Call to Action from the USCCB:
Oppose the Equality Act
The Equality Act discriminates against people of faith and threatens unborn life. Tell your elected officials to oppose it!
Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. The Equality Act, which is being voted on in the U.S. House of Representatives soon, in many ways does the opposite and needs to be opposed. Instead of respecting differences in beliefs about marriage and sexuality, the Equality Act would discriminate against people of faith. The Equality Act would: punish faith-based organizations, such as charities and schools who serve everyone in their communities, simply because of their beliefs; force girls and women to compete against boys and men for limited opportunities in sports, and to share locker rooms and shower spaces with biological males who identify as women; risk mandating taxpayers to fund abortions; force people in everyday life, and especially health care workers, to support gender transition; and expand what the government considers a “public” place, forcing even some parish halls to host functions that conflict with Catholic beliefs.
Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. The Equality Act, which is being voted on in the U.S. House of Representatives soon, in many ways does the opposite and needs to be opposed. Instead of respecting differences in beliefs about marriage and sexuality, the Equality Act would discriminate against people of faith. The Equality Act would: punish faith-based organizations, such as charities and schools who serve everyone in their communities, simply because of their beliefs; force girls and women to compete against boys and men for limited opportunities in sports, and to share locker rooms and shower spaces with biological males who identify as women; risk mandating taxpayers to fund abortions; force people in everyday life, and especially health care workers, to support gender transition; and expand what the government considers a “public” place, forcing even some parish halls to host functions that conflict with Catholic beliefs.
From the Catholic Conference of Illinois:
ACTION ALERT: Legislation to Repeal Parental Notification Introduced
Recently, House Bill 1797, a bill to repeal Illinois' Parental Notice of Abortions Act, was introduced in the Illinois General Assembly. A Senate Bill has not yet been introduced, but we expect one shortly.
We must immediately mobilize our churches and communities to oppose this tragic legislation. We must activate all parish Legislative Alert Trees now in order to make contact with as many Illinois state legislators as possible to register our strong opposition.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many of the advocacy efforts that were effectively used in the past cannot be pursued. There will be no Life Advocacy Days, and in-person meetings with legislators are not possible at this point. However, there are contacts we can still make, and we are counting on you to help facilitate them. Possible method of contact include phone calls, letters, emails, and Zoom meetings with your legislators as their concerned constituent.
How to contact your legislator:
Phone calls, letter, and emails are essential!
Click on Find Your Legislator (below) and input the requested information. Doing this will identify both your Federal and State Officials. Scroll down under "Your State Officials" to find your Senator and Representative who should be contacted regarding this bill. Simply clicking on their names will provide the appropriate contact information. To assist with your efforts, helpful TALKING POINTS are attached (below).
*Please contact your STATE (not federal) officials.
Speak direction to your legislator by setting up and conducting a Zoom meeting!
This type of (virtual) face-to-face meeting is the most effective way to advocate. Helpful information on HOW TO SET UP AND CONDUCT A ZOOM MEETING and TALKING POINTS are provided (below).
Also attached is a FACT SHEET ON HOUSE BILL 1797 that outlines the strongest arguments against repealing the Parental Notice of Abortion Act. Please distribute this information and encourage its use.
Thank you for your assistance in this important effort. We have a difficult road ahead, but together we can give voice to the unborn and do our best to move to a more pro-life culture. Thank you.