I have set a goal of 500 (was 100 then 200 - we have already passed those numbers.) I will edit as the need grows, but please forward this to all of your friends to sign. Our elected officials need to hear from us so that the government discontinues to reward those groups that inject themselves in civil rights battles.

Thank you everyone!

Here is the text of the petition so that it can be viewed after you sign it. :) Thanks for the suggestion Lee!

First, I want to say thank you for the work you do on behalf of the American people.

I am writing to you because I am deeply saddened as much as I am angry. As I am sure you are well aware by now of the passage of Proposition 8 in California last year and now Question 1 in Maine, but I am not writing to you today regarding these two ballot initiatives. I am writing because our entire government is not only working against the LGBT community, but it is also rewarding organizations that seek to belittle us, dehumanize us, demonize us, and wish to see us exterminated from the face of the Earth. I am talking about the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church continues to fuel hatred toward the LGBT community, yet back in September according to the Catholic News Agency (http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=16747), the government has rewarded Catholic Charities with a $100,000,000 "disaster relief" contract. This is a form of money laundering that I am tired of paying for via my tax dollars. You are probably asking yourself, how is this money laundering? Not only did the Catholic Church pump more than $550,000 into Maine's Question 1 battle, but "Catholic Charities" of Evansville, Indiana also donated to the Yes on Question 1 campaign.

Had the disaster relief contract not been awarded to this discrimination infested organization, would they have donated in such large sums? Perhaps they would have, but they would not have been rewarded for their behavior in political fights.

The Washington Post is reporting that the Catholic Diocese in Washington DC is threatening to discontinue their "charitable" work in regards to the increasing underprivileged class, including the homeless population, if the city council passes marriage equality. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/11/AR2009111116943.html?nav=hcmodule&sid=ST2009042801406)

What this this tells me is that the Catholic Church is willing to allow fellow human beings to die because they have a problem with MY family unit. They are clearly neither Christian NOR charitable, yet they demand we "respect" their religious beliefs as they trample on not only my civil rights, but also my religious beliefs. Since when does this country not believe in equality for all?

This brings me back to the reward they received. If they are willing to allow the underprivileged in Washington DC to go without their everyday needs, how can we expect them to actually help ANYONE in the LGBT community when a disaster hits. There are growing disasters in DC area, among them are HIV/AIDS, homelessness, starvation, etc.

It is one thing to allow these people to spew their hatred from their pulpits and our mountain tops, but it is entirely a different story when the government, that is supposed to work for ALL citizens, enables them by rewarding their discriminatory behavior.

I know this is a long letter and I hope that you have read it in its entirety, because I would like to know if someone will be seeking to strip this reward from these people that refer to themselves as Christ like.

I would like a clear and thoughtful response to this letter, and would like to know what is being done to put a stop to these types of contracts.

Best Regards,