Ask Your Assemblymember to Support 3 Key LGBT Rights Bills and Oppose the Pete Knight Memo

EQUALITY CALIFORNIA

Action Alert!


January 9, 2006

Dear Karen,

This week, three Equality California-sponsored bills will be heard in Assembly
committees.

It's extremely important that you contact your Assemblymember NOW to encourage him
or her to support these vital pieces of legislation.

If you are a member of our Advocacy Center, you can reply to this email to TAKE
ACTION (see sample letter below). If you are not registered in our Advocacy Center,
GO TO http://www.eqca.org/takeaction to TAKE ACTION.

* AB 606: Safe Place to Learn Act (lead author Assemblymember Levine, D-Van Nuys)
would require school districts to enforce California's anti-discrimination and
anti-harassment law and provides penalties for school districts found to be in
violation of that law.

* AB 1160: Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act (lead author Assemblymember
Lieber, D-Mountain View) would amend jury instructions to state that the use of
societal bias, including so-called "panic strategies," to influence the
proceedings of a criminal trial is inconsistent with the public policy of the
State of California. This legislation is named in the memory of a transgender
teenager from Newark, Calif., who was attacked and killed in 2002.

* AB 1207: Code of Campaign Practices (lead author Assemblymember Yee, D-San
Francisco) would prohibit the use of any negative appeal based on prejudice
against LGBT people by candidates or campaign committees who sign the voluntary
pledge that already covers other protected groups and is provided for in the Code
of Fair Campaign Practices.


We also ask you to OPPOSE the following piece of legislation:

* AB 1218: The William J. "Pete" Knight Memorial Act (lead author Assemblymember
Wyland, R-Vista) would require that the Pledge of Allegiance be recited daily at
elementary and secondary schools. Because this bill honors the memory of the State
Senator who was a staunch opponent of the principles of liberty and justice for
LGBT Californians, Equality California opposes this bill unless it is amended to
remove the reference to Senator Knight.


TAKE ACTION NOW! Reply to this email if you are a member of our Advocacy Center or
GO TO http://www.eqca.org/takeaction to TAKE ACTION.

Thank you,

Geoffrey Kors
Executive Director
Equality California


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Sample letter to elected official

(Month) (Day) (Year)

From: (Sender Name)
(Sender Address)

RE: Please Support AB 1207 (Yee), AB 1160 (Lieber) and AB 606 (Levine)

Dear (Title) (Recipient's Name),

As a constitutient who deeply believes in the principle of freedom from
discrimination and fear, I urge you to support these three Equality
California-sponsored bills when they come before you this month in committee and on
the floor.

* AB 606: Safe Place to Learn Act (lead author Assemblymember Levine, D-Van Nuys)
would require school districts to enforce California's anti-discrimination and
anti-harassment law and provides penalties for school districts found to be in
violation of that law.

* AB 1160: Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act (lead author Assemblymember
Lieber, D-Mountain View) would amend jury instructions to state that the use of
societal bias, including so-called "panic strategies," to influence the
proceedings of a criminal trial is inconsistent with the public policy of the
State of California. This legislation is named in the memory of a transgender
teenager from Newark, Calif., who was attacked and killed in 2002.

* AB 1207: Code of Campaign Practices (lead author Assemblymember Yee, D-San
Francisco) would prohibit the use of any negative appeal based on prejudice
against LGBT people by candidates or campaign committees who sign the voluntary
pledge that already covers other protected groups and is provided for in the Code
of Fair Campaign Practices.

I also ask you to OPPOSE the following piece of legislation:

* AB 1218: The William J. "Pete" Knight Memorial Act (lead author Assemblymember
Wyland, R-Vista) would require that the Pledge of Allegiance be recited daily at
elementary and secondary schools. Because this bill honors the memory of the State
Senator who was a staunch opponent of the principles of liberty and justice for
LGBT Californians, please oppose it unless it is amended to remove the reference
to Senator Knight.

Thank you for supporting equal rights for all Californians!

Sincerely,

(Sender's Name)


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Equality California http://www.eqca.org

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