Your Urgent Action is Needed to Stop Anti-LGBT Legislation

EQUALITY CALIFORNIA

Action Alert!

YOUR URGENT ACTION IS NEEDED TO STOP ANTI-LGBT LEGISLATION

March 24, 2006

Protect Our Youth, Protect Our Families

Opponents of equality are well aware of the strong gains the LGBT community has
achieved with the support of our friends in the Legislature. We must stop their
campaign of hate and defeat their efforts to pass anti-LGBT legislation that will
irrevocably harm our youth and our families.

We must remain ever vigilant to ensure that anti-LGBT legislation does not sneak in
under the radar.

Your help is urgently needed to stop two bills pending in the California State
Assembly that would harm LGBT youth and families. Equality California asks that you
take action TODAY to oppose these assaults on equality.

AB 2311 (lead author Assemblymember Mountjoy, R-Monrovia) would prohibit the
promotion of homosexuality in public education. Because this bill would silence any
discussion about an important part of our diverse society and would promote fear and
ignorance that make schools unsafe for LGBT students, we ask that you please oppose
it.

AB 2130 (lead author Assemblymember DeVore, R-Irvine) would require a court to
consider the religious, cultural, moral and ethnic values of a dependent child's
birth parents before placing the child for adoption or appointing a legal guardian.
Because it would shift the legal standard away from the best interests of the child
and potentially threaten the ability of loving parents to adopt or act as guardians
regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, this bill should be
opposed.

AB 2311 and AB 2130 will soon move forward in the State Assembly. We ask that you
ACT NOW to let your elected officials know that such harmful assaults against our
children and families are afoot.

TAKE ACTION! Reply to this email if you are a member of our Advocacy Center or
visit http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M715214288011235725592065 to register and to send a
letter (see sample letter below) to your legislators asking them to oppose AB 2311
(Mountjoy, R-Monrovia) and AB 2130 (DeVore, R-Irvine).

Thank you for urging your representatives to oppose these negative bills and helping
to safeguard equality for all Californians.

Warmly,

Geoffrey Kors
Executive Director
Equality California


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Sample letter to elected officlials

(Month) (Day) (Year)

From: (Sender Name)
(Sender Address)

RE: Please Oppose AB 2311 (Mountjoy) and AB 2130 (DeVore)

Dear (Title) (Recipient's Name),

As a constituent who deeply believes in the principle of freedom from discrimination
and fear, I urge you to oppose the following two bills when they come before you in
the California State Legislature.

AB 2311 (lead author Assemblymember Mountjoy, R-Monrovia) would prohibit the
promotion of homosexuality in public education. Because this bill would silence any
discussion about an important part of our diverse society and would promote fear and
ignorance that make schools unsafe for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
students, it should be opposed.

AB 2130 (lead author Assemblymember DeVore, R-Irvine) would require a court to
consider the religious, cultural, moral and ethnic values of a dependent child's
birth parents before placing the child for adoption or appointing a legal guardian.
Because it would shift the legal standard away from best interests of the child and
potentially threaten the ability of loving parents to adopt or act as guardians
regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, this bill should be
opposed.

Thank you for opposing these efforts to harm California youth and families!

Sincerely,

(Sender's Name)


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Equality California eqca.org
(http://www.eqca.org/site/lookup.asp?c=9oINKWMCF&b=40337)

Contributions to Equality California support EQCA's political work and are not tax
deductible as charitable contributions under IRS-162(e).