FIGHT HATE: Tell Congress to pass the Matthew Shepard Act

From Human Rights Campaign

A law protecting all of our citizens against senseless hate violence is long overdue. Two years ago, radical right-wing groups and George W. Bush's veto threat blocked the Matthew Shepard Act, which would outlaw hate crimes based on both sexual orientation and gender identity. But now the bill is back.

Tell Congress we need the Matthew Shepard Act to help ensure safety and security for ALL people.



TAKE ACTION NOW!

NO ON CALIFORNIA'S PROP 8!

From No on Prop 8:

If lies don't work, then maybe threats and blackmail will.

Yesterday, donors and supporters of Equality California began receiving threatening letters for their support of the statewide organizations efforts to protect LGBT youth and seniors from the "Yes on 8" campaign leadership.

These letters threatened to "expose" the donors listed on Equality California's website if they don't donate to the "Yes on 8" campaign and refrain from supporting LGBT equality in the future.

That's how low the other side is willing to go.

In any other circumstance I would characterize this despicable strategy as sad -- but we are in the fight of lives here in California.

So, will you stand with us? Will you make a donation to support equality?

Will you show that you won't be intimidated by their threats or lies?

Make a donation today to show the other side that we will not go back to the closet of inequality.

The letter, sent on their campaign letterhead, was signed by four members of the group's executive committee and suggests our donors withdraw their support for their own good. It demands an equivalent donation or else:

"Were you to elect not to donate comparably, it would be a clear indication that you are in opposition to traditional marriage. You would leave us no other reasonable assumption. The names of any companies...that choose not to donate...to ProtectMarriage.com...will be published.

...We will contact you shortly to discuss your contribution."

This outrageous attempt to raise money by using threats reveals their true agenda: permanently to harm the LGBT community, our organizations, our allies and our supporters.

Donate now and send a message to the other side -- We reject your effort to intimidate us, and we reject your shameful lies. We will fight to protect our freedom.

Fight for CA Equality, Wherever You Are!

Think of it this way, if bigots succeed in taking away thousands of legal marriages through the Nov. 4 vote, it puts a target on every legally married gay couple in the nation... and ensures that the rest of us will continue to be second-class citizens in America. This is not a California issue -- this directly involves ALL interested in justice for all under civil law.

From Mass Equality, but pay attention and help even if you are from outside of Massachusetts:

In just three weeks, voters in California will make a historic decision -- whether or not to take away gay marriage. And the polls are not looking good: if the vote were held today, we'd lose 47 percent to 42 percent.

I am asking you today to join me in helping our friends in California with your money and with your volunteer time.

Make no mistake: California is ground zero in the struggle for marriage equality. Losing this vote would be a monumental setback.

Why are we losing? Because the anti-gay right has raised $25.4 million - that's 10 million dollars more than our side. They are using this advantage to broadcast lies 24/7 up and down the state of California.

When I saw their newest ad, I was outraged. They point directly at Massachusetts, saying that schools will be forced to teach second-graders that "boys can marry boys." It's the worst kind of fear-mongering...and it works.

With less than a month before the election, our side must get on the air now to respond and swing votes back to our side.

When we were in the heart of our battles here, donors from California contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now it is our turn. Give here, and our friends in California will know that it came from us in Massachusetts. I just stretched and gave more than I thought I ever would. Can you join me and do the same?

We also need your time.You can make a difference in California without leaving Massachusetts or even your own home. We can train you to make phone calls to California voters from home, using call sheets or computer enabled dialing programs. Even an hour or two can make a difference.

Why phonebank? Because voters are more influenced by personal, unique conversations than by any other form of voter contact. From your own home, you can have the conversations with California voters that will make the difference on November 4th. It's that simple.

For more information or to sign up to make calls from home to defeat Prop 8, contact Ryan Brown or call 617-878-2309.

Without help combating our opponents lies, California will lose. But together, we can make the difference. There's only three weeks left. Please take action today.

Speak Out Against McCain's Rove-like Lies

Do Something! Sign the petition.

ALERT: Stand for an Inclusive ENDA!

From National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:

Last week, thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their friends — just like you — delivered an uncompromising message to Congress: Vote for an Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) that protects all LGBT people (H.R. 2015), and don’t settle for a substitute bill that leaves some people behind (H.R. 3685).

Congress heard you and postponed a vote on a substitute bill. But we expect a new vote to be scheduled soon — maybe as soon as next week. There is no time to waste!

We know why it’s so critical that transgender people be included in ENDA. One-third of transgender people report facing employment discrimination at some time in their life. And you can’t separate discrimination against transgender people from discrimination against the rest of our community. For example, many gay and bisexual men get taunted for “acting like a girl.” Many lesbians are criticized for “being too butch.” We all face anti-transgender bias, even if we don’t identify as transgender ourselves.

Congress is listening to us and is making up its mind about which bill to move forward — a bill that provides protections based on gender identity or a bill that does not. Your representative needs to hear from you, and needs to hear our message loud and clear.

Please, right now, make a phone call to your representative. Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121. An operator will connect you with your representative’s office. When a staff person answers, tell them:

“I’m a constituent and I am calling about one bill I support and another I oppose. I support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, H.R. 2015, which protects all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from job discrimination. However, I urge you to oppose any motion or amendment that would strip out transgender protections, or any bill without transgender protections (such as H.R. 3685). We are one community and we want to move forward with one bill that protects all of us. Thank you.”

Click here to send an e-mail to your representative.

Click for a list of U.S. House members.

ALERT: Tell Congress to Grow a Spine!

From People for the American Way:

The fight to restore oversight, accountability and your constitutional rights is on! Congress still has the chance to say NO, definitively and without equivocation, to spying on Americans without a warrant.

Yesterday saw the first movement of legislation to fix the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and replace the deceptively-named Protect America Act (or PAA, which grants the Bush-Cheney administration unprecedented authority to spy on Americans without warrants). The House Judiciary and Intelligence committees both marked up the Responsible Electronic Surveillance That is Overseen, Reviewed and Effective (RESTORE) Act of 2007 (H.R. 3773).

The RESTORE Act does improve upon the PAA. However, this fight is just getting started and more legislative options, as well as possible improvements to this bill, are still on the table. That is why we need to keep the pressure up.

But while we're pressuring Congress to strengthen the legislation -- for instance, by adding explicit requirements for individualized warrants -- the White House and its Republican allies in both the House and the Senate will be using every procedural tool and political tactic at their disposal to extend the administration's wiretapping and surveillance authority (permanently if possible). And consistent with their general phobia of accountability, they're pushing for immunity for those in the telecommunications industry who may have broken the law by assisting the administration with domestic spying.

The Right is already leaning hard on members of Congress to buckle on accountability, oversight and defending due process and the Fourth Amendment.

Don't let them sacrifice our constitutional rights on the altar of "compromise." Join the thousands who have already signed the petition and demand that they show some backbone!

Will members of Congress stand up to the Bush-Cheney administration, or will they show about as much backbone as a jellyfish?

Tell them it's time to show some spine.

20,000 civil liberties activists have already signed the petition. Help us get to 50,000 before the floor vote expected next week!