today, in Virginia, 2 bills in committee hearings impacting Gays ...

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email from Equality Virginia ...... http://www.equalityvirginia.org/

Today, two bills that will impact Virginia’s gay and lesbian community will be heard in front of committees considering the bill.
Please contact these committee members today! Since both of these committees meet this afternoon, please call 1-800-422-2319 to register your opinion, or send an email.

HB 750 and 751 – Called the “Marriage Affirmation Act” these two nearly identical bills, both introduced by Del. Robert Marshall (R-Springfield) state that Virginia will be under no obligation to recognize civil unions, domestic partnerships or any other partnership contract that provides any of the benefits of marriage, such as hospital visitation rights, health insurance benefits and others. Urge the below Courts of Justice Civil Law subcommittee members to oppose these bills.

Members of the House Courts of Justice Civil Laws Subcommittee: Delegate Terry Kilgore [e-mail]
Delegate Clifford Athey [e-mail]
Delegate William Barlow [e-mail]
Delegate Richard Black [e-mail]
Delegate Bob Brink [e-mail]
Delegate Bill Janis [e-mail]
Delegate Joseph Johnson [e-mail]
Delegate Brad Marrs [e-mail]
Delegate Michele McQuigg [e-mail]
Delegate Gary Alan Reese [e-mail]
Delegate Onzlee Ware [e-mail]

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Sample Letter:

I am writing to you today to urge you to oppose both HB 750 and HB 751, both titled the “Marriage Affirmation Act.”

These bills are nothing more than a mean-spirited attempt to treat gay and lesbian Virginians as second-class citizens. Virginia already has its own “Defense of Marriage Act”, passed in 1997. In addition, no court has upheld that Vermont-style civil-unions are portable from one state to another. Both of these facts make this bill irrelevant at best, and may strip some basic rights at worst.

One potential outcome of this bill is that the so-called “benefits of marriage” may be found illegal by Virginia judges, including the right to visit a sick or injured partner in the hospital, cover your partner with health insurance benefits offered by employees, or voiding the inheritance wishes of someone who is not legally married to their partner.

Please vote against this divisive bill, and thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

SB 477 – This bill introduced by Senator Patricia Ticer (D-Alexandria) would bring Virginia’s now unconstitutional “Crimes Against Nature” law into line with last summer’s Supreme Court decision finding that the government has no right to intrude upon the private intimate relationships of any American. Please contact the below Senate Courts of Justice Committee members and urge them to support this bill. Senate Courts of Justice Committee Members: Senator Kenneth Stolle, Chair District 8
Senator Richard Saslaw District 35
Senator Henry Marsh District 16
Senator Frederick Quayle District 13
Senator Thomas Norment District 3
Senator Janet Howell District 32
Senator Louise Lucas District 18
Senator John Edwards District 21
Senator Roscoe Reynolds District 20
Senator William Mims District 33
Senator Linda Puller District 36
Senator Nick Rerras District 6
Senator Harry Blevins District 14
Senator Kenneth Cuccinelli District 37
Senator Mark Obenshain District 26

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Sample Letter:

Senator ______,

I am writing to urge you to support Senator Ticer’s bill, SB 477, which would bring Virginia’s Crimes Against Nature law into compliance with last summer’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in “Lawrence v. Texas.”

In that decision, the Supreme Court found that all thirteen remaining sodomy laws on the books nationwide were an unconstitutional violation of due process. Just as importantly, they stated that the government has no business to regulate private intimate behavior between consenting adults.

I urge you to follow the Supreme Court decision and amend the current law to be consistent with “Lawrence”.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I will wait for your reply.

Sincerely,

~end of email message~