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WRITE TO YOUR LEGISLATORS NOW!
Please use the following sample letter as a guide to write to your local representatives about the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
[Date]
The Honorable [Legislator's full name]
Legislative Office Building, Room [#]
Albany, New York [12247 for Senate, 12248 for Assembly]
Dear [Senator/Assemblymember Last Name]:
I am a constituent of yours in [city, town or village] in [name of county] County. I am writing to ask you to oppose the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (A.2998 / S.2220) and advocate with your colleagues to keep this discriminatory bill from being voted on in either chamber of the NYS Legislature.
A.2998 / S.2220 takes the unnecessary step of affirmatively saying in New York law that any marriage between persons of the same sex is null and void. It codifies the second-class status of the literally tens of thousands of families headed by same-sex couples living in literally every county of the state according to the last U.S. census. These couples and their children are not going away. The only question is whether government will provide them with the same protections as all other families or whether they are to be left out in the cold to fend for themselves for such basic things as the right to see a partner in the hospital, the right to inherit property, or the right to make medical decisions for an incapacitated loved one.
[You should feel free to describe your family and how you are affected by not having access to marriage. For example: "My partner and I have been in a loving, committed relationship for six years, and still we are without the 700+ rights and responsibilities that New York confers on married couples as soon as they say, 'I do.'" If you have a particular story to tell about something that happened to you (e.g., you were kept from seeing a partner in the hospital, or make medical decisions for each other, etc.), you should also include it in a sentence or two.]
Fortunately, New Yorkers are not in favor of changing the law to discriminate against families. According to a Global Strategies poll in April 2004, only 43% of New Yorkers are in favor of a law like A.2998 / S.2220 that explicitly limits marriage to one man and one woman. All polling shows the public in New York State almost evenly split on whether same-sex couples should be allowed to legally marry. The public is talking about this important issue and debating it, and that is what our democracy is all about.
Anyone who truly cares about family values should be committed to giving all New York families the things they need to support and care for each other. There is nothing conservative or even appropriate about using the law to tell people how to live their lives, certainly not when it comes to love and family. I am calling on you as my elected representative to prevent passage of the Defense of Marriage Act so no New York family is denied basic protection and equal benefits for themselves and their loved ones.
Sincerely,
[Signature]
[Name printed]
[Home address]
[Phone]
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