Friday January 6, 2006 SGN.org |
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Volume 34 Issue 01 |
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Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009
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Letters |
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| PRIDE PARADE LEAST
OF OUR WORRIES
Dear SGN, I am concerned about all of the letters I have been reading in these pages regarding the [move of the Pride Parade and Rally]. While I think it's necessary to have this healthy debate, we must not lose site of the important events that we as a community will be facing in the near future. We have a marriage equality case that will be handed down any day now. If we win this case, we have to be prepared for a tremendous backlash from our opponents that will do everything they can undermine equality. Soon, the Legislature will be in session and, once again, the Cal Anderson Civil Rights Bill will be debated. The last thing I want to see is for this community to be arguing about where we are going to have a parade during the legislative session. To some in the Legislature, it will look as though are priories are misguided. As close as the vote was last year, we can't afford to let this happen. It's time to come together on a united front and work towards full equality. Their are many ways you can make a difference. Attend one of the many rallies being planned for the day of the court decision. If you are a student, attend the Affecting Change Conference at Seattle University January 20-22. Make plans now to go to Olympia for Equality Day on January 23. Equal Rights Washington will have advocacy workshops in the morning, followed by a rally on the capitol steps and lobby visits later in the afternoon. If you can't attend these events consider calling you senator or representative. Perhaps you can write a letter to the editor. Judging by what I'm reading here, we are fully capable of doing this. We need to re-focus our energy and work to ensure that we all live in a society free of discrimination and bias. Sincerely, Michael McAfoose IN INVESTMENT IN EQUALITY Dear SGN, We thought we'd update you on recent activities at ERW. The good news is... we raised over $10,000 in December and qualified for a generous match donation from a Leadership Council member. We increased our membership base again, and the organization is strong heading into 2006. Individual members and donors are the financial lifeblood of organizations like Equal Rights Washington. While we have been lucky to receive the support of The Task Force (NGLTF), HRC, the Pride Foundation, and others, it is really the support of individuals like yourselves, that make our direct political activities happen. And now, the bad news... anti-Gay groups, such as Focus on the Family, plan to spend over $100 million in 2006-and they'll use much of it to keep LGBT citizens from achieving equality, some of it right here in Washington State, where they are attempting to amend the State Constitution to forbid marriage for same-sex couples. As we enter a new year and a new legislative session in Olympia please consider an investment in equality. 2005 ended well for Equal Rights Washington but much work remains. ERW's memberships start at $35/year, a small investment. We are committed to being a powerful voice in state politics. Help us be heard above the right-wing noise by making a New Year's resolution to support Equal Rights Washington. Thanks for your support and best wishes for 2006, Sincerely, Lee Frankl Associate Director Equal Rights Washington HELP STOP ALITO NOMINATION TO SUPREME COURT Dear SGN, Happy New Year! The first week of 2006 begins the fight of our lives - senators are returning to Washington to prepare for hearings on Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court. As President Bush boldly vows to continue spying on American citizens, your senators will choose whether to replace Sandra Day O'Connor with a man who has repeatedly sanctioned the abuse of executive power. They will confront Samuel Alito's record of consistently favoring powerful entities such as corporations, the government, and law enforcement over individual rights. And they will learn more about Samuel Alito's career as a judicial activist working to roll back civil rights, religious liberty, environmental protections, and reproductive rights. The hearings can make or break this nomination, and, as PFAW's National Field Director, I can tell you that organized public reaction to the proceedings can influence how senators will ultimately vote. And senators listen most to their own constituents. PFAW's field team and our coalition allies throughout the fifty states are organizing rallies, town-hall meetings, and press conferences to make sure senators know their constituents care about how they vote on Alito. Today we launch the next phase of our field campaign to defeat Alito, which can only succeed if you step up. Over eighty-five events are planned for the next two weeks from coast to coast - and more are being planned every day. In fact, there are so many opportunities for you to get involved that your inbox would be flooded with email if we tried to notify you of each one separately. So I'm writing to let you know about our new webtool (www.SaveTheCourt.org/AlitoActionHQ) to keep you in the loop on what's going on in your state: the Stop Alito State Headquarters. We kick off the field campaign today in Philadelphia, where we will join our coalition partners to present Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter with more than one million signatures opposing Alito. As the hearings begin next week, rallies will be underway in California and Illinois. Our phone-banks in our New York and Washington offices will be poised to respond to breaking news throughout the hearings. Check in regularly to find out what's going on near you. We'll also contact you online to let you know how you can most effectively communicate with your senators. Senators have shown a new willingness to stand up to the President when the American people demand it with their recent filibuster of the PATRIOT Act and their insistence on the inclusion of anti-torture provisions in the Department of Defense Appropriations bill. There has never been a more important time to get involved to save the Supreme Court - generations of social justice progress could be undone if the Senate votes to confirm Samuel Alito. Please visit the Stop Alito State Headquarters to find out how you can get involved. You are the most important ingredient in our success - thanks for all your work. Sincerely, Kimberly Robson National Field Director People for the American Way |
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