"Million For A Million" Campaign For 2010 Marriage Equality

I just don't think

this is a good idea.

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by: tbaxfer @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 13:09:43 PM CST

"Million for a Million

what I would do with a million dollars.

First,I would pursue legal charges against NOM. They need to be exposed for the money laundering, signature forging, church scamming criminals that they are. Second I would organize a National Marriage Equality Day that puts a referendum on the ballet in every single state (except where already legal) all on the same day. NOM did expose a weakness. They can't be everywhere at once. I think Michigan, and Washington won because all of NOM's efforts and resources went towards Maine.  

Come, come, my conservative friend, wipe the dew off your spectacles, and see that the world is moving."
-Elizabeth Cady Stanton

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by: T2inDC @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 15:19:50 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Refuse to sign!

When will we realize - after losing in two of the most liberal states, MAYBE NOW IS NOT THE TIME?

I won't sign it.  Wait until 2012, at the earliest.  Perception is everything, and right now that doesn't look good for us. Demographics and all of the mega-churches in CA - doesn't look like we'll win and can we afford another loss now? Hearts and Minds? Good luck with that.  There were near riots in my neighborhood last year and the rancor and division lasted for a long time.

Wait at least til 2012.  I know this is not the politically correct thing to say - but I will not be taking part in 2010.    

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by: manray @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 13:12:02 PM CST

I think

I now agree with this.  There's just no way we can combat their church-to-polling-center operation until we have at least a clear 55%-60% steady lead in polling on the issue.  And right now, we don't even have 50% in California.  I'm afraid even 2012 may not be good enough...I'm thinking we'll have to hope the federal courts help us out or wait a good deal longer for the people to swing our way.

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by: Bruno @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 14:36:47 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Yes, Hallelujah!!

Let's get this party Started!! 2010...2012....2014. I don't care we keep pushing till all the pushing is done. If you feel you need a rest then take one. There are plenty of people to take your place. But don't put down those who want to try. Submission to bigotry and discrimination is just not an option.

Always thinking about it...

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by: kudo451 @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 13:20:56 PM CST

The issue is

We need to negate the children and schools argument that Schubert-Flint has used to win California and Maine. If we can win this issue we will succeed.

If we do not have the right message, we will be beaten again.

I'll give them $5, but good luck.  

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by: mmunson @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 13:23:42 PM CST

exactly!

In addition to the church 1st ammendment B.S. they need to add language that guarantees that "nothing in this initiative mandates that marriage equality will or should be addressed in the educational system of Kall-ee-for-nee-ya."

Lawyers can word-smithe that, but it needs to be in there, along with words to de-fang any other B.S. the NOM-ers and professional Liars-4-Jesus stink in the debate.

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by: SharonB @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 13:30:42 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Actually what you need is to pay more attention to the fundies in our midst

The fact is we make it out to be an us and them debate and we square off like that each election. Its time to rally the gay troops who are fundamentalists, who teach in school, Hell, who are in school! The greatest strength and the greatest irony to all of their arguments is that some how they find a way to make us invicible in the society they are trying to build. And the fact is that it keeps working. But gay people don't spring from puberty.  

Always thinking about it...

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by: kudo451 @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 19:28:44 PM CST

[ Parent ]

The fundies never give up.....

they push and push and push some more until they get what they want. We can learn from them. Perseverance wins. This time let's expose them as the liars that they are and prove it to the public. Confront every lie immediately and publish donor names AND let people know in advance that we will be publishing names.  Cripple the opposition!

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by: exfundie @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 13:42:43 PM CST

And this time a YES vote will mean YES for gay marriages

and help to decrease the confusion.

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by: exfundie @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 13:47:05 PM CST

[ Parent ]

NO MORE VOTING ON BASIC RIGHTS!

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by: Dale8 @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 13:45:48 PM CST

J Mad a.k.a. PubLius X would agree with YOU!!!

The 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was formulated not as a sword to be used by the several states to abridge the fundamental rights of social and political minorities, but rather as a shield, to protect the states from federal tyranny and to expedite achievement of "the promise of liberty." Gregory v. Ashcroft, 501 U.S. at 459.

