Once more into the breach

Word is that the Matthew Shepard Act -- the hate crimes legislation which does include gender identity/orientation -- is in danger of being dropped from a "must-pass" defense funding bill. (Piggy-backing it on the defense bill was intended to force Bush into signing it.) However, now that the House and Senate are reconciling their versions of the bill, anti-LGBT conservatives are trying to strip the hates crimes provisions. (Meanwhile, anti-war liberal oppose the overall bill because parts of it support Bush's efforts to continue the war in Iraq.)

Time to call your Congress critters and let them know you support the hate crimes stipulations and want to keep them in the bill (even if you oppose the overall bill).

BTW, it will be interesting to see if HRC -- whose strategy this was -- will count "no" votes against liberal politicians who've been gay-friendly in the past -- the way they put blackmarks against the representives who voted against ENDA for not being inclusive enough.