Current Action Alert ( sign up to receive AFA of PA Action Alerts
Education
Issues
Homosexual Agenda
CURRENT ACTION ALERT 2005 -- Part 1
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
Tomorrow
is Pride Picnic (GayDay) at
It
recently came to our attention that the family-owned
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"PRIDE
PICNIC |
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I
don’t believe it is actually sponsored by Knoebels Grove, but the
statements noted above “New this year will be the ALL GAY PHOENIX
roller coaster. All picnic participants will gather to make the
famed wooden classic roller coaster a QUEER COASTER starting at
Also note the official bed and breakfast of GayDay at Knoebel 2005 is The River View Inn of Sunbury. In that situation it appears that they are fully aware of who a number of their guests will be for the weekend.
Tomorrow at Knoebels Grove how many parents are going to take their children for a good time and instead have to explain why two men or two women are holding hands and/or kissing? How many children will be put in potential danger when sent into the restroom alone?
There’s
an upcoming First Annual Miss Gay Pennsylvania, Miss Gay
Pennsylvania American 2006 Pageant, and a gay and lesbian film
festival. Also
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Contact Knoebels Grove and express your concern about Pride Picnic at their family-friendly park. E-mail at info@knoebels.com or call 1-800-487-4386.
2.) If your family has plans for a fun-filled day at an amusement park, you may consider doing a Google search at on the park www.google.com to see if any ‘gay pride events’ are planned the day your family plans to attend.
3.)
Plan on attending the September 17 AFA of PA ‘Preserving
Traditional Values in Today’s Culture Conference’ in
4.) Sign our online petition to Protect Traditional Marriage and encourage our legislators to allow Pennsylvanians to vote on a marriage amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. You can also download a copy to circulate by clicking hear
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
Governor Rendell Says the Courts Should Define Marriage
In
a
The AFA of PA has sent the Governor a fax outlining some of the problems with legalizing same-sex marriage. They are listed below:
Scandinavian countries have had some form of same-sex marriage for a decade – marriage is no longer viewed as important, in some areas up to 80%of all births are out-of-wedlock
Homosexuality will be viewed and taught in schools as a safe, alternative lifestyle while in reality the health ramifications are enormous – according to the CDC , almost 60% or 2 in 3 cases of AIDS involve men who have sex with men (MSM), cases of anal cancer soar among MSM, 1 in 5 gay men claim they are victims of domestic violence, according to the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association those involved in the homosexual lifestyle are more prone to substance abuse, cancers, STDs, and psychological disorders, the Oxford University International Journal of Epidemiology reports that a man involved in the homosexual lifestyle can shorten his life by up to 20 years.
q Studies have consistently shown that children need a mother and a father. Children raised in same-sex households grow up confused about their sexuality and are more prone to early sexual experimentation and substance abuse.
q
Parents of
natural families will be discriminated against if they try to
protect their children from homosexual indoctrination within the
public school system. This
has already happened in
q
If the
definition of marriage is changed to include same-sex relationships,
it can be changed to include any other type relationship.
In June 2005 addressing an Ivy League school, ACLU president
Nadine Strossen stated that her organization has "defended the
right of individuals to engage in polygamy.”
ACTION NEEDED:
1.)
Call Governor Rendell and tell him that we don’t need the
courts to decide the definition of marriage in
2.) Statements such as the Governor’s show the importance of an amendment to our state’s Constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Sign our online petition to Protect Traditional Marriage and encourage our legislators to allow Pennsylvanians to vote on a marriage amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. You can also download a copy to circulate by clicking here. You will need Adobe Reader to access the petition. Click here to download for free.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
State Employees Benefit Trust Fund to Study Providing Benefits to Same-sex Partners
Yesterday by a unanimous vote the board of the State Employees Benefit Trust Fund decided to study the possibility of extending coverage to the same-sex partners and unmarried heterosexual partners of state employees. This all would have taken place in a completely closed meeting if it had not been for House Majority Leader Representative Sam Smith (R-Jefferson) and Appropriations Committee Chairman Representative Brett Feese (R-Lycoming) demanding that the meeting be opened to the public because of the State’s Sunshine Laws. The meeting was not opened, but these two representatives were permitted to attend. They have sued to open the meetings to the public, especially if a dramatic change in policy such as extending same-sex domestic partner benefits occurs. The court will decide on Tuesday whether their injunction will be upheld.
