FIGHT AGAINST CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CRITICAL AS SENATE VOTE DRAWS NEAR

The following item was released by the Human Rights Campaign May 2, 2006

‘One month and counting until the Senate wastes more time on singling out a group of Americans for discrimination. The time to act is now and every day to the vote,’ said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.

WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign’s fight against the Federal Marriage Amendment hit full swing this week as the date for the Senate vote approaches.

With a vote scheduled the week of June 5, HRC launched an ad campaign in press targeting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans, urged more than 250,000 fair-minded Americans to act against the amendment, released an online video aimed at encouraging action by highlighting the radical right’s discriminatory campaign and continues to lead the Coalition Against Discrimination in the Constitution, a coalition of more than 120 groups in fighting the amendment.

“One month and counting until the Senate wastes more time on singling out a group of Americans for discrimination. The time to act is now and every day to the vote,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “Our ads and postcard campaign are just pieces of the puzzle in motivating fair-minded Americans to take action against the amendment. While we’re on Capitol Hill day in and day out lobbying against any effort to put discrimination in our Constitution, it’s vital that back home all fair-minded Americans are doing their part to make their voices heard.”

The online video features clips of anti-gay rhetoric from President Bush, Sens. Rick Santorum and John Cornyn, the Rev. Pat Robertson and Bill O’Reilly, among others, in reference to the amendment and asks viewers to go to HRC’s website to fight back. View the video.

The print ad includes a photo of Sens. Rick Santorum and Bill Frist with the following text:

“This June the right wing will attempt to make GLBT people second-class citizens forever. Fight the Federal Marriage Amendment. Scheduled Vote June 5.”

With ads set to run as soon as this week, the campaign features ads in at least 27 publications in two dozen cities across the nation, including:

The Advocate (nationwide), Southern Voice (Atlanta), Bay Windows (New England), Q Notes (Charlotte, N.C.), Windy City Times (Chicago), Outlook News (Columbus), Dallas Voice, Out Front (Denver), Between the Lines (Detroit), Houston Voice, Frontiers (Los Angeles), Lavender Magazine (Minneapolis/St. Paul), Gay City News (New York), New York Blade, Orange County Blade, Watermark (Orlando), Bottom Line (Palm Springs), Philadelphia Gay News, Echo (Phoenix/Tucson), Just Out (Portland), Q Salt Lake, Pillar (Salt Lake City), Gay & Lesbian Times (San Diego), Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco), San Francisco Bay Times, Seattle Gay News, Metro Weekly (Washington, D.C.), Washington Blade.

The e-mail Action Alert, titled “Countdown to the Vote,” begins:

“In five weeks, the United States Senate will decide whether or not to make gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans second-class citizens in our nation's Constitution. Where do your senators stand?

“As early as June 5, the Senate will vote on the discriminatory Federal Marriage Amendment in an attempt to write discrimination into the Constitution. The Human Rights Campaign has launched an aggressive campaign to stop them. Click here to take action now. …

“Despite the fact that the American people want Congress to focus on skyrocketing gas prices, the war in Iraq, and health care, right-wing leaders in Congress continue to pursue a discriminatory anti-GLBT agenda. Prompted by anti-gay Senator Rick Santorum, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist announced his intention to force a vote on the so-called Federal Marriage Amendment during the week of June 5. …”

Among the grassroots efforts in which the e-mail asks supporters to participate is a campaign asking individuals to sign postcards that the Human Rights Campaign will hand-deliver to senators and representatives asking them to vote no on the Federal Marriage Amendment.

The Human Rights Campaign also continues to lead the efforts of the Coalition Against Discrimination in the Constitution, a coalition of more than 120 civil rights, religious, civil liberties, labor and professional organizations that are working to defeat the amendment.

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that LGBT Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.

More on this story and other important GLBT issues may be found at: http://www.hrc.org