Ask your senator to support the marriage equality and GENDA bills!

You can help kick off the new legislative session in Albany with marriage equality and GENDA bills that are stronger than ever by asking your state senator to support or co-sponsor both. Communication from constituents like you is essential to changing the hearts and minds of elected officials.

Before marriage equality and GENDA are re-introduced for the new 2011-2012 legislative session, state senators have the opportunity to show their support by becoming co-sponsors of the bills. This is a new opportunity for senators to step up and publicly endorse these bills now that the recent elections have shown how supporting our issues is a winning strategy.

Contact your senator right now. Email them through our action center or call them on the New York State Senate switchboard at 518-455-2800 with the reasons why they should support and even co-sponsor these bills:

"As your constituent, it's important to me that all New Yorkers are treated fairly. Will you support both the bill to allow same-sex couples to get married in this state and the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act?"

Your work to persuade your senator is vital to regaining the momentum towards the broad bipartisan support that will be necessary to actually pass GENDA and marriage equality into law.

Governor Cuomo has already shown a commitment to LGBT equality and justice by calling for marriage equality this year in his State of the State address, by promptly reissuing the executive order prohibiting discrimination against transgender people in state employment, and by appointing Alphonso David -- an African American gay attorney -- to the newly-created position of Deputy Secretary for Civil Rights. We need the New York State Senate to follow his lead. We need you to call your senator early in the legislative session to tell them why they should reconsider their position on legislation providing marriage for same-sex couples and basic transgender civil rights.

Next step: let us know what happened! If your senator's office responds, please contact our Director of Legislative and Political Affairs Brian Coffin at bcoffin AT prideagenda DOT org and tell us what they said.