Protect Marriage, Illinois! Counter the ‘Homosexuals Re-Defining Marriage’ Lobby Day

“Same-sex marriage” in Massachusetts has opened up the door to pro-homosexuality lessons for young children in public schools. Illinois is a prime target of homosexual activists. To get involved in the Protect Marriage Illinois referendum drive, click on www.protectmarriageillinois.org. At left is one of the first pro-homosexual picture books, “Daddy’s Roommate.”

TAKE ACTION: Today is Homosexuals Re-defining Marriage Lobby Day in Springfield (at least that’s what we’re calling it). Homosexual activists are targeting Illinois — with the goal of turning us into the “Massachusetts of the Midwest” — and we need your help to stop their radical agenda. If you are an Illinois resident:

1) Call your State Representative and your State Senator at 217-782-2000 and urge them to oppose HB 1826, the House homosexual “civil unions” bill, and SB 2436, the Senate version. While you’re at it, ask your legislators to oppose the pro-homosexual “domestic partnership” bill, HB 4731, which would expand the definition of spouse for some Chicago teachers’ benefits to include homosexual “partners.” Illinois (and every state) needs to reward and provide incentives for real marriage and the natural family, not destructive and immoral homosexual behavior. If you don’t know the names of your representative and state senator, call Illinois Family Institute at 630-790-8370 or go to this IFI web page: http://www.votervoice.net/Core.aspx?AID=728&APP=GAC&screen=Address&.

2) Join Protect Marriage Illinois‘ (PMI) effort to defend marriage in Illinois! Go to PMI’s website, www.protectmarriageillinois.org, and download a pro-marriage petition sheet for the county you live in. PMI is working to get signatures to place an Advisory Marriage Protection referendum on the ballot to call on Illinois legislators to pass a constitutional amendment to preserve the sacred institution of marriage as between a man and a woman. The deadline is very near — April 30th — to get the necessary 269,000 signatures on the ballot, so please act now and encourage YOUR CHURCH to do a petition drive. All petitions must be notarized. Call PMI’s Acting Director Joetta Deutch at 217-377-6017 or email her at info@protectmarriageillinois.org for more information and for help in doing a petition drive at your church. More details on PMI below.

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1) Background on Homosexual Activists’ “Redefining Marriage” Lobby Day

Here is some background from our friends at the Illinois Family Institute:

Homosexual activists with Equality Illinois, Stonewall Democrats, Illinois Log Cabin Republicans, and the ACLU of Illinois are going to the Capitol on Wednesday, April 9th to lobby for the passage of counterfeit marriage legislation — HB 1826.

This bill would extend legal recognition and benefits of civil marriage to homosexual couples. The only difference between marriage and the governmental recognition this bill would grant is in name.

TAKE ACTION: Click HERE to email your State Representative today and ask him/her to vote ‘NO’ to the “Civil Unions” bill — HB 1826. Politely tell your lawmaker that Illinois’ government should not officially recognize immoral, unhealthy, and changeable homosexual behavior. (Be assured, your calls and emails are very important; legislators take very seriously the letters and the numbers of letters they receive.)

Email your state representative now by clicking HERE, or you can call the Capitol switchboard at 217-782-2000.

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2) Background on Chicago Teachers’ Homosexual Partners bill, HB 4371:

See White Paper by IFI Executive Director Dave Smith: http://www.illinoisfamily.org/content/img/f33761/IFI_HB_4731_2.pdf. This bill is sponsored by homosexual activist legislator Gregg Harris. Smith writes:

“While Illinois does not even recognized common-law marriage, this bill is moving to recognize same-sex domestic partners to be the same as married spouses for purposes of survivor and death benefits under Illinois law….

“HB 4731 would set a new precedent and public policy in Illinois as the first legislative vote explicitly establishing governmental benefits for unmarried “partners.” Previously, unmarried partners secured “DP” benefits — e.g., at the University of Illinois — but there was no vote in the Assembly creating these misguided benefits.”

More info on other bills of concern to Illinois families can be found here: http://www.illinoisfamily.org/news/contentview.asp?c=33786

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3) Background on Protect Marriage Illinois (www.protectmarriageillinois.org) Petition Drive:

TAKE ACTION: Download your PMI petition for YOUR COUNTRY at www.protectmarriageillinois.org. Call PMI Acting Director Joetta Deutch at 217-377-6017 or email her at info@protectmarriageillinois.org for help or information on the petition drive. The deadline for turning your NOTARIZED petitions in is April 30th, so you must act fast.

PMI, which nearly succeeded in getting a Marriage Protection referendum on the Illinois ballot in 2006, is trying again, after some big changes to the organization that have temporarily slowed our effort down. You can read the petition language at www.protectmarriageillinois.org. PMI is no longer affiliated with Illinois Family Institute, which is focusing instead on legislation in Springfield. PMI is now a stand-alone, all-volunteer effort (Americans For Truth President Peter LaBarbera is on the PMI Board of Directors), which retains the same goal as always: passing a binding, constitutional amendment to preserve the age-old definition of marriage in the Land of Lincoln.

The good news is that despite the changeover and the totally volunteer nature of the new PMI campaign, Protect Marriage Illinois has gathered over 100,000 signatures! Obviously, there is tremendous support in Illinois and the heartland in general for preserving marriage against the homosexual activists’ relentless campaign to re-define it to accommodate their immoral lifestyles.

The “bad” news is that the deadline for turning the required 269,000 signatures is the end of this month, April 30th. It will take a huge influx of petitions in these last three weeks to cross the threshold. This often happens in petition drives, so do what you can to help and get YOUR CHURCH involved! Set a goal of, say, 100, (notarized) signatures and send them to PMI by April 30th; the address to turn in the petitions is:

PMI
P.O. Box 6017
Taylorville, IL 62568

Whether we make it or not, PMI will not rest until a binding constitutional amendment is on the books protecting marriage in Illinois from being radically re-defined. Again, you can contact PMI’s Joetta Deutch at 217-377-6017 or at info@protectmarriageillinois.org.

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The Homosexual Lobby Has Lots of $$$$, but AFTAH Needs Your Help!

How come the forces FOR homosexuality are bolder than those opposing their immoral agenda? Help us defend your liberties — and the next generation — by regularly praying for and financially supporting Americans For Truth. To make a donation online to Americans For Truth, click on our online donation page (you can use PayPal or your own credit card): www.americansfortruth.com/donate.

We are grateful for those of you who have signed up as monthly “Truth Team” givers by pledging a donation on of at least $20/month to AFTAH. We think this is a good investment in your children’s and their children’s future!

Our goal is to sign up 1,000 monthly AFTAH ‘Truth Team’ givers to put us on healthy financial footing.

You can also send your tax-deductible donation via regular mail to:

Americans For Truth, P.O. Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522