From sadness to inspiration: "Gavin Newsom, for Courage Campaign" On Apr 04.29.09

Dear Aurora,

For many Californians, November's celebration of the election of Barack Obama as our next president was tempered by sadness and anger at the passage of Proposition 8.

That night, we became the first state in the nation to use our constitution to strip rights away from our fellow citizens. Our lesbian and gay friends, family members and neighbors woke up the morning after the election with fewer rights than they had enjoyed the night before.

Now it's time to empower and inspire Californians to win these rights back.

That's exactly what my friends at the Courage Campaign are doing. Since that historic setback six months ago, the Courage Campaign has worked with groups and activists across the progressive political spectrum to help build a people-powered movement to restore marriage equality to California.

The heart of the Courage Campaign's commitment to equality is Camp Courage -- a transformative two-day training event for marriage equality activists of all kinds, experienced or new to the movement. Modeled after "Camp Obama," Camp Courage has received amazing reviews from participants -- most rating it a 9 (on a scale of 1 to 10) -- following recent trainings in Los Angeles, Fresno and San Diego.

This weekend, Camp Courage is coming to the Bay Area for the first time. If you want to be at this inspiring event in Oakland, time is running out. Register now before it's too late. DEADLINE: Friday, May 1, at 9 a.m.:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/BayArea

I haven't seen this much energy in the marriage equality movement since the "Winter of Love" in 2004, when Del Martin, Phyllis Lyon and more than 4,000 other couples said "I Do" following our announcement that the City of San Francisco would begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

As former State Senator Sheila Kuehl wrote to you last week, this country took a significant step toward securing equality for every American five years ago in San Francisco. While some feel that what we did was too much, too fast, too soon, we stand firm in the belief that our actions were not only just, but legal and constitutional.

Now we need to take a stand and secure these fundamental rights for all Californians. For good.

That's why I think these Camp Courage training events are so important. And it's why CREDO Mobile, the Human Rights Campaign and the Dolby Family are getting behind Camp Courage as well, providing crucial funding to bring Camp Courage to communities across California.

This weekend, "Camp Courage Bay Area" will be ground zero in the marriage equality movement. You don't want to miss it. Please register now before time runs out. DEADLINE: Friday, May 1, at 9 a.m.:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/BayArea

Thanks for helping the Courage Campaign bring progressive change to California and our country.

Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco

.............

The Courage Campaign is an online organizing network that empowers more than 700,000 grassroots and netroots supporters to push for progressive change in California.

To power our campaign to repeal Prop 8, please chip in what you can today:

Ken Starr Spouts the Same, Tired BULLSHIT

SOURCE:

CHANGE.ORG

by Michael A. Jones

Published February 10, 2009 @ 06:44PM PST

Ken Starr, who will argue in favor of Proposition 8 on behalf of protectmarriage.com next month at the California Supreme Court, may have given a preview of his arguments today with a presentation at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. Starr was on a panel with Nadine Strossen of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Starr, who has been a little media shy since joining the legal team of protectmarriage.com, told those gathered that marriage is regulated in society in many ways, according to the Associated Baptist Press.

"Plural marriage, which is lawful in 28 countries that are members of the United Nations, would not be recognized [in the U.S.]," said Starr. "There are many, many regulations [on marriage] -- age regulations and so forth."

Barf. That's the same, tired talking point that anti-LGBT crusaders have been peddling for years when it comes to the issue of same-sex marriage. Starr also went on to tell the Nashville audience that the original California Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage was "very cultural," and countered the history and tradition of marriage in the U.S.

Sure enough, the original California Supreme Court decision may have countered Starr's and protectmarriage.com's warped view of what constitutes a marriage, but it certainly did nothing to uproot society's culture. It has long been a part of our culture to combat inequality and violations of civil rights whenever and wherever they are seen. That was the intent of the original decision to legalize same-sex marriage in California. As Chief Justice Ron George wrote for the majority, "An individual's sexual orientation -- like a person's race or gender -- does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights."

Starr is arguing the same tired bullshit and using the same tired legal argument that gay marriage is tantamount to plural marriage. Thankfully, as people increasingly realize that same-sex marriage is a civil rights issue, they are buying less and less into Starr's version of the truth.

