Riggs Amendment is a threat to domestic partnership policies. Write your senator now!

Enda is one vote away from passing! Urgent action is required; particularly in Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia. A sample letter is on the Enda page for now. Act today!

Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). The Human Rights Campaign is working hard to pass a federal bill that would make discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the workplace illegal. This bill is known as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). You may remember that this bill would add sexual orientation to the existing non-discrimination bill (which prohibits discrimination in hiring, firing and promotion discrimination based on race, color, disability, national origin, age, religious affiliation, and gender). IT IS PERFECTLY LEGAL TO FIRE SOMEONE OR NOT HIRE SOMEONE IN ALL BUT NINE STATES JUST FOR BEING GAY, LESBIAN OR BISEXUAL. The bill lost by ONE VOTE when it came up for a vote in 1996. In order to get the Senate to vote on the bill in this Congress, HRC needs one more vote to get the Labor Committee to ask for a full Senate vote. Senators from these five states are critical: VA (Senator Warner), ME (Senator Collins), OH (Senator DeWine), TN (Senator Frist), NH (Senator Gregg). Go to the instant e-mail/letters page!

Fight Focus on the Family! (posted March 6, 1998)  Focus on the Family has launched another offensive, stating their principles of "no-compromise" legislation in a letter addressed to Rep. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) in reply to a request from Speaker Newt Gingrich for FotF's top legislative priorities. Of course there was homophobic language in it! Let FotF, Coburn, Gingrich, and others know where you stand! Just click here and copy and paste the letter into your word processor. Then go to HRC's Action Center, look up the address of your Senator and Representative, and mail the letter to them! Or, for you busy activists, send an instant email to everyone involved with our Instant E-mail system!

Missouri's Sodomy Laws Examined (posted March 5, 1998)  If you live in Missouri, this one is for you! Openly gay Missouri state Representative Tim Van Zandt (D-Kansas City) has introduced a bill to repeal the state's 142-year-old sodomy statute, which applies solely to homosexual acts. First offenses can be punished with up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Van Zandt, who four years ago became the first open gay ever elected to the Missouri legislature, has fifteen co-sponsors for his measure. However, it is also actively opposed by the Missouri Family Network, whose spokesperson told the committee the sodomy law protected public health and provided a basis for teaching morality. Missouri is one of only six states whose sodomy laws apply solely to same-gender acts; the others are Arkansas, Maryland, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. If you live in Missouri, write your representative!

Decriminalization of Homosexuality in Puerto Rico (posted March 4, 1998)  Help to repeal Penal Code 103 in Puerto Rico, which says, "Whoever has sexual intercourse with another person of the same sex or commits the crime against nature with a human being shall be punished with ten years of prison. If there are increasing circumstances, the penalty could be risen up to a maximum of twelve years; if there are extenuating circumstances, it could be reduced down to a minimum of six years." This effort is being put together by the Coalition Against Article 103. We have four letters for you to print and send; just click on each hyperlink and print out the text!
President of Puerto Rico's Senate
President of Puerto Rico's House of Representatives
President of the Juridicial and Penal Commission - Senate
President of the Juridicial and Penal Commission - House