It
is of interest to note that the proposal was introduced by Joan
Bruce, the union rep from the Service Employees International Union
(SEIU), and seconded by a Mr. Kornfeld of the Pennsylvania State
Education Association (PSEA). The
SEIU is a member of the AFL-CIO and the PSEA is the state affiliate
of the National Education Association (NEA). Remember the AFL-CIO
Executive Committee voted in March to condemn all efforts to pass
federal and state marriage amendments to protect traditional
marriage and we all know where the NEA stands on promoting the
homosexual agenda in our nation’s schools!
Check
out the State Employees Benefit Trust Fund website at http://www.pebtf.org
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Contact the State Employees Benefit Trust Fund and tell them that you don’t want your tax dollars used to fund the health care benefits of same-sex or heterosexual live-in partners of state employees. Pennsylvanians do not want traditional marriage undermined and this is one more step towards doing that. Rachel Oliver is the Supervisor of Benefit Services. The contact information is below.
· Local (717) 561-4750
· In State (800) 522-7279
· Out of State (800) 628-0174
Postal Address
·
Electronic Mail
2.)
Contact your State Representative and State Senator and tell
them that you don’t want your tax dollars used to fund such a move
by the State Employees Benefit Trust Fund.
Also tell them that this is another reason why we need a
marriage protection amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution.
Click
here to find your State Representative’s contact information
– key in your zip code or county in the upper right hand corner.
Click
here to find your State Senator’s contact information – key
in your zip code or county in the upper right hand corner.
3.)
Plan on attending the September 17 AFA of PA ‘Preserving
Traditional Values in Today’s Culture Conference’ in
4) Sign our online petition to Protect Traditional Marriage and encourage our legislators to allow Pennsylvanians to vote on a marriage amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. You can also download a copy to circulate by clicking here. You will need Adobe Reader to access the petition. Click here to download for free.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
Sorry to Ruin Your Fourth of July Weekend, BUT the Gay Historical Marker to be Unveiled Today!!
On June 15 I attended the quarterly meeting of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission at the State Museum in Harrisburg. Four of us addressed the commissioners and each expressed concerns about the approval of a historical marker commemorating the 1965 homosexual rights parade in front of Independence Hall. It is our understanding that it was approved unanimously by the commissioners. I came with a list of questions, three of which were when, where and by whom the marker would be unveiled. They had no answers at that time and for two weeks we waited. Finally, Wednesday I faxed a list of the questions to the commissioners again asking for answers.
The AFA of PA received a phone call late yesterday afternoon from the PHMC to inform us that the historical marker will be unveiled today! The marker will be unveiled by Barbara Franco, the Executive Director of PHMC, at 10:00 a.m. at the National Constitution Center, 525 Arch Street in Philadelphia. The ceremony is by invitation only and is not open to the public (Apparently the National Constitution Center is not large enough to accommodate the great ‘throng’ of people who anxiously await the unveiling of this marker!) The historical marker’s final location will be the corner of Chestnut and Sixth Streets – less than a stone’s throw from Independence Hall which is located between Fifth and Sixth Streets on Chestnut Street.
Yes, I believe we can be cynical about the timing -- the late afternoon call and the holiday weekend! Click here to read the news release we issued.
What an outrage during the time when we will be celebrating our nation’s birth! This marker will be unveiled right there, where America’s Founding Fathers took the step to declare ‘enough is enough’ and began the fight to throw off the English crown.
Are we ready to declare ‘enough is enough’ as we see our nation’s history rewritten? Our nation’s children are being taught that people are ‘born gay,’ that homosexuality is a matter of civil rights just as when African Americans struggled for their civil rights. This is the constant mantra of the mainstream media and liberal politicians both in Pennsylvania and on the national level. One propaganda tool is the constant repetition of an idea and we’ve all heard “If you tell a lie often enough people will begin to believe it.” Well, that is what is happening with this issue.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Contact your state representative and state senator and ask them to support Representative Metcalfe’s effort to stop the promotion of the homosexual lifestyle using your tax dollars. Click here to find who your legislators are – in the upper right hand corner enter your county, or for a more accurate response, enter your nine-digit zip code.
2.)
Contact the commissioners of the PHMC –
Mailing Address:
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
300 North Street
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 787-3362
fax: (717) 783-9924
2005
Commission Members
Executive Director: Barbara Franco; Chairman: Wayne S. Spilove; Members: Francis Barnes, ex officio, Secretary of Education; Rhonda R. Cohen; Representative Lawrence Curry (Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties) ; Senator Jane Earll (Erie County); Dr. Gordon A. Haaland; Robert A. Janosov, Janet S. Klein; Representative Stephen Maitland (Adams and Franklin Counties); Cheryl McClenney-Brooker; Dr. Brian C. Mitchell, Kathleen Pavelko
3.) Plan on attending the September 17 AFA of PA ‘Preserving Traditional Values in Today’s Culture Conference’ in Franklin. Confirmed speakers are Rick Green of Wallbuilders, Jim Metrock of Obligation, Inc., and Dr. Paul Schenck of Priests for Life. We will have a registration form on our website soon.
