Letter from Paul E. Scott

Dear Supporter:

Equality Texas continues to advance the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Texans to achieve full equality for everyone. You are a critical force in the fight for the human rights of LGBT individuals and families. The Equality Project is your opportunity to have a conversation with your legislator about your life and the lives of people you care about.

The Equality Project helps prepare you to speak to your elected representative about critical issues affecting the LGBT community. We know your story can impact the decisions of our elected officials. No matter where a policymaker stands on issues that affect our lives, we can and must build relationships with those officials to give our issues real names and faces. We need to do it for ourselves, and for the larger LGBT movement.

District lobbying is integral to securing equal rights at home, in the workplace, and in the community. Polling and research clearly show people who know openly LGBT people are more likely to support equality and fairness in many areas. When they know LGBT people as neighbors, relatives, friends, and co-workers, reality replaces the myths. You can change perceptions and dispel the myths and stereotypes by showing legislators and the public who gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Texans are.

We need your help as the 80th Legislative Session opens January 9th, 2007. Once again our families will be under attack with legislators seeking to ban foster children from being placed in the homes with gay or lesbian parents. They will also require foster children to be removed from gay and lesbian parents as part of an investigative witch hunt to be paid for by your tax dollars.

• We need you to talk about how important it is for every child to have a safe, loving and permanent home.
• We need you to tell why it is important for LGBT workers to be able to do their job without fear of being fired or harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
• We need you to explain how devastating bullying and harassment is to LGBTQ youth in our schools and how it is imperative that every child have a safe learning environment free from violence, bullying, and harassment.
• We need you just to share the stories of your life to put a face to the issue and let our legislators know that you are part of their constituency and that you care about how they vote on YOUR BEHALF.