WASHINGTON - February 27 - On Tuesday, February 24, 2004, solely for political gain, President Bush endorsed and called for quick passage of the anti-gay Musgrave Constitutional Amendment - which as it is now written, would ban the recognition of not just marriage, but all forms of same-sex partner recognition, including civil unions and domestic partnerships.

The Task Force called this hurtful, divisive and distinctly un-American act by Bush a declaration of war on gay America. (Read our full statement here.) Upon hearing Bush's speech, the Task Force, along with a coalition of our sister organizations, helped pull together rallies/press conferences attended by hundreds of people in both New York and Los Angeles.

Many of you asked us at these rallies and through hundreds of phone calls/e-mails since Tuesday, what you can do to express your outrage.

In the short term:

1. Call and write your U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators and tell them to vote against an amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning civil marriage for same-sex couples and urge them to lobby their colleagues in Congress to do the same. Don't know who your elected officials are? Go here to find contact information for them. (Service provided by Project Vote Smart)

2. Speak From Your Heart With Family and Friends. It is vitally important that we all express to our loved ones why the issue of equal marriage rights for same-sex couples is so important. A tip sheet for breaking the ice and speaking to your family and friends about this issue can be downloaded from the Task Force Marriage Information Resource Center.

3. Call the White House. Right-wing political and religious extremists are flooding the White House with calls of support for Bush. We must make our voices heard. White House phone lines: comments: 202-456-1111, TTY/TDD comments: 202-456-6213.

4. Support the work of the Task Force. Please Help Us Stop Discrimination. Donate Now. Click on the stop sign link at http://www.TheTaskForce.org.

We'll keep you updated with more long-term strategies in the near future. We thank you in advance for your support.

###