Subject: URGENT! THE MORMONS HAVE ARRIVED! (fwd)
From: Mia H H Lam <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 11:47:59 -1000

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 11:38:15 -1000
From: Friends Of Marriage Project Hawaii <[email-masked]>
Subject: URGENT!  THE MORMONS HAVE ARRIVED!

Dear Mia,

        The word from the Capitol is that the Mormons are visiting House 
members in opposition to SB2430 and SB3176.  One legislators has already 
had 5 Mormon groups visit one office, just this morning, including two 
administrators from BYU-Hawaii.

        PLEASE VISIT THE CAPITOL IF YOU CAN!  Be very gentle, bring 
flowers, leis, cookies, candy, whatever for the staff, and ask the House 
members to vote "yes" tomorrow (the vote will take place about 10 am on 
Tuesday) on SB3176 (making insurance more available to gay and lesbian 
couples) and SB2430 (ending housing discrimination for gays and lesbians).

        IF YOU CAN'T VISIT, CALL, FAX OR EMAIL.   OR GET YOUR FRIENDS TO 
VISIT.

        The religious extremists are playing an interesting game.  The 
Mormons never testified against the insurance bill (SB3176).  BYU-Hawaii 
did testify against the housing bill, SB2430, but the House responded to 
the BYU testimony by giving church property an exemption from it.  By the 
way, BYU does not need that protection; under the 1st amendment to the US 
Constitution any church can discriminate against any gay or lesbian any 
time it wants to.  Another group, Family Forum, has a full paid lobbyist 
working the capitol---she sat quietly through the committee hearings and 
said nothing.

         My guess is that the Mormon leadership and Family Forum are trying 
to soft-pedal their being anti-gay.  BYU-Hawaii has (and does) expell 
students for being gay, just for the orientation and not for sexual 
behavior.  It is my impression that BYU-Hawaii doesn't want this known.  So 
they are avoiding public testimony, but turning out some troops behind the 
scenes.

PLEASE ACT NOW!

Tom Ramsey
President, Friends of Marriage Project Hawaii