Date: Wed, 31 Jan 96 17:12 EST From: Maggie Heineman Subject: Update on the Marriage Battles TO: National Freedom to Marry Coalition Members, Partners, and Activists FROM: Evan Wolfson 1. Ron Wyden (Dem.) just won the Oregon Senate race to replace Packwood, beating a right-wing Republican. Of special significance is the fact that Wyden openly endorsed equal marriage rights for gay people; it became an issue in the race when his opponent made it one, and the pro-marriage candidate won. This is something we should publicize; standing up for gay people's freedom to marry is not the "kiss of death" for politicians! Thanks to HRC and other groups that worked hard on this campaign. 2. There are as of this moment eleven states facing anti-marriage bills: AL, AK, CA, MO, NM, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, and WA. We will undoubtedly see others soon. On the good news front: A) we have only lost one (UT last year); B) this year we already won one (in Maine, the anti-marriage bill was withdrawn); C) in many of these states activists are scrambling to mount a legislative defense with help from Coalition members; and D) there are materials available: NGLTF's marriage-organizing manual, Lambda's "sample testimony" and "anti-marriage bill talking points," the Lambda "legal summary," etc. 3. We need key contacts in every state -- these frontline states and the others to come -- to undertake NOW the public education, political organizing, coalition-building, and defensive legislative strategies. Please contact Lambda or other National Freedom to Marry Coalition members and state-by-state partners to get involved. 4. In states where legislative battles are underway, people need to write letters (and get friends to write/call/e-mail) to their legislators now, using the "talking points" available from Lambda and other groups. This is critical! This is a historic moment; the battle is upon us; so far it is we who are winning -- the battle some said could never be won! As we continue to try to promote discussion in the national media (from Nightline to Oprah, from the Economist magazine to the Chicago Tribune to the gay press), we must go group by group by group in the non-gay world to ask for support. And this is something individuals must do, not just one national or local group. Thanks -- Evan Wolfson Director The Marriage Project Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund 666 Broadway, 12th Floor NY, NY 10012 212-995-8585-voice 212-995-2306-fax ******************************************************************************* To send a message to the entire list "marriage", email marriage@abacus.oxy.edu To unsubscribe, send a message 'unsubscribe marriage' to MAJORDOMO@abacus.oxy.edu. To subscribe, send a message 'subscribe marriage' to MAJORDOMO@abacus.oxy.edu. *******************************************************************************