We're still a few weeks away from the start of arguments before the California Supreme Court on Proposition 8. But from where we stand, Ken Starr's defense of Prop 8 puts him squarely in the company of people who supported the Board of Education in Topeka, Kansas in 1954, or those that supported Virginia's anti-miscegenation laws in 1967.

The 50 Spot: Anti-LGBT Donors Can't Hide Behind the Law

SOURCE:

CHANGE.ORG

by Michael A. Jones

Published January 30, 2009 @ 05:46AM PST

The big news out last night was that a California federal judge ruled that donors who gave money to the Yes on 8 campaign could not violate campaign finance laws and keep their donations secret. That's a huge victory for LGBT rights supporters, and a huge smackdown for donors looking to hide their donations to fund discrimination. Elsewhere in the country we're stopping by Florida, New York, and New Hampshire in today's 50 spot.

California: Supporters of the Yes on 8 campaign had sought an injunction from California federal courts to hide the names of all donors who gave money to help pass Proposition 8. Critics, including scores of LGBT rights groups and people who generally believe in the rule of law, argued that hiding the names of donors would prevent the public from knowing who exactly was behind a particular campaign. Yesterday, federal Judge Morrison England Jr. ruled in the matter, and he erred on the side of full disclosure. "If there ever needs to be sunshine on a particular issue, it's a ballot measure," said England in his ruling. That strikes us as a pretty funny statement to hear in a court of law ("sunshine"?), but the gist of the sentence is absolutely correct -- people shouldn't be able to hide their support of hateful ballot measures. Geoff Kors from Equality California agreed: "We are thrilled that the Court is requiring the Yes on 8 Campaign to play by the same rules and is preventing them from their attempt to circumvent the law."

Florida: Score another domestic partnership victory this week. The University of Tampa is going to start providing benefits for the partners of gay and lesbian employees. The same-sex domestic partnership plan will start April 1, and is (albeit unintentionally) a rebuff to county legislators in Tampa (technically Hillsborough county) which voted last week against implementing a same-sex domestic partnership plan for county employees.

New York: A New York state appelate court ruled in favor of a lesbian couple, after a lawsuit was brought by a group of nutjob radical rightwing religious people over the fact that the couple received state benefits. The radical religious group, the Alliance Defense Fund (based in Arizona, not even New York), sought to have the state of New York repeal benefits from Peri and Tamela Rainbow-Sloan, residents of Stone Bridge, New York, who were granted benefits from a state-run university after marrying in Canada in 2005. The Alliance Defense Fund argued that since same-sex marriage is not legal in New York, lesbian and gay couples in NY should not be afforded such coverage. But the court turned down their argument saying, "There is no New York court precedent holding that a New York statute… precludes recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriages. To the contrary, several courts have recognized such marriages. … Once an out-of-state same-sex marriage is recognized, each party to the marriage is a legal spouse ... entitled to the benefits, rights and obligations of that status." Let's repeat that lesson for anti-LGBT foes who kvetch about same-sex benefits: there is NO court precedent precluding the recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriages in New York.

New Hampshire: A host of civil union and same-sex marriage bills have been scheduled for a hearing in the New Hampshire House of Representatives on February 5. Among the bills to be discussed are measures to (1) grant civil unions to straight couples (New Hampshire already has a basic civil union structure for gay and lesbian couples); (2) recognize gay marriages in other states as civil unions in New Hampshire; (3) add civil union partners to all state insurance laws (hey, this one shows how civil unions aren't quite adequate to marriage rights -- civil union partners don't qualify currently for state insurance laws, while married couples do); and (4) recognize full and total marriage equality in the Granite state by legalizing same-sex marriage. These should be some pretty fun hearings.

March 5: The Future of Marriage in California

SOURCE:

CHANGE.ORG

by Michael A. Jones

Published February 03, 2009 @ 04:57PM PST

It's set, folks. Per Equality California:

The California Supreme Court announced today that it will hear oral arguments on Thursday, March 5, 2009 in the Proposition 8 legal challenge. The National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal, and the ACLU—with support from civil rights groups, religious organizations, labor unions, and legal scholars—argue that Proposition 8 is invalid because the people of California have established strict safeguards that prohibit the underlying principles of the California Constitution from being changed by a simple majority vote. By taking away a right only from one group, Proposition 8 violates the most basic principle of our government: that all people are entitled to equal treatment under the law.