See also Palko v. Connecticut, 302 U.S. 319, 326 (1937) [recognizing that liberty and justice are non-existent if the state is allowed to abrogate fundamental rights]; Robert H. Bork, Neutral Principals and Some First Amendment Problems, 47 Ind. L.J. 1, 2-3 (1971) [stating that our Madisonian democracy "assumes that there are some areas of life a majority should not control. There are some things a majority should not do to us no matter how democratically it decides to do them"].

Please refer to Federalist Papers 10 and 51.  

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by: StayWoke @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 16:35:13 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Wow...

...talk about clueless. These people are still quoting polls telling them that they will win when in fact they are just as likely to lose AGAIN in November.

One would think that this is a good time for a timeout and a rethink of strategy. Let the recession ease and give more time for the wounds of multiple losses to subside.

Are these people afraid that the world is comming to an end in 2012 so they simply cannot wait to try and do this right?

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by: SciFi Geek @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 13:46:12 PM CST

LOL, Geek

And I'm laughing with you.

I mean, if we had won Maine, it would be a different thing.

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by: kevinchi @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 16:30:27 PM CST

[ Parent ]

By any means neccessary.

Obviously the current strategy is not working.  It's time to get aggressive.  Fight back against the Catholic church.  Run ads about the child abuse scandals and make them out to be the real threat to children.  

When it comes to immigration rights, detail the rampant fraud associated with religious workers visas and point out that there is no threat from same sex binational couples.  With the LDS Church, point out their racist past and point out that most Christians don't even consider them Christians.  Many wing nuts don't even consider Catholics to be Christians.

It's time to pit the different religions against each other.  Put them in the hot seat.  We have to fracture this coalition of hate by any means necessary.  Every year.  Every where.

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by: dstavro @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 13:59:16 PM CST

Excellent suggestions

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by: exfundie @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 14:02:21 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I love this!

Why don't they hire people like us??  Is there any way WE can get some commercials put on the air?  Maybe if we can get grassroots communities to donate, people with our ideas rather than that bullshit the NO on 8 campaign did can get on TV.

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by: CisgenderLesbianRadical @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 15:13:33 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Separate Church from State

Federal Civil Unions for ALL legislation.  Value ALL Families!!! Please read Nancy D. Polikoff's "Beyond (Straight and Gay) Marriage. SEIZE THE TIME!!!!

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by: StayWoke @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 16:42:19 PM CST

[ Parent ]

talk about bad timing.

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by: ggw59 @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 14:00:16 PM CST

What Equality?

I am sorry, but I fail to see how this is about equality. It is about becoming part of an exclusionary group which is afforded special rights not available to everyone else. As a gay man with two partners do I get included? Do my single friends who chose not to partner who who fail to find partners get included? Shouldn't true Equality bring everyone to the table?

Just wondering

A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices.
- William James(1842 - 1910)

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by: nudewoody @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 14:15:20 PM CST

nudewoody, I've a legal expert, Nancy Polikoff is addressing these concerns

Nancy Polikoff is a lesbian lawyer who has tried to tackle the issue of legal benfeits for all, whether married or not. She has many ideas, including keeping the civil unions after marriage is won, so those who don't want ot be married can still have benefits for them and their family. And she wants to provide for more than just couples - single parents, grandparents raising kids, etc - human families/communities in all their nonheteronormative forms.

Though ideally, she thinks you shouldn't HAVE to sign up for something like "civil union" in order to get benefits. The existing family law should be tailored/re understood as supporting certian purposes - for example there is unmarried parents need benefits that married without children do not need, yet current law gives benefits to the latter not the former.

It's about supporting people's NEEDS for their loved ones. She even believes that "living together" should not be a requirement. A favorite paraphrased quote is that she said: "people need insurance, not a spouse. let's `stop explaining everything with the solution of marriage'

THAT SAID, I believe legal marriage still matters. Why? Because so many couples want it. I honestly believe there is room for BOTH married and unmarried people to get the legal recognition and benefits they want and need.

Nancy Polikoff's site: http://beyondstraightandgaymar...

