From: Ellen McCormick Date: Tue, 8 Jul 1997 13:19:19 Subject: CA: AB 257 to be heard in Senate Committee 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 ; Ray Haynes ; Tim Leslie ; Bill Lockyer ; Jack O'Connell ; Byron Sher ; and Cathie Wright . 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 , write back to this message, or call us at (916) 444-0424.