Click Here To Email 50 ENDA-Shy Legislators on ENDA

Great idea

Great idea but could we also do the same for the much needed UAFA bill?

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by: LoveMoby @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 19:35:59 PM CDT

Ask Immigration Equality

Immigration Equality may have a list.  

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by: Repeal8 @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 20:42:28 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

thanks

I dont know why I didnt think of that. Thanks much for the suggestion.

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by: LoveMoby @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 21:14:18 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Reemphasizing the obvious: Lobbying is critical for ENDA to pass

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to organize meetings to garner support for ENDA.  As Barney Frank mentioned today in his testy interview with Michael Signorile, a vote is scheduled for September!!  That is not far away at all.  At the least, please, please, please call your Representatives.

It it is important to spend time holding the Democrats to account for their lack of action, but we also MUST engage in citizen lobbying.  Yes, it can be logistically inconvenient.  Yes, it can be intimidating (go with a group to help make yourself more comfortable)!  But at the end of the day, our members of Congress have to hear from us, and hear our stories of discrimination.

Having worked in national politics for a time, I can tell you first-hand that it makes ALL the difference on the day of the vote when a Representative can reference an actual constituent before hitting the "yay" or "nay" button.

ENDA, although it isn't the only protection we need, is a very big, important bill.  For all of the transgender, gay, lesbian, bisexual people who still live in fear of losing their jobs or can't get hired because people perceive them as gay or gender non-conforming, it can mean all the difference.  After all, no job = no housing, no healthcare, no security.  It is critically important.  I know I don't need to tell this to the readers of the Blend, but I really hope we all lobby our legislators on ENDA, even if they aren't on the "undecided" list.  Everyone needs to hear from us.

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by: Repeal8 @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 20:03:56 PM CDT

Fight the good fight

but I'm telling you now, contacting Boren is a waste of time.

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by: peacearena @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 20:12:31 PM CDT

I'm afraid the same goes for Ben Chandler of Kentucky

He was one of the few Dems who voted for to amend the US Constitution to outlaw gay marriage.  

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by: ChristopherM @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 20:22:02 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Chandler & Boren

I wouldn't write those two off.  Just because they supported the marriage amendment doesn't mean they won't support a non-discrimination bill.  At the end of the day, we need their VOTE, not their active cosponsorship or presence at press conferences.  If just one of these conservative Dems moves, they provide cover to others.  At the very least, given that same-sex marriage doesn't poll as well as ENDA, a strong argument can me made that ENDA is the less politically difficult thing for Boren and Chandler to do.

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by: Repeal8 @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 20:39:59 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Bobby Rush of Illinois is undecided??

Yikes!  Thanks for sharing.

I'll put the word out over here. He represents part of the Chicago area, although I'm not in his district.

I'm a bit confused as to why he's "undecided". He's always been a supporter.

Anyone in the Chicago area in PHB know what's up with Rush?  This is very unexpected and I'd like to know why.

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by: JJ in Chicago @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 20:14:40 PM CDT

Rush. . .

I think Bobby Rush, like several others on this list, needs to hear from people in his district on the trans-inclusive version of ENDA specifically.  He was supportive of a sexual orientation bill, but perhaps needs a local voice to push him in favor of gender identity.  My guess, without having solid information, is that he is generally supportive but could really use a local visit from local folks.

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by: Repeal8 @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 20:37:02 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

For the NYers

Make sure u email our 4 undecided reps and ask them to co-sponsor. All 4 voted of the Shepard Act so they may just not have co-sponsored yet.

Be sure to thank them for their previous vote and point out that NY has a partial ENDA and that they can change it to a fully inclusive one. Bring up gender-identity and ask them to be more supportive than Albany politicians who have yet to include gender-identity in their laws.

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by: msark @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 20:58:10 PM CDT

Worthless Dem Party

Am I the only one who thinks it's more than a little pathetic to have to persuade Dems to support ENDA?  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  The Dems have absolutely no interest in the rights of GLBTs -- or any Americans, for that matter.  Like the Repubs, their only interest is in stuffing their pockets and helping their rich friends for as long as they can get away with it.  

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by: ankrbaby @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 06:29:43 AM CDT

Yes, you are.

Politicians move on the issues that matter to their constituents, not necessarily the issues that matter to the country. We have to convince them that ENDA - specifically, the inclusive version of the bill - DOES matter to their constituents.

That's how politics works. Get over it.

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by: Kittyburger @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 06:33:38 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I am over it

I'm no longer interested in begging Dems to deliver on what they promised me when they were running for office.  It's humiliating, and I already know from experience that it won't do any good.  I live in IL and, even though the Dems control the government, they were unable to find the time to vote on a watered-down civil unions bill.  The Dem sponsor of the bill (Greg Harris) did find the time to send me an email asking for a donation to his campaign fund, though.  My partner and I made several phone calls and wrote emails to our Dem representative, with no reply.

Yep, I'm over it.

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by: ankrbaby @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 10:23:11 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Marc Scheuer

Scheuer's web site is set up to refuse comments from anyone outside his district, even Michiganders.

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report

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by: Lev Raphael @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 09:40:10 AM CDT

...

You can usually get around that by entering the address of one of his offices in the email.  

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by: Disuberence @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 13:11:20 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

lol

and I thought I was the only one who used that trick :)

Dr. Jillian T. Weiss

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by: DrJillianTWeiss @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 20:35:13 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

It's not pathetic, it's Politics

A number of people, here and elsewhere, have bemoaned the fact that we don't have a larger number of legislators publicly in support of ENDA.  

ENDA is part of the Democratic Party platform.  But it can be a bit politically awkward in certain areas of the country.  What's needed is not to bemoan the situation, but to meet with legislators in these districts and give them a human connection.  

My legislator, in liberal New York (though in the more conservative Bronx), was not at first a co-sponsor of ENDA.  I called his office a dozen times.  Every time I got a different person.  Sometimes they offered to give him a message.  Some offered to get back to me.  Some entered my name is some sort of a database.  Some asked for my address, others asked for my email address.  None knew anything about the bill.  I never did hear back from them.  But since I am following the progress on the Inclusive ENDA spreadsheet, I saw that he did come out as a co-sponsor of the bill when it was posted.  I was ecstatic!

I was very happy with him.  I called his office back and got a very bored secretary.  I think his name was Patrick.  I told him I wanted to thank Congressman Crowley for co-sponsoring the bill and that I was very proud of him for taking this action.  After misspelling my name three times, he got a bit impatient and hung up with a quick "buh-bye."  

This is what you have to do if you want to get a bill through Congress. It's not pathetic.  It's Politics.  

Dr. Jillian T. Weiss

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by: DrJillianTWeiss @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 20:42:42 PM CDT