The United States House of Representatives is planning to vote this weekend on DC Statehood. Please contact your representative and tell them to vote FOR DC Statehood. The 650,000+ citizens of the District of Columbia do not have basic right of self-government. All DC laws, taxes, courts, etc. are completely controlled by the US Congress. The citizens of DC have no voting representation in Congress. Why is this a Gay and Lesbian issue? The activist in DC have been sucessful in convincing the local government (which serves at the pleasure of Congress, but is elected locally) to support a wide variety of Gay supporting legislation. Civl rights protections, domstic partnership benefits, sodomy law reform, even tentative marriage recognition. But in every case, Congress has put up significant road blocks to these actions and in many case re-written distric law with anti-gay language. Additionally DC would, as a state, provide two gay positive Senators and a gay positive representative to the Congress to help in Federal GLBT issues. DC has a population bigger than 3 existing states, pays more federal income tax than 10 states, and is the only possesion of the US where residents must pay taxes and are denied representation. Taxation without Representation is Tyranny! Call your Representative today! 202-224-3121. (I can provide you with a direct number, and/or a local number is you contact me soon.) - Bob Summersgill | Xq28 -- Thanks Mom! XE605C @ GWUVM.GWU.EDU |