Dear AFA-Michigan supporter,

Please read this urgent alert from our national affiliate, the American Family Association, and take immediate action by calling your Congressman today.

As always, thanks for your support.

Gary Glenn, President
American Family Association of Michigan

ENDA (H.R. 2015) could enshrine “sexual orientation” in federal law

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) H.R. 2015 is likely to be voted on this week in the U.S. House. ENDA is aimed at providing heightened protections for a particular sexual behavior- homosexuality. It would grant special consideration on the basis of “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” that would not be extended to other employees in the workplace. That could spell trouble for Christian business owners, churches and faith-based groups. Proponents of the bill quickly point to “religious exemptions” in the bill, but most agree that it is a sham.

Here is more information about ENDA H.R. 2015 from our friends at the Family Research Council:

* ENDA affords special protection to a group that is not disadvantaged.
* The issue is not job discrimination: It is whether private businesses will be forced by law to accommodate homosexual activists’ attempts to legitimize homosexual behavior.
* The first “religious exemption” clause is very narrow and offers no clear protection to church-related businesses: Religious schools or charitable organizations, religious bookstores, or any business affiliated with a church or denomination fall outside this narrow definition, and could presumably be required to hire homosexual applicants.
* The second “religious exemption” clause fails to offer protection for all hiring by church-related organizations or businesses. The position of a teacher of religion at a church-related school would be exempt, but, e.g., that of a biology teacher would not. Thus, most of the teachers and staff at a religious school would be covered by ENDA, which means that the church would be forced to hire homosexual applicants for such positions-despite the fact that their lifestyle would be in direct opposition to the religious beliefs of the organization or company.
* It is unlikely that the “religious exemption” included in the bill would survive court challenge: Institutions that could be targeted include religious summer camps, the Boy Scouts, Christian bookstores, religious publishing houses, religious television and radio stations, and any business with fifteen or more employees.
* ENDA violates employers’ and employees’ Constitutional freedoms of religion, speech and association. The proposed legislation would prohibit employers from taking their most deeply held beliefs into account when making hiring, management, and promotion decisions. This would pose an unprecedented intrusion by the federal government into people’s lives.
* ENDA would approvingly bring private behavior considered immoral by many into the public square. By declaring that all sexual preferences are equally valid, ENDA would change national policy supporting marriage and family.

Take Action

Clearly, this is an enormous threat to the freedom of religion and also places unfair burdens on businesses, which should be allowed to make employment decisions based on their religious convictions and business needs.

Urgent! Click here to contact your U.S. Representative. Ask him or her to oppose the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007 (ENDA) H.R. 2015.

Dear AFA-Michigan supporter,

A leading “gay” newspaper in the nation’s capital openly describes homosexual activists’ stepping stone strategy toward legalizing so-called homosexual “marriage”: every “sexual orientation” bill they push this fall in Lansing and Washington, D.C., is intended to lay the foundation for radically redefining marriage, including repeal of our state Marriage Protection Amendment here in Michigan.

Please continue to stand with AFA-Michigan us as we stand guard against this relentless long-term campaign to force so-called homosexual “marriage” on the world in which our children will have to raise their children.

Thank you, and may God bless you and your family!

Gary Glenn, President
American Family Association of Michigan

“Through all of this, marriage and civil unions should remain silent issues — at least silent to the straight public. Tactics and strategies can be formed behind closed doors, while focusing our primary efforts on the passable issues. When all the various (other) issues have been resolved, think of all the money that would be freed up to focus on marriage. We can lobby the president and Congress on repealing (the federal Defense of Marriage Act), while targeting the weakest states to repeal their ‘one man, one woman’ amendments.”

WASHINGTON BLADE
(homosexual activist newsweekly)
Washington, D.C.
August 24, 2007

(Editorial)

Building a house from the roof down
Gay rights leaders are taking a backward approach to the fight.

On August 9th, the Human Rights Campaign and the Logo TV network hosted what was billed as the “first GLBT forum� for the Democratic candidates. “Forum?� What I saw that night looked more like gays and lesbians questioning the candidates on one thing and one thing only: marriage.

Yes, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act was mentioned, as was “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,� the hate crimes bill, HIV, immigration, medicinal marijuana and the bark beetle. But, all combined, the time spent on those issues wasn’t anywhere near the time the panel spent badgering the candidates about the difference between marriage and civil unions.

I quickly noticed the lack of important transgender issues asked by the panel. I figured that Melissa Etheridge wouldn’t ask any trans-related questions and Jonathan Capehart has actually written articles stating that transgender people shouldn’t be included in any legislation. I did hold out hope that Joe Solmonese would ask some tough trans-related question, but that vanished when he asked John Edwards the one and only “T� question in this “GLBT forum.�

Solmonese asked Edwards what he would say if one of his staff members came to him and stated they wanted to transition. What did he think Edwards would say? “I’d kick them out?� Even most Republicans would have answered the question the same way Edwards did. It’s wonderful to see that transgender people have finally reached the level of warranting the same amount of seriousness as the New Mexican bark beetle.

I get the impression that when it comes to working for our rights, some groups want to jump ahead in the process. If efforts and money were put to bear on passing the most acceptable of equal rights legislation first, then on up, each following effort would be easier because of the successes that preceded it.

To me, there is a logical progression to all of this. Arguably, the most acceptable of all the rights legislation to pass is the hate crimes bill, called the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act. We should focus all our efforts on that and nothing else until the Senate passes it. In the long time that it takes Congress to actually accomplish this, we also lobby those people on the fence and plan the next phase behind closed doors.

Next up is passing ENDA and repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.� They would both be equally difficult, but not impossible if all Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgendered people focused on them and them alone. Keep in mind that when DADT is gone, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network will shut its doors and those lawyers would spread out to the rest of the gay community to help in other areas.

When those issues have been addressed and “put to bed,� then we should focus on getting Congress to repeal or amend the Real ID Act and the Permanent Partners Immigration Act. As it stands right now, the Real ID Act could devastate transgender people by forcing many to revert to their birth name and gender.

The PPIA will not allow legally married same-sex couples to reside in the United States as a couple, even if one person is a U.S. citizen. It also affects legally married transgender people the same way. Around the same time, I would also like to see the entire GLBT community work together in ending discrimination in the Veterans Administration toward our transgender veterans.

Through all of this, marriage and civil unions should remain silent issues — at least silent to the straight public. Tactics and strategies can be formed behind closed doors, while focusing our primary efforts on the passable issues.

When all the various above issues have been resolved, think of all the money that would be freed up to focus on marriage. We can lobby the president and Congress on repealing (the federal Defense of Marriage Act), while targeting the weakest states to repeal their “one man, one woman� amendments.

To further illustrate this, think about building a house. Hate crimes is the easiest bill to pass, so it’s our foundation. Passing ENDA, repealing DADT, amending the Real ID Act and PPIA are the walls. Ending discrimination against transgender veterans in the VA is the plumbing and wiring. Civil unions is the roof structure and marriage is the shingles. You don’t build a house upside down. Even butch lesbians can tell you that. Why is it so difficult for our “managers� to understand this?

http://www.washblade.com:80/2007/8-24/view/columns/11121.cfm