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by: h3986 @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 14:49:25 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Thanks

Thanks for the information and the link. I just worry that once "we" do get marriage (and it WILL happen eventually) we will not be interested in other concerns. The 'I've got mine' syndrome. It seems to me we talk a lot about being inclusive, but when it comes to coalition building, we are not very good. Case in point is the recently passed Hate Crimes Bill. No where in the LBTQ press that I read was mention made of the fact that war is a hate crime and it was tied to the Defense spending bill. Yes, yes, that's politics, but does that make it right?

A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices.
- William James(1842 - 1910)

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by: nudewoody @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 16:24:11 PM CST

[ Parent ]

My own stand on war

I support military action if it is justified, and by "justified" I mean that there is no other way to accomplish a highly moral goal. Our need for oil is hard (if not impossible) to defend as a "highly moral goal", unless we think about how we need energy to survive (power hospitals, transport, etc.). Still defending the spilling of blood for oil is something we couldn't honestly be gung-ho in defending.

I did a bit of listening to John Kerry's recent words about the need for military action in Afghanastan. Didn't hear all of it. You may want to check it out.

The truth is that I don't know IF we have met the criterion for "justidied". Do Americans know what that criterion is? Doubtful.

I wish we had not attached the hate crimes bill to a war spending bill, but I believe the waiting on that had to end. The wars do need to be questioned and challenged, but I think only so many issues can be tackled at one time. And we really have never had any federal recognition/protections before that bill.  

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by: h3986 @ Fri Nov 06, 2009 at 14:46:25 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Damn Fools

Great waste more money on another suicidal march to defeat. We CANNOT WIN at the ballot and should not try anymore. It's POINTLESS and DEHUMANIZING.

CA is not SF writ large. There has been NO real movement in polling anyway.

I will not give them a penny now or ever, it's a LOSING STRATEGY. Those that advocate ballot fights  are just as harmful as NOM. NOM should send them thank you cards.

CHRIST PEOPLE 31 losses and  they still don't have a clue.

DAMN FOOLS

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by: DilworthDem @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 14:17:01 PM CST

Oh, boy...

Isn't Maine bad enough already? And last year's Prop 8 defeat?  
 

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by: Kokas @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 14:21:50 PM CST

I used to be a 2010 supporter

But after this defeat in Maine, I just think all these ballots are a waste of time. We won't win at the ballot box for a LONG TIME.

I think we have to work more at the judical and legislative angle. And maybe start establishing firewalls that protect our rights from ballot-box bigotry--say, an initiative that requires 2/3rd majority vote on restricting any rights.

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by: rdm24 @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 14:39:14 PM CST

We need to focus on national legislation like ENDA

Until and unless we have basic national protections -- such as ENDA -- I believe we will continue to fail on marriage referendums.  Marriage equality is important, but clearly it is very difficult to win this right at the ballot box. It's time to focus on a federal ENDA and state versions of the same protections, which can help the entire community, and not just those in the coastal states and gay couples, but ALL LGBT people.  Marriage tends to be a coastal and gay issue, not a fully inclusive LGBT issue.  

At the same time, I think as queer people we need to KEEP getting married, whether recognized by the government or not -- we have been publicly celebrating our relationships for over a generation without the government, or the voters, telling us we can't.  It's time to remember that we already have within ourselves the ability to marry and to create family.  

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by: Repeal8 @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 14:45:26 PM CST

Keep focused on ENDA

once ENDA is passed, we will feel more secure at our workplace and begin to come out of the closet. The more out we are, the more acceptance in society.  

Come, come, my conservative friend, wipe the dew off your spectacles, and see that the world is moving."
-Elizabeth Cady Stanton

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by: T2inDC @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 15:08:44 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I agree: ENDA

Then some other federal bills. A good dose of top-down culture change.

More people coming out under these new laws, more momentum.

Bottom-up PLUS top-down PLUS side-to-side PLUS hit-em-high-hit-em-low PLUS hit-em-everywhere

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by: h3986 @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 15:27:11 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I'm not waiting

The time to insist on my equality is now no matter what year it is or what the polls say.  Naysayers all make good points, but you ch all thank us latter because this fight is going to take every effort no matter when it's put forth.

