Dear Equality-Lovers everywhere! Politicians in Alaska and Florida have recently announced a new bill to ban all forms of bestiality regardless of specifics. The bills are: HB 273 - Sexual Activities Involving Animals CS/CS/SB 448 - Sexual Activities Involving Animals [SPSC] (You can read more about this here: www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/21/alaska-and-florida-consid_n_177627.html) While we are all adamantly against any form of abuse, or forced human-animal sexual relations, we fear that this type of legislation - if not written carefully - may end up abusing the fundamental rights of animal-loving Zoophiles everywhere. Therefore we call on all legislators to carefully consider these fundamental differences so that we don't end up persecuting millions of people in order to protect the rights of animals. Two recommended sources of information are our website, http://www.equalityforall.net as well as Sir Tijn Po's film, COMING SOON, at http://www.comingsoon.cz . These proposed bills generalize without taking into consideration the possible consequences. It may pose a danger to those who are not committing a crime whether or not they have committed the act of bestiality. Before passing such a bill, please research information on the subject to have a better understanding about the psychological and historical aspects behind the act. Many people will be prosecuted with a first degree felony even when they are innocent of animal abuse. We sincerely hope you can consider revising this bill to be less generalized in order to prevent false accusations and conviction of the innocent. To quote Agodi: "Law neither hinges on paternalistic whim nor on moral nor on religious world views. Law's authority is to force social integration and enable justice and in democracy the price we pay for our freedom is that equal freedom must be accord dissenting views and morals. Our morality cannot be the basis for law making otherwise law as a means of social integration fails and merely becomes a strategy of social domination." We are strong supporters of animal rights and civil rights. We believe bestiality should be classified a felony only if the person in question is proven to have committed a crime of abuse. Abuse means: physical harm, neglect, rape, etc. An investigation should be mandatory for the person and the animal to assure the court that an intended abuse and harm has indeed been committed. The person should also be required to take a psychological evaluation and have a background check done for previous related "crimes" (in quotes unless the person has been found guilty of animal abuse). Outside of presumed moral and religious standings, there is no legal basis for the majority of the acts targeted in your bill to count as illegal. Bestiality in itself should not be labeled as a felony, unless it can be proven with evidence that the act is abuse and the animal has been harmed. This should be the focus of the bill, to protect animal rights and to prevent abuse, not violate the people's civil rights and sexual liberties. Thank you for taking the time to read this petition and we hope you will take it into consideration while pursuing your previously-mentioned bills. Sincerely, E.F.A. (www.equalityforall.net) P.S. Thanks to all our members, particularly Mr. Fox, for helping with this petition :-)