4.) Sign our online petition to Protect Traditional Marriage and encourage our legislators to allow Pennsylvanians to vote on a marriage amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. You can also download a copy to circulate by clicking here. You will need Adobe Reader to access the petition. Click here to download for free.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
Representative Daryl Metcalfe Sends Memo to Colleagues – Stop Using Tax Dollars to Promote Homosexual Lifestyle
This is ‘budget season’
in
The AFA of PA sent a news release out earlier today. Click here for for additional information.
Your state representative and state senator need to hear from you. Contact them and tell them to stop spending your tax dollars to promote the homosexual lifestyle. Ask them to support Representative Metcalfe’s efforts. Consider writing a letter to the editor of your local paper.
Also consider writing a short note to thank Representative Metcalfe for his efforts.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Contact your state representative and state senator and ask them to support Representative Metcalfe’s effort to stop the promotion of the homosexual lifestyle using your tax dollars. Click here to find who your legislators are – in the upper right hand corner enter your county, or for a more accurate response, enter your nine-digit zip code. Thank Representative Metcalfe; click here for his contact information.
2.) Write a letter to the editor of your local paper. Other concerned Pennsylvanians need to hear of the use of their tax dollars to promote the homosexual lifestyle. A letter to the editor only needs to be a few sentences long.
3.)
Plan on attending the September 17 AFA of PA ‘Preserving
Traditional Values in Today’s Culture Conference’ in
4.) Sign our online petition to Protect Traditional Marriage and encourage our legislators to allow Pennsylvanians to vote on a marriage amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. You can also download a copy to circulate by clicking here. You will need Adobe Reader to access the petition. Click here to download for free.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
Supreme Court Deals Us a Double Whammy!
Last week they gave municipalities the right to take your property and use as they see fit for their‘economic development.” Justice John Paul Stevens wrote for the majority decision: "Promoting economic development is a traditional and long accepted function of government. Clearly, there is no basis for exempting economic development from our traditionally broad understanding of public purpose."
So ‘eminent domain’ now
means your private property can be ‘confiscated’ (at fair market
value, of course) and replaced by a WalMart, shopping mall, or golf
course – whatever your local elected officials believe will help
in your community’s economic development and increase the tax
revenue. Remember in the
One
piece of good news from
Let us pray that his fellow Senators and the Congress will see the mistake that was made in Thursday’s decision and act quickly.
As
I’m sure you all have heard by now – the Supreme Court handed
down its Ten Commandments’ decision today.
This decision does nothing to clear up the already ‘muddy
waters’ of the Ten Commandments issue!
In the
Rather than address the issue today, the Supreme Court threw additional mud into the already murky waters. Why not look at the words of our Founding Fathers and their acknowledgement that our legal system is based on the Ten Commandments? Why not acknowledge the polls which show over 70% of Americans do not have a problem with the public display of the Ten Commandments? My thoughts – because if they did address the issue historically, they would have to admit that America is a nation founded by Christians for the furtherance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; that America is a Christian nation – or at least it was until the Church became silent on moral and ethical issues – and they would have to admit that God has a rightful place in the public square and the ACLU is wrong in its assertion that He does not.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.)
Pray for
2.) Contact Senator Santorum and Senator Specter and ask them to support Senator Cornyn’s Protection of Homes, Small Businesses, and Private Property Act of 2005. Find Senator Santorum’s district office nearest you by clicking here. Find Senator Specter’s district office by clicking here
3.)
Plan on attending the September 17 AFA of PA ‘Preserving
Traditional Values in Today’s Culture Conference’ in
4.) Sign our online petition to Protect Traditional Marriage and encourage our legislators to allow Pennsylvanians to vote on a marriage amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. You can also download a copy to circulate by clicking here.
You will need Adobe Reader to access the petition. Click here to download for free.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
Southern Baptist Convention Resolution on Homosexuality in Public Schools
This past week the AFA of PA has been working to put together a coalition of statewide pro-family leaders to issue a joint statement to the Chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Resolutions Committee. We have successfully put together a great coalition of over fifty statewide leaders who are urging the Resolutions Committee of the SBC to move the “Resolution on Homosexuality in Public Schools” forward so the SBC messengers can vote on it.