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by: Karen in Kalifornia @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 14:59:56 PM CST

Pointless ballot fights hurt all our other issues by draining money

away. CA is not winnable. It will just be another world of hurt inflicted on us by other gay people motivated by selfishness and delusion.

And for those of us in red states who have ZERO protections, the martyr complex Californians have is pretty funny. They already have the highest level of DP's barring marriage. We have nothing. Get some perspective and get off the cross.

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by: DilworthDem @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 15:15:22 PM CST

"The martyr complex" - really?

I completely empathize for everyone in our communities who are stuck in the red states and have zero protections.  I really do.  I understand how ridiculously constraining, hateful, and homogenous those states are.  I lived in Idaho for over a decade.

That being said, Californians deserve to be able to experience all of our pain and anger without being told we have a "martyr complex" from people in our own communities.  Why is this?  Because we had to experience having equality in our state and then having it RIPPED AWAY by popular will.  We had to live with our neighbors [in places like Sacramento] screaming against us on the street corners with their "YES ON 8!  NO ON GAY!" hate.  Some of us got married hurriedly before the election just in case and then could barely celebrate our beautiful days before the voters of CA attacked our humanity and made us unsure if we'd even still have those rights.  People like me, who had been campaigning for months, who had seen the hate in our neighborhoods, heard the reports of violence on TV, and then had to deal with this demoralizing defeat, still went and volunteered to go door-to-door, trying to ask our bigoted neighbors politely to please give us back our rights as they slammed doors in our faces and told us what abominations we are.

I realize that the LGBTQ communities endure all kinds of screwed-up hatred and violence every day in red states, usually without any sort of legal protection.  But please realize that all the shit we've been put through in California has still been extremely devastating to us.  No need to fracture our communities.  We in CA definitely want federal equality in all 50 states.

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by: CisgenderLesbianRadical @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 15:23:55 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Well said.

And the Protect Marriage PAC must be loving this sudden rush to the polls -- an easier victory and another oportunity to beat the Gheyz to the punch. It's like a dream come true -- but for them.

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by: Kokas @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 15:38:13 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I kinda sorta agree with this.

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by: kevinchi @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 17:42:48 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Bad Idea

We should not be planning another "beg and grovel" campaign as if we agree that the straight majority has the right to dictate our lives. I say leave the anti-gay hate amendments in place and then hoist the anti-gay haters by their own petard.

We have to start demanding that DOMA be enforced - let's get all those who believe in the "one man, one woman" myth to prove they meet the model. DNA testing for all breeders!

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by: CPT_Doom @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 15:36:43 PM CST

Too soon.

The only thing this does is set us up to be defeated again.

I am the lizard queen!

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by: RainbowPhoenix @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 15:43:18 PM CST

2010

2012. 2014. As long as it takes, as often as it takes.

Cause all you red state queers may not have noticed but of those "massive referenda losses", only 2, 2 of 31 were triggered by us being proactive.

The rest happened because we believed the hype that we needed to be passive and meek and wait for things and what happened is we ended up having to spend money not to gain something, but to defend having even fewer rights than before.

See our opponents hate us, they are not going to stop hating us and as long as we keep them on the defensive, as long as we keep hitting them and triggering things, they won't have time to get sneaky. They won't get tempted to try and invent a way to invalidate our wins in NH, CT, VT, and IA, they won't be inventing a "Should Fags Be Allowed Oxygen" Referendum for us to waste our time fighting.

Any equality we can aim for, all we can aim for, everywhere we can aim it. If we are going to suffer no matter what we do, we can at least bleed the fuckers dry.

So yeah, personally I plan to do both, aid the 2010 push and push my congresspersons for inclusive ENDA, etc, etc.

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by: Cerberus @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 15:53:44 PM CST

We won hate crimes

federal legislation,

we can win ENDA, repeal DADT, and more federal bills.

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by: h3986 @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 16:02:26 PM CST

Some people never learn

don't expect any support from those of us who actually live in the reality based world. You are just playing right into the hands of our opponents. Your strategy sucks and has from the beginning. If you want to keep on celebrating losses go ahead. You will only win the same liberal bastions in CA and get laughed out of the rest of the state AGAIN.

