In a legislature that votes mostly on party lines on social issues, your direct grassroots action with EQCA has resulted in increased support for our legislation—proving that equality is not a partisan issue.

The bill, which will require prisons to include sexual orientation and gender identity when identifying prisoners who need protection, passed by an overwhelming margin of 65 to 9. 14 of the 29 Republican members voted for the legislation and 6 members abstained from the vote.

This recent victory is just one result of the hard work we have done together to gain more and more support for LGBT equality. Through your countless emails and lobby visits over the years you have shown all members of the Legislature the vital importance of LGBT equality. Members have told me personally that hearing stories from their constituents has only increased their support for EQCA’s legislation.

All of EQCA’s current legislation continues to pass their committees, including yesterday’s Assembly Judiciary Committee vote to make changing one’s gender identification more accessible for transgender persons and last week’s bipartisan vote in the Senate Education Committee to designate May 22 as Harvey Milk Day.

And this recent activity is evidence that the arc of equality always bends toward progress.

Thank you for your continued involvement and support.

Warmly,

Alice Kessler Government Affairs Director Equality California

P.S. Read more about the LGBT Prisoner Safety Act, AB 382, authored by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano at EQCA’s Legislative Center

We cannot let their attacks and threats go unanswered! We need to make sure that legislators hear from those who support equality.

Please call key members of the Senate and Assembly Judiciary Committees who have supported LGBT equality in the past (sample script and phone numbers are below). Ask them to support the resolutions to overturn Prop 8 to protect all minorities from the risk of losing their rights at the ballot box.

If passed, the two EQCA-sponsored resolutions, SR 7 and HR 5, authored by two of our champions in the Legislature, Senator Mark Leno and Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, will put the California Legislature on record as supporting the invalidation of Prop 8, declaring it an illegal revision to the state constitution.

This is our fourth of five actions leading up to our giant lobby day to overturn Prop 8 on Tuesday, the day of the vote, when over 2,000 activists will come together at the Capitol to urge their lawmakers to support these critical resolutions.

Take Action Today! Call Now!

In solidarity,