URGENT ACTION REQUIRED !!

US SENATE TO VOTE ON FEDERAL ANTI-MARRIAGE AMENDMENT

According to the extremist right-wing Family Research Council and other conservative groups, US Senate Majority Leader, Bill Frist has committed to bringing the Federal "Marriage Protection Amendment" to a vote during the week of 12 July.

The radicals on the right will be mounting an unprecedented campaign aimed at Senators to vote for the amendment. They will use all of their guile, deceit and trickery in their effort to intimidate, browbeat and hector Senators to support the awful, anti-gay amendment. They will certainly target Senators that have said they will vote "no," but they will take direct aim at any Senators who have not committed.

Fortunately, Michigan's two Senators, Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, have indicted that they will vote "no" but their vote has to be ironclad and hold steady. Especially in the face of the onslaught they will receive from the right-wingers and homophobes, it is IMPERATIVE that they hear from our side that their "no" vote is critical.

Last week, we were in Washington, D.C., and visited Senator Stabenow's office. They said that they have heard from many people who support the amendment but from few who urge a "no" vote. We must be heard in large number.

This effort to solidify an unequivocal "no" vote from Senators Levin and Stabenow will not be enough. This is a national agenda issue. You must contact everyone you know in other states ---family, friends, colleagues, E-lists--- an get them to contact their Senators and urge a "no" vote.

You know that this amendment is the spawn of bigots. You know that this is an outrageous attempt to disgrace the US Constitution with a mean measure that would make official second-class citizens of gays and lesbians. You know that this is a hate-motivated attack on gays and lesbians and our families.

If this amendment is defeated, it will be a serious blow ---perhaps the mortal wound-- to the right-wing extremists. This is a challenging moment for all of us, but it could also become the opportunity of the decade to begin the collapse of the radicals.

What comes of this moment is up to each and every one of us. Every one of you reading this must be engaged in this effort to defeat this horror amendment.

Here are the things to do:

Contact Senators Levin and Stabenow. Tell them that gays and lesbians will not tolerate being deemed lesser Americans; that discrimination is wrong and that to write it into our most fundamental document of freedom and equality would be a travesty and would betray the basic American promise of liberty, equality and justice for all; that to fulfill the oath they swore upon become Senators requires them to vote NO.

BE CERTAIN YOU ARE HEARD AND GET THE ASSURANCE FROM YOUR SENATORS THAT THEY WILL VOTE NO ON HE FEDERAL MARRIAGE AMENDMENT

SENATOR CARL LEVIN
DC Office: 202-224-6221
Detroit Office: 313-226-6020
Grand Rapids Office: 616-456-2531
Lansing Office: 517-377-1508
Traverse City Office: 231-947-9569
Escanaba Office: 906-789-0052
E-mail: senator@levin.senate.gov

SENATOR DEBBIE STABENOW
DC Office: 202-224-4822
Detroit Office: 313-961-4330
Grand Rapids Office: 616-975-0052
Lansing Office: 517-203-1760
Traverse City Office: 231-929-1031
Marquette Office: 906-228-8756
E-mail: senator@stabenow.senate.gov

THIS IS IT PEOPLE


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