[Date]
The Honorable [Legislator's full name]
Legislative Office Building, Room [#]
Albany, New York [12247 for Senate, 12248 for Assembly]
Dear [Senator/Assemblymember Last Name]:
I am a constituent in [city, town or village] in [name of county] County. I am writing to ask for your support of legislation allowing same sex couples to marry. I hope that you will become a co-sponsor of this legislation, advocate with your colleagues to do the same, and approach the legislative leader in your chamber to bring this important issue to a vote.
Marriage bestows 1,138 federal and over 500 New York rights and responsibilities to couples entering into it. These literally life-and-death protections are denied to same-sex couples and their children because they are denied the opportunity to marry. The state protections or marriage include medical decision making authority, inheritance rights, immunity from having to testify against a spouse in court, access to Family Court for orders of protection from domestic violence, divorce and the ability to adopt children as a couple. Many of these protections can only be achieved through marriage and not by any legal document a couple may try to create to protect themselves.
[Insert a personal story or example of why marriage equality is important to you. For example, you might start with something like, “I am afraid that in a time of crisis my family will not be cared for and supported the way other families are,” and then give a specific example of how your family is left vulnerable without marriage.]
I urge you as my elected representative to support marriage equality so that all loving New York families can be protected equally by their government. I will be watching throughout the year to see how you vote and advocate on this issue that means so much to me and my family.
Sincerely,
[Your Signature]
[Your Name printed]
[Your Home address]
[Your Phone]
**********************************************
NOTE: You can write your Assemblymember/State Senator at either their Albany office or their local district office.
TO GET YOUR LEGISLATORS' ADDRESSES:
By computer: Visit our Legislative Action Center and enter your 9 digit zip cope or your address if you do not know your 9 digit zip.
By phone: Call their offices through the legislative switchboards at 518.455-2800 for the New York State Senate, and 518.455-4100 for the New York State Assembly.