Date: Wed, 19 Jun 1996 18:16:48 -1000
From: hermp@oahu.net (HERMP)

		NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
		ENDORSE HERMP AND FRIENDS OF HERMP

Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund,
and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force have all agreed to
be listed as endorsing organizations in ads for Friends of h.e.r.m.p
that describle FOH's 900-number.  PFLAG, the Log Cabin Republicans,
and others also have endorsed FOH.

Why?  Hawaii faces a new challenge, much beyond local resources.
The enemies in Hawaii of the Freedom to Marry will launch a $200,000
paid TV/radio ad campaign in July.  The Hawaii Equal Rights Marriage
Project, all volunteer and chronically underfunded, has managed to
pay the lawyer's fees to keep alive the lawsuit (Baehr v. Miike)
that is expected to create same gender marriage by the end of 1997.
h.e.r.m.p has worked wonders on a shoestring---fighting legislative
battles and keeping the court case alive.  They owe the lawyer thousands
of dollars, kind of like treading financial waters perpetually.

Now comes this ad campaign.  Vastly larger than h.e.r.m.p's entire
budget.  Moreover, responding to the ad campaign may be construed as
politics and thus endanger h.e.r.m.p's tax-deductible status.

The response?  Create Friends of h.e.r.m.p, a non-profit, all volunteer,
but NOT tax-deductible corporation to conduct a paid TV/radio ad
campaign to defend the Freedom to Marry (and explain it to the average
citizen of Hawaii).

How to fund Friends of h.e.r.m.p?  Give hundreds of thousands of gay
men and lesbians the option of calling 1-900-97-MARRY.  By making that
call, and listening for about 20 seconds, $5 will be billed to the caller's
phone number.  That's it.  No fuss, no stamps, no credit card numbers given
over the phone.  Just dial and listen.  In the message, the option will
be given to increase the donation up to $25 (push 1 to make it 10, etc.).
Those options can be ignored (or used, except in the 808 area code
where they don't work).

The media campaign is VITAL. This is THE battleground in Hawaii.
We have the winning message, we just have to repeat it hourly on all
major channels for a month.  The average American WILL understand the
message!  Our problem is simple:  we must make sure that the "great
middle" understands our message (responsibility, the right to care for
one another, love, sharing, commitment).

PLEASE HELP!!!  GET YOUR FRIENDS TO HELP!!!  CALL 1-900-97-MARRY!!!!

					Best Regards,


					Tom Ramsey