So the future of marriage in California starts to unravel in just over a month from now. And everyone from Google to California Attorney General Jerry Brown to scores of civil rights organizations and religious organizations all agree - if justice is to be done in California, then the Court should invalidate Proposition 8 and reinstate full marriage rights for all Californians, regardless of sexual orientation.

Proposition 8 is Invalid

by Michael A. Jones

Published December 20, 2008 @ 06:07AM PST

The California Supreme Court will ultimately have to decide the fate of Proposition 8, but late yesterday, California Attorney General Jerry Brown weighed in with his office's verdict on the matter, and it's a win for supporters of marriage equality. Jerry Brown's thoughts? That Proposition 8 was constitutionally indefensible, and it should be overturned.

Kind of makes you wonder why we had to spend over $70 million fighting this battle in the first place, eh? But it's great to see this ruling come down, especially as anti-marriage equality activists (led by Attorney Ken Starr! WTF?!) are gearing up to urge the nullification of all gay marriages in the State that took place before Election Day.

Per Jerry Brown's filing with the Court:

"Proposition 8 must be invalidated because the amendment process cannot be used to extinguish fundamental constitutional rights without compelling justification."

Geoff Kors, Executive Director of Equality California (EQCA), said that EQCA was pleased that Jerry Brown came out in support of overturning Proposition 8, especially after initially saying he would defend the Proposition once it passed.

"We are very pleased that upon review of the law, he has moved from his previous statements that he would defend Prop 8," said Kors. "As the state's highest attorney, Jerry Brown has done his job today to defend the Constitution and protect the rights of minority groups, including the more than 18,000 same-sex couples who married in California."

Later today, thousands of LGBT rights activists will gather for "Light Up the Night," a nationwide vigil organized by Join the Impact. The vigil is meant to remember and commemorate the 18,000 same-sex marriages that took place in California before the vote on Proposition 8, and to call for action that marriage equality be restored in California (and implemented around the rest of the country). How fitting that "Light Up the Night" happens one day after Jerry Brown's ruling.

To find a vigil location near you, go to Join the Impact's Web site. For more information on Jerry Brown's opinion made with the California Supreme Court, go to the Web site for the California Attorney General's Office here.

Take Action on Marriage Equality in California

Support GLAAD When Flying American Airlines Now you can help GLAAD every time you travel on American Airlines – at no cost to you! When making a reservation on AA.com or with a travel agent, all you need to do is provide them with GLAAD's Business ExtrAA account number: 527563.

GLAAD, in partnership with Equality Action NOW, a California LGBT advocacy organization, wants to share information with you about an upcoming California marriage equality rally. GLAAD supports and encourages partner organizations in our collective efforts to serve the LGBT community by encouraging broad support for the movement toward full equality. In this time of change, we encourage you to increase visibility of our community and make your voices heard. Join activists and supporters for two days of events in Sacramento to make your voice heard on marriage equality for lesbian and gay couples. Love and Marriage Rally Come Wearing White. Leave Seeing Red! Monday, February 16 12 - 3 pm State Capitol Sacramento Love and Marriage will be a statewide rally where people from all over the state will join us on the steps of the Capitol to show our solidarity for the rights of 18,000 same-sex couples who were married and look forward to the day when those rights are available again, this time for everyone. Speakers, entertainment and thousands of like-minded people – in one spot – join us to put a FACE on the issue of true equality. Organized by Equality Action NOW. Confirmed Appearances by: Deborah Gibson - Singer Melissa Etheridge - Via video spot Wanda Sykes - Comedian Julia Louis- Dreyfus - The New Adventures of Old Christine Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen - Film Producers Milk, American Beauty Robin Tyler - Long time political and gay activist Marc Shaiman - Prop 8 the Musical - Hairspray, South Park George Takei and his partner - Star Trek Selene Luna - The Cho Show Eric Himan - Singer of "Protest Song" will send a video message Michael Gottlieb - Discovered the AIDS virus, co-founder