Date: Mon, 28 Oct 1996 12:33:02 -0500 From: "Troy E. O'Brien" Subject: action alert in lansing This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------610279C03BD8 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- Troy E. O'Brien zen@voyager.net http://www.developmental-edu.com/home1 --------------610279C03BD8 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; name="LERTF1.txt" Content-Disposition: inline; filename="LERTF1.txt" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by vixa.voyager.net id MAA02496 ***Your IMMEDIATE action is needed to help put a FINAL STOP to these hate= ful, divisive attacks upon our basic human rights!*** The citizens of Lansing, Michigan will be voting on a comprehensive Civil= Rights Ordinance on November 5th, 1996. We are writing to ask for your= support and assistance for this critical election. This is the ONLY anti-gay, anti-civil rights campaign in the entire count= ry! Even though the Supreme Court overturned Colorado's infamous Amendment 2= , our opponents have developed a more effective strategy at taking away = the basic human rights of law-abiding Americans. What they are planning = to do is take away ALL local protections against discrimination: based up= on everything from age, race, sex, and ancestry, to religion, color, sexu= al orientation, and even disability. They would rather take away EVERYON= E'S basic human rights than allow gays and lesbians to have theirs. Unfo= rtunately, if they succeed with their strategy of repealing the city's en= tire Civil Rights Code, the courts won't be able to do ANYTHING to restor= e our basic rights; their strategy is court-proof. If we don't answer this attack powerfully and decisively, they will REPEA= T this strategy across the country. Will YOUR city be the next one to ha= ve an anti-gay campaign?=20 Our opponents campaign is filled with the the same hateful lies and disto= rtions about gays and lesbians that have been used in the past: they've = talked about pedophelia and beastiality, and used scare tactics like "Ima= gine if you were forced to hire a lesbian baby-sitter." However, becaus= e it's on the city level, the hostile climate it creates =96and the dama= ge is does to the community =96 is much worse. It pits family member aga= inst family member, and neighbor against neighbor. Recently, a gay man = told a story about what happened in his neighborhood: "I had always gott= en along fine with my neighbors, but then I came home one day and I found= a "Stop Special Rights" sign in their yard." Imagine if YOUR neighbors started believing the lies and distortions of r= eligious-political extremists, and decided to vote against YOUR basic civ= il rights. By helping defeat them now, you can make sure their campaign doesn't spre= ad to cities across the country. The Lansing Equal Rights Task Force, the group that is fighting to mainta= in civil rights for all, was established almost three years ago and filed= as a nonpartisan ballot question committee with the State of Michigan la= st year. The "YES on 1 - YES on 2" campaign is in full gear, but needs a= significant amount of money to succeed. Remember, this is the first post-Amendment 2 attack upon our civil rights= , and the results are being watched closely.. Our opposition has receive= d fundraising help from James Dobson of Focus on the Family, has had atte= ntion from Lou Sheldon and the Christian Coalition, and is getting legal = assistance from the ultra-conservative Rutherford Institute. **We need you to donate $100, 50, 25 or more*** to the campaign in order = to proceed with our winning plan. Any amount you can give will be helpfu= l and will be put to good use. Your donation could be the difference bet= ween reaching all of our goals or settling for less and hoping we win any= way. The need is urgent. We must work together to stop bigotry dead in = its tracks!=20 We have less than two weeks left in the campaign. Your donation can make= a REAL difference during this, the most important part of our campaign. Send your contribution to: Lansing Equal Rights Committee 1216 Turner St Lansing, MI 48906 For additional information, please see http://www.myne.com/501c/lerc/lerc= home.htm Sincerely, Cheryl VanDeKerkHove & Bob Egan Co-chairs, Lansing Equal Rights Committee P.S. Please give as generously as you can. The goal is within our reach.= Every time we answer the hatemongers powerfully and decisively, we all = benefit. Please make out a check today . --------------610279C03BD8--