Click here to read the news release. Read the letter to Dr. Mims.
If
you attend a Southern Baptist Convention church, please contact the
members of the Resolutions Committee and also ask them to move this
forward. Also urge the
messengers from your church who will be attending the
If
you know someone who attends a Baptist church, ask them if it is a
Southern Baptist congregation. (Actually
there are quite a few Southern Baptist churches in
Yesterday a Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) pastor introduced a resolution urging Presbyterian parents to remove their children from the public school system. Dr. D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministries has endorsed the PCA resolution. This resolution has quickly moved out of committee and will be given a full and fair hearing before the entire body. We are simply urging the SBC to do the same.
The purpose of either resolution is not to condemn Christian administrators or teachers who are part of the public school system. As I’ve told reporters who have interviewed me on this issue, many times Christian teachers and administrators find themselves in a difficult situation and these resolutions are a ‘win win’ situation for all involved.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) If you attend a Southern Baptist Church, please contact members of the Resolutions Committee, ask them to move the “Resolution on Homosexuality in Public Schools” forward. Click here for the contact information. Talk to your pastor. Let the messengers from your church who are attending the Nashville conference next week know the importance of this resolution and the need for a ‘yes’ vote if it makes it to the floor.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
Your Tax Dollars at Work!
In recent days the AFA of PA has received documentation from the Department of Community and Economic Development. Did you know that $185,000 of your tax dollars were used to give grant money to the Philadelphia-based Equality Forum? This grant was approved under the auspiciousness of ‘tourism promotion.’ Remember this is the week-long ‘gay pride’ event that this year included a panel discussion on historic ‘gay icons’ like Abraham Lincoln and workshops on how to overturn state marriage laws and get pro-homosexual laws passed.
Your State Senator and State Representative need to hear from you! At the end of this e-mail is the correspondence the AFA of PA just sent via e-mail to all State Senators and State Representatives. It asks them to investigate this outrageous use of tax dollars.
We’ve already received a response from one member of the House, Daylin Leach,:
Ms.
Gramley
This
is just ugly. Fortunatly, someday bigotry like this will be as
socially unacceptable as the racist garbage that our forebearers in
the legislatures had to deal with.
Not
to sound like a bumper sticker, but hate is not a family value.
He sent a carbon copy of this response to all House members and the Capitol Staff. I guess he wanted to get his point across!
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) Read the e-mail below that the AFA of PA sent to all State Senators and State Representatives.
2.) Contact your State Representative and State Senator. If you do not know who they are please click here. In the upper
right-hand corner, key in your nine-digit zip code.begin e-mail:
Honorable ____________________:
Recently the American Family Association of Pennsylvania, a statewide pro-family group, acquired documentation from the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). This documentation showed that the Philadelphia-based Equality Forum, an organization which promotes the homosexual lifestyle, has received $185,000 in tax dollars since December 2003. The grants were requested for “tourism promotion.” This money was used to help promote their week-long event in April/May. This year's event included panel discussions on 'homosexual historic icons' such as Abraham Lincoln and workshops on how to overturn existing marriage laws and how to get homosexual special rights laws passed.
Tax dollars should not be used to promote a lifestyle which, according to the Oxford University International Journal of Epidemiology, shortens the lives of the male participants by up to 20 years, exposes those involved to greater risks of HIV/AIDS and other STDs, cancers, substance abuse and eating and psychological disorders. The findings of a new study mirror the findings published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. This new study entitled “Gay obituaries closely track officially reported deaths from AIDS”, and has been published in Psychological Reports (2005;96:693-697).
The
Journal of the American Medical Association reports
that "people with same-sex sexual behavior are at greater risk
for psychiatric disorders" - including bipolar,
obsessive-compulsive, and anxiety disorders, major depression, and
substance abuse.
A
The
Centers for Disease Control warns
that men who have sex with men "have large numbers of anonymous
partners, which can result in rapid, extensive transmission of
sexually transmitted diseases."
The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association also agrees with the above findings.
In
addition, the official tourism site for
Most Pennsylvanians do not want their tax dollars used to promote such a dangerous lifestyle. Promoting gay tourism by using tax dollars is outrageous. This sends the message to tax-paying families which hold traditional values that their values do not matter - we just want your tax dollars and we’ll spend them however we wish.
I urge you to further investigate this outrageous use of Pennsylvanians hard-earned tax dollars. Promotion of the homosexual lifestyle is dangerous and not in the best interest or the well-being of Pennsylvanians. Steps must be taken to see that this waste of tax dollars is not repeated.
