CONTACT YOUR SENATORS TODAY!
The Matthew Shepard Act is coming to a vote on the Senate Floor THIS WEEK and we need you to send an email (just click on link to right) today.
If you have a couple extra minutes, please also make two calls, one Senator Claire McCaskill and one to Senator Kit Bond. Call 202-224-3121 and tell each of your Senators to vote YES on the hate crimes bill. Our allies on the Hill are reporting an avalanche of 300,000 letters and calls from right-wing groups trying to stop it. Anti-LGBT leaders like Focus on the Family’s James Dobson are now calling the bill “utter evil.” They’re even referring to it as the “Pedophile Protection Act.”
Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill has already pledged her support for the Matthew Shepard Act. When calling her office, please thank her and remind her to vote on this important issue.
Senator Kit Bond, on the other hand, needs to hear your voice and opinion now! He has publicly stated his opposition to the Act, and this is the time to tell him that his opinions do not reflect the feelings of many Missourians!
If you’ve never called Congress, don't be shy, it's simple and will take less than a minute:
1. Before 5 p.m. ET, call the Senate Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and tell the operator you’d like to speak to the Senators from your state. (You can also look up your Senator’s direct number here)
2. One of your senator’s interns will likely answer and ask where you’re calling from and why. Tell them you’re calling to urge the Senator to vote for the Matthew Shepard Act (S. 909). Most calls-end right there. But if you like, you can add:
>Hate crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are on the rise.
>One out of every six hate crimes is because of the victim’s sexual orientation.
>Hate crimes have more than one victim. They are intended to create an atmosphere of fear and terrorize entire communities.
3. Dial the switchboard again (202-224-3121) and ask to speak to the other Senator from your state and repeat step two.
Below is additional information on sending an email to your Senators:
Tell me more
Talking Points
This bill, which passed both houses of Congress in 2007 but did not become law, would protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people from bias-motivated hate violence.
While all violent crimes are heinous, hate crimes are uniquely destructive, casting a pall of terror over an entire community. They don't just target a single victim. They are designed to "send a message" that an individual and "their kind" will not be tolerated, often leaving large numbers of people feeling isolated, vulnerable and unprotected.
Attacks against LGBT people are one of the more common forms of hate violence but, illogically, one of the least protected. Hate crimes as a whole declined 1 percent last year, according to the FBI, but LGBT hate crimes increased 6 percent.
Please protect civil rights by giving this bill your full support and attention, and by urging your colleagues to support it as well.
