If the gay and lesbian community is covered by current case law and 
carried out by FEHA, then we deserve to be recognized as such under 
California Law.

AB 257 would ensure that all Californians are treated fairly and equally 
under the law.  Please vote “yes” on this important measure.

Very cordially,

This message was brought to you by LIFE: California's Lesbian, Gay, 
Bisexual, Transgender and HIV/AIDS Lobby.  If you would like further 
information on LIFE, please go to our web page at <www.lifelobby.com>, 
write back to this message, or call us at (916) 444-0424.