Same in Oregon. If they are stupid enough to try. They will win their Portland and bomb everywhere else. The empirical evidence is clear. Open your eyes.

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by: DilworthDem @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 16:37:36 PM CST

FEDERAL CIVIL UNIONS FOR ALL legislation!

President Obama would sign this into law just like LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Hint, hint, BHO is a proponent of Civil Unions...(whisper) for all.  Just like he is for single payer universal health care (wink, wink). Like FDR said...MAKE HIM DO IT!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Do I smell a Democratic Socialist?  Sniff, sniff. Hmmmm...smells like Teen Spirit!

http://www.dsausa.org

But like Miz Benita Butrell, "I ain't one to gossip, so you didn't hear that from me."  

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by: StayWoke @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 17:23:15 PM CST

[ Parent ]

He may be

But are his voters?

People like their superiority.

It would never reach his desk.

Then again, single payer health care won't reach his desk either.

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by: kevinchi @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 17:26:38 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Liberal bastions??

Prop 8 passed in L.A. County of all places! They'll be VERY lucky if they win the SF Bay Area, let alone the rest of the state.  

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by: Kokas @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 17:32:29 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Wow, people talk about taking action and grass roots organizing

here at the Blend all the time, but let some organizations actually propose doing something and it gets dumped on, big time. (And for the record, I'm not associated with any of these groups--yet, anyway.)

If you're a Californian and don't agree it's the right time, then don't sign.  If there are enough people who feel that way, the effort to place it on the ballot will fail and we move on to 2012.  If you're not in California, then go work at the national level or in your own state, but don't disparage mere signature-gathering here, an effort to move the ball forward.

One advantage we'll have next time, whatever year that happens to be, is that we will be able to show married gay California couples and say, "Selma and Sarah have now been married for 2 (or 4) years.  How, exactly, has that harmed the state, the schools, children, or other people's marriages?  And if Selma and Sarah can be married, how can we justify not letting Cara and Carmen get married as well?"

Yes, yes, yes, of course we need to push for ENDA passage and DOMA and DADT repeal, but with my representatives are already on board, I can't exactly schedule the vote in Washington myself.  I can, however, be talking to people in my own state to gauge whether or not they're up for another state-level fight.

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by: Gianpiero @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 18:58:42 PM CST

The SSM law in Maine included this provision

That same poll found majority support for gay marriage if a provision were included to protect the First Amendment right of churches - so that no church could ever be forced to perform marriages if they choose not to.

You can flip 250,000 votes in the next 10 or so months?

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by: kevinchi @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 19:04:19 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Oh...And with this attitude

If you're not in California, then go work at the national level or in your own state, but don't disparage mere signature-gathering here, an effort to move the ball forward.

Don't come asking for money and volunteers from other states either.

I swear, Cali is getting on my nerves sometimes.

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by: kevinchi @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 19:06:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Kevin

I donated money to Maine. The state elected two republican senators, was more conservative than New Hampshire which only barely passed the legislature. It wasn't expected to make it through that challenge, but I held on hope and donated and helped where I could to GOTV from an ocean away.

California equality organizations offered huge aid in infrastructure and support like organizing the Drive for Equality.

It wasn't enough, but it helped make what shouldn't have been a hope and a prayer into so close we were sure we had it.

Now, apparently a good number of my fellow queers are feeling fatigued with the fight, feeling like quitting and licking some wounds while they recover. I don't begrudge them and if any want to spend what little money they have in avenues they see as more likely to be successful, I won't dissuade them or think poorly of them.

But damn if I'm going to let us rip each other apart, set fire to all the momentum we still fucking carry because one little state on what has been a banner year for gay civil rights got ripped apart from us on mormon lies.

We are all queers and we are together. You want to sit 2010 CA out? I won't begrudge you, but don't demean the attempt. How else will we learn how to deconstruct the lie about children if we don't keep trying new campaigns against it (including negative ones)? How else will we end the zombie referendas unless we win one for positive change instead of just preventing a negative one (remember we blocked a couple of constitutional amendment referenda so it hasn't really been all losses on that front)?

