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The LGBT community is often told that there is not the support needed to pass, or even introduce, certain pieces of legislation. Rarely are we told who needs to be persuaded to gain the needed support. When we are it is usually within days of the vote. And, because of technological constraints, this information is not up to date.
The Public Whip Count fundamentally changes the way advocacy on legislation works. It empowers the grassroots, and any citizen, to possess the knowledge necessary to organize and pressure our elected officials until enough votes are secured to introduce or pass legislation. It replaces secrecy with transparency and accountability and allows anyone who cares about LGBT equality to become an activist for full legal equality.
The most revolutionary aspect of our Public Whip Count tool is that it shares power with national organizations, the grassroots, elected officials and party leaders and allows real-time updates.
The non-discrimination bill known as GENDA died in the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning to the chagrin of state Sen. Tom Duane, who is sponsoring the legislation with Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, a fellow Manhattan Democrat.
The legislation, is described as “AN ACT to amend the executive law, the civil rights law and the education law, in relation to prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity or expression; and to amend the penal law and the criminal procedure law, in relation to including offenses regarding gender identity or expression within the list of offenses subject to treatment as hate crimes.”
All 11 Republicans on the Judiciary Committee voted down the bill, plus Democratic state Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. of the Bronx.
Duane attributed the defeat partly to a difference of opinions on legislative strategy.
“it is now yet again confirmed that the Senate is a cesspool of homophobia and transphobia,” said Duane, who is openly gay. “The advocates wanted to go through a committee… I believe that we should have brought GENDA through Rules and brought it right to the floor so as to deny the right-wing fringe the ability to organize against GENDA with their lies and distortions.”
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Ask your Members or Congress or staff their position on this legislation. Indicate that you are conducting a Public Whip Count and that you know to mark their position specifically as: Sponsor, Cosponsor, Yes, Leaning Yes, Undecided, Leaning No, or No. Then indicate in the notes with whom you spoke, and if not voting Yes, the reasons. When you click save, the system will record publicly the date and your name. The contact information provided is the Washington DC office; if you click on it, it will show the website for the Member of Congress–including location of local offices and phone numbers. You can look up your Member by zip code here.
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btwi: anyone who thinks gays “choose” to be gay is a stupid moron. i tried to be straight many times with women but had no rise in the levis…
also, gays recruit children? more stupity. peresonlay i was an active gay child. at 5 i felatiated a 4 yr old. at 9 i was having anal intercourse with a another 9yr old.
at 11 i asked and adult male if i could touch his private parts.s at 14 i was doin it with another 14 yr old bud….i was never “molested” by an adult– but sure fanatisied about it–often. please feel free to pass this on to any moron that needs to be educated.
31 yeses, with Carl Kruger in Brooklyn now supporting marriage so maybe he will support GENDA also.
I’m a heterosexual who supports equal rights for all GLBT people. It’s not about who you sleep with, it’s about who you love.
btwi: anyone who thinks gays “choose” to be gay is a stupid moron. i tried to be straight many times with women but had no rise in the levis…
also, gays recruit children? more stupity. peresonlay i was an active gay child. at 5 i felatiated a 4 yr old. at 9 i was having anal intercourse with a another 9yr old.
at 11 i asked and adult male if i could touch his private parts.s at 14 i was doin it with another 14 yr old bud….i was never “molested” by an adult– but sure fanatisied about it–often. please feel free to pass this on to any moron that needs to be educated.