[Photo (by NS) of Creative Art / Memorial at Gallo Park]Passing These (from my email) On:
1: "In a campaign promise fulfilled, President Obama signed the first significant pro-lesbian, pro-woman, pro-disability rights legislation today. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act expands the 1969 federal hate crimes law to include sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability.
'This is a true victory, especially for women,' said NOW President Terry O'Neill. 'NOW's activists have worked tirelessly for years to have gender-based and sexual orientation-based hate crimes included in federal law -- hate crimes that warrant federal prosecution and federal punishment,' said O'Neill.
Federal authorities will now have the power to pursue hate crimes when individuals are targeted for sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability -- authority the federal government never had before.
This legislation is especially important for the girls and women of this nation because it extends existing federal hate crimes laws beyond the narrow scope of protected federal activities and also includes -- for the first time -- violent crimes committed on the basis of actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, disability and gender identity. Women know first hand how vicious crimes of sexual and hate-filled violence can affect our lives, especially if local law enforcement is ill-equipped to investigate and prosecute these crimes. We know that hate crimes are more than individual assaults -- they send shock waves and fear throughout a whole community. Girls' and women's lives are restricted and often ruined by the fear as well as the reality of vicious hate crimes, be they based on our religion, race, gender identity or just because we are women.
'The Matthew Shepard Act is a significant victory for all of us,' said O'Neill. 'I am thrilled that the dedication and hard work of our activists around the county have paid off' ["NOW Applauds Passage of Landmark Hate Crimes Legislation;" NOW Media Relations (press@now.org); Received via email on 10/28/09]
2. "Fax Speaker Pelosi and Congress to Bring Single-Payer Amendment to House Floor...
Congressman Wiener needs your help on his Single-Payer Medicare For All amendment.
Contact Speaker Pelosi and ask her to keep her promise to allow a floor amendment and floor debate on a single payer amendment to the House bill. Although the Speaker promised such a floor amendment in July, there is a strong likelihood that she will back down on that promise.
Remarkably, Speaker Pelosi said in Democratic Caucus "If it were up to me, we would have single payer." Let's remind Nancy Pelosi with a FLOOD of faxes: it IS up to her because she is the Speaker.
Contact Congresspersons with calls to push them to support the single payer Medicare For All amendment. About 100 Congressmen are solidly behind it now, even blue dogs are wavering, so Wiener thinks a push on Congress will help a great deal.
Send a FREE fax to Pelosi and Congress very simply and easily by clicking:
http://www.1payer.net/faxapp/senders/add/cid:40
The Pelosi fax linked above is very important. You can also call her office at 202-225-4965" [As Received via email from Ulster County Democratic Women / jchamberlain@ucdw.org on 10/28/09]
3. Petition: "Let Congress know Being a Woman is NOT a Pre-Existing Condition...
Health care isn’t fair. Women pay more and get less coverage than they need. Yet women have been left out of the debate on health care reform. It’s time to make our voices heard.
Women are regularly denied coverage for 'pre-existing conditions' including pregnancy, a previous C-Section or past domestic abuse. Insurance companies charge women as much as 48 percent more for individual health care coverage than men. And it is expensive, difficult and in some states impossible for women to find coverage for maternity care when purchasing their own health insurance plan" [Sponsored by: National Women's Law Center; As Received via email from Ulster County Democratic Women / jchamberlain@ucdw.org on 10/28/09]
Sign the associated petition (also available in the sidebar >) at:
http://www.change.org/actions/view/being_a_woman_is_not_a_pre-existing_condition
With Due Respect...
[I apologize for copying and pasting - I am exhausted!]
NS
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