I called my State Senator's office yesterday (Fontana) and discovered that I was the first person to thank him for voting against SB 1250, the Anti-Gay Family Amendment.  The first person.  What the heck is up with that?  Why aren't people calling?  Actually, plenty of people, just people from the christo-bigot flavored variety, are calling. 

I just wrote everyone in my address book and asked them to call.  It seems so easy to brush off making that call ... the threat of the legislation passing seems ridiculous.  But it isn't.  The threat is very real.  And if you are or love someone who is in an unmarried heterosexual relationship, the threat is real for you, too. 

Joe Brandtner of Beechview took a stance.  I hope he made a phone call, too.

I am a gay man, 59 years of age. My partner and I have been together for 40 years. We are and have been taxpaying citizens. We deserve the same rights as our heterosexual counterparts. Yet we remain second-class citizens, unable to enjoy the same legal rights of marriage in this commonwealth.

I am old enough to remember the Stonewall riots where gays and lesbians fought back against the New York Police Department and their campaign of harassment. And, they won!

I remember the gay and lesbian boycott of anything associated with Anita Bryant, who so vehemently campaigned against gays.

Now Pennsylvania senators have moved to enact a constitutional amendment to restrict the rights of gays and lesbians to have equal protection under the law in marriage. ("Panel OKs Constitutional Ban on Gay Marriage," March 19). This is an outrage to any gay or lesbian taxpaying citizen. Lawmakers who support this obvious religiously backed amendment do not understand the constitutional right of the citizens to have freedom from religion.

These lawmakers seem to be traitors to the constitution of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Therefore it is time for a gay liberation army to rise up, to defend the constitutional rights of lesbian and gay citizens in Pennsylvania and to take the rights that are being denied! We are second-class citizens who are obligated to pay first-class taxes! Therefore we endure taxation without representation!

Rise up, gay Pennsylvanians! Call for national boycotts on anything Pennsylvanian! Do what is necessary to gain fully equal rights in this supposed commonwealth!

I like it.  He sound angry and fed up, as well he should be.  Our legislators are trying to distract voters from real issues by tapping into fear based bigotry about sexual orientation and many, many religious leaders are going along for the ride.  It is a clear agenda of discrimination AND AND AND AND ... a DISTRACTION from what is really important to your family ... schools, taxes, health care, infrastructure, violence. Oh, and the economy. 

How can it be that no one has called Senator Fontana's office?