TAKE ACTION FOR EDUCATION, HOUSING AND FAMILY EQUALITY

EQUALITY CALIFORNIA

Action Alert! TAKE ACTION FOR EDUCATION, HOUSING AND FAMILY EQUALITY

April 3, 2006

Please Support Our Youth and Our Families

This week is a critical one for equality. We need your help in supporting two
Equality California-sponsored bills and defeating a third bill that EQCA is
opposing.

SB 1437 will move to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, April 4. The bill
prohibits biased curriculum and requires that the contributions of the lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender community, like other underrepresented groups, be included
in the social science curriculum (for more information visit
http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M715491738011235726041365).

AB 2800, the Omnibus Housing Nondiscrimination Act, will move to the Assembly
Committee on Housing & Community Development on Tuesday, April 4. The bill
strengthens and standardizes 17 nondiscrimination provisions in California law
prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in
housing (for more information visit
http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M715491238011235726041365).

AB 2130 will be heard by the Assembly Committee on Human Services on April 5. This
legislation would shift the legal standard away from the best interests of the child
and threatens the ability of loving LGBT parents to adopt or act as guardians (for
more information visit http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M715491238011235726041365).

Please help us to ensure that all Californians are portrayed fairly in textbooks,
protected by fair housing laws, and are considered equally in adoption decisions.

TAKE ACTION (http://www.eqca.org/takeaction)

Reply to this email if you are a member of our Advocacy Center or visit
http://www.eqca.org/takeaction to send a letter to your legislators (see letter
below) asking them to support SB 1437 (Kuehl, D-Santa Monica), AB 2800 (Laird,
D-Santa Cruz) and to oppose AB 2130 (DeVore, R-Irvine).

Thank you for urging your representatives to support LGBT equality.

Warmly,

Geoffrey Kors
Executive Director
Equality California

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Letter to elected officials


(Month) (Day) (Year)

From: (Sender Name)

(Sender Address)

RE: Please Support SB 1437 (Kuehl), AB 2800 (Laird) and defeat AB 2130 (DeVore)

Dear (Title) (Recipient's Name),

As a constituent who cares deeply about equality for all Californians, I urge you to
support SB 1437 and AB 2800 and to oppose AB 2130, each bill will be heard in policy
committees this week.

SB 1437, authored by Senator Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica), will be heard in the
Senate Judiciary Committee on April 4, 2006. The bill would prohibit biased
curriculum and require that the contributions of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) community, like other underrepresented groups, be included in
social science curriculum.

AB 2800, authored by Assemblymember John Laird, (D-Santa Cruz) is set for hearing on
April 5. The bill will strengthen and standardize 17 housing-related
nondiscrimination provisions in California law to make them consistent with the Fair
Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). FEHA prohibits discrimination in housing on the
basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, sex
(including gender identity), marital status, sexual orientation, familial status and
source of income.

AB 2130, lead author Assemblymember DeVore, (R-Irvine), is set for hearing on April
4. The bill 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.

SB 1437 will help to end discrimination in education, AB 2800 will ensure people
receive equal treatment in housing and opposing AB 2130 will help the adoption
process to be fair to every Californian resident.

Thank you for voting to achieve equality for all in our state.

Sincerely,

(Sender's Name)

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Equality California http://www.eqca.org

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