We do it by fighting. Wherever we can, however we can, as often as we can, so that every year can be like this one where we have more victories than losses (we even won more referenda than we lost).

Don't want to help on this specific fight? My full support. Have some better ideas for 2010? Please bob, give me some, I'll lend whatever financial and other support I can. I've been unable to do much calling of reps (i'm in denmark until june), but I've got my parents badgering their senators and rep on health care, ENDA, and DADT.

Remember we are all in this together. Don't let these pains shatter our community and our momentum. It hurts, it was unfair, injust, evil, but they didn't win this YEAR from us, they took a nasty brutal battle in an otherwise successful campaign and we WILL overcome.

That goes for everyone.

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by: Cerberus @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 19:32:43 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Trust me, I know how much California contributed

to the Maine fight. I have a lot of GLBT friends from California that I met in Maine.

I am not demeaning the attempt. It's about 12 months away from the election, you really haven't moved anyone in California that I can tell, California has a shitload of other problems even within the community and the word "marriage" is going to solve some of those problems?

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by: kevinchi @ Fri Nov 06, 2009 at 09:20:11 AM CST

[ Parent ]

It's all about MARKETING

Sorry, but until we have slick marketing to combat the religous bigots, we will get nowhere.

Last year in CA it was all about "playing nice".  That obviously didn't work.

We have to combat the HOMOPHOBES and expose them and call it what it is:  HATE.

Where are the smart MBA types, PR firms, or MARKETING folks who can help?

And NO I don't mean the typical companies that help "political" campaigns.  When need MARKETING folks who sell a product.  Yes, that's what it's going to take with my state of CA who hello! they fell for Arnold, we have to change their minds with good MARKETING.

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by: Juan @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 22:12:43 PM CST

And also about PUBLIC RELATIONS

This guy Mitch Shea  at Towleroad said it better than me.  Check it out:

http://www.towleroad.com/2009/...

"our real enemy is ourselves and the inability we seem to have with the greatest of public relations projects: selling our cause to the public."

"We shove everything and the kitchen sink down everybody's throat in a demand for rights, yet we forget that Rosa Parks was SELECTED out of hundreds of people who broke the Montgomery, Alabama segregation laws because the SCLC wanted her to be the public face of discrimination and knew that she SPECIFICALLY could act as a conscience-changer for the cause. We don't think that way, instead we think that if you don't support my right to puppy play on Main Street, then you must be some teabagging hater! Up with my sexual liberation, down with everybody else's rights!"

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by: Juan @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 22:22:09 PM CST

One more reason to oppose 2010...

I am of the belief that in less than 6 months, Proposition 8 will be overturned by Chief Judge Vaughn Walker in the Perry v. Schwarzenneger case.  A lot of the gay rights groups are shunning and poo pooing it, but I believe that Judge Walker is setting up the "Save Our Children" people for a big fall.  The fact that he is ordering a trial and taking the situation seriously instead of just dismissing it outright (as the asshole judges in the midwest and the southeast do) is a testament to his fairness.

Folks, the anti-gay nutjobs will appeal a loss to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.   If we win there (Judge Walker is a very respected jurist in the eyes of the Court of Appeals), we'll have 11 states and the Pacific territories with marriage equality, or at least the legal foundation to file similar legal challenges in the lower courts against every other state within the 9th Circuit.

Waiting until 2012 will give us an opportunity to tune up our conviction for a ballot initiative and at least watch to see if the federal courts do the right thing.

Put it another way: Repealing Prop 8 endangers my ability to marry in my lifetime!

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by: Gray Coyote @ Fri Nov 06, 2009 at 02:30:20 AM CST

I'm not signing or giving

I spent hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars on No on 8, and I very much want it repealed.

But 2 years later?

It's not going to happen. I'm not going to spend huge portions of my time and money and the emotional pain that we did last year, only to fail.

We have a LOT of work ahead of us, there is no way we have done it yet, and there is no way that we can do it in the next year.

No, not getting my support till 2012.

Daddy, Papa and Me, two men, their daughter, creating a family and the politics of it all.

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by: Trey @ Fri Nov 06, 2009 at 10:08:57 AM CST