Sincerely,
Diane Gramley
President
American
Family Association of
814.271.9078 or 1.814.437.5355
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
TAXPAYER DOLLARS USED TO FUND 'GAY' EQUALITY FORUM
Thank you for making those phone calls to Governor Rendell and the PA Historic and Museum Commission. You have made a difference! Reports are that they are beginning to sound exasperated when answering the phone -- good!
Did you know this week's 'gay' celebration in Philadelphia -- Equality Forum -- is being partially funded by your and my tax dollars -- reportedly to the tune of approximately $100,000.00!! It appears that the money was given through the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). The AFA of PA has made a formal request using the Right to Know Law to obtain this information from the DCED.
This year the City of Philadelphia has contributed $80,000 of taxpayers' hard-earned money to help sponsor Equality Forum. In addition, according to Equality Forum's own financial statements, they received $183,000 in government grants last year!
I have spoken to several legislators over the past couple days and NONE of them knew that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was helping 'foot the bill' for Equality Forum and needless to say they are all very concerned. I will be meeting with legislators on Monday and this will be one topic of discussion.
As Governor Rendell complains about not having enough money and insists upon the need for 61,000 new slot machines to help raise money for the state, there appears to be enough "extra" money in the General Fund to help sponsor Equality Forum in Philadelphia. Also remember programs are being cut around the state, but there's still enough money to sponsor this homosexual program which includes discussions on "Gay Abe," overturning marriage laws and getting laws passed that give homosexuals special rights.
Governor Rendell and our state legislators need to hear from us TODAY!
To read the News Release the AFA of PA distributed to newspapers across the state, please click here.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.)
Contact Governor Rendell at 717.787.2500 and let him know how
you feel about the use of your tax dollars to help sponsor Equality
Forum. .
In addition to calling his office, please e-mail him using
the form at http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Governor/govmail.html
2.)
Contact your State Senator and State Representative and
express concern about this waste of our tax dollars.
Programs in our communities are operating under-funded or
being dropped, yet the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has enough money
to help sponsor this homosexual event!
Click here to
find your legislators -- key in your zip code or county. 3.)
Sign our online
petition to Protect Traditional Marriage and encourage our
legislators to allow Pennsylvanians to vote on a marriage amendment
defining marriage as between one man and one woman.
You can also download a copy to circulate by clicking
here.
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
1.) Justice Sunday Simulcast
2.) Contact Senator Specter and Senator Santorum
3.) Sign our Marriage Protection Petition
1.) This Sunday has been proclaimed Justice Sunday by most pro-family groups in the nation. Family Research Council Action is hosting a live simulcast from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, April 24. The purpose of the simulcast is to engage values voters in the all-important issue of reining in our nation's out-of-control courts. The event will be held at the East Campus of Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, KY. Speakers include Dr. James Dobson, Dr. Al Mohler and Chuck Colson.
The event can be viewed a number of different ways:
A. Watch via live webcast
Click this link for more information on how to participate via webcast: http://www.ligh tonthehill.tv/justice.html
B. Watch the live simulcast via SkyAngel (no charge for SkyAngel subscribers)
Angel 2 - Channel 9702 Sunday APRIL 24, 2005, 7PM-8:30 PM EST
C. Attend a local church during the simulcast
Churches across the nation have registered to host this simulcast. To find a host church in your area please click here. After keying in your zip code, this page will carry you not only to a list of host churches, but also you can scroll down the list of other media outlets in Pennsylvania to find out which television stations will carry it.
D.)
American Family Radio Network:
Unfortunately at this point in time there is only one AFR station in Pennsylvania. -- that's WAWN 89.5 FM in Franklin which will be airing it live from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday evening. WTMV 88.5 FM, our affiliate station in Youngsville, may also be airing it.
Please help spread
the word about this important event.
2.) Justice Sunday will kick off Justice Week which is a week designed to let our Senators know how important ending the judicial filibuster is to our nation. Much misinformation is out there. Read this World Net Daily article.
Dr. Don Wildmon states: "We cannot afford to lose this one. The liberals want to keep the super majority rule of 60 votes to end the filibuster. Conservatives are trying to change it to the Constitutional standard of a simple majority. If we lose, then our very form of government will be changed. The Judiciary will no longer be an equal partner with the Executive and Congressional, but superior to them. . . . As far as our issues are concerned, this is probably the most important vote in the last 75 years.
Read a Q and A About the Constitutional Option by clicking here.
3.) Sign our on-line petition for a Marriage Protection Amendment in Pennsylvania.
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