Work With Us to Win in Fall 2009

 

Fall is fast approaching, and although June did not yield the results we wanted on important issues like marriage equality, transgender civil rights and safe schools for LGBT youth, we will have another opportunity in the coming weeks to get the State Senate to vote on and pass one or more of these bills.

 

We may even get a vote on the marriage bill as soon as late September. Governor Paterson told our community that he was committed to seeing a vote on marriage after Labor Day, but there is work to be done to make sure that, when this opportunity arises, we have the 32-plus votes that we need in the Senate.

 

No one could have anticipated the June 8 coup in the State Senate and it had nothing to do with our issues.  So when legislators get back to work during special sessions this fall we need to make sure that we’re still moving full speed ahead. Over the next several weeks, we will be once again be turning up the pressure so that we’re as ready as we were on June 7 to win.

 

This means that we need you to re-engage and take action when we tell you it’s important to do so. We will be working at events happening across the state starting this week making sure that we continue building support in key Senate districts and keep pressure on the Senate leadership.  They need to know that our community and our allies—in other words, millions of New Yorkers—expect action on these human rights issues.

 

Some actions already planned include:

 

  • Congregational “Days of Action,” where faith communities organize their members to write letters to State Senators calling for action on marriage equality this month.

  • Collecting letters of support for marriage and GENDA at high-traffic voter areas in key Senate Districts on Primary Election Day

  • Phone banking across the state at strategic moments so that Senators hear from their constituents and get the message that they need to act now to provide equality for LGBT New Yorkers and our families

Check out our Program Calendar to find out how you can get involved at an event near you. We’ll be updating it as needed throughout September, so check back frequently. 

 

It was a frustrating end of the regular legislative session in June, but we’re still on the path to victory. We need all of you to stay engaged and active—if we do this, we will be in a position to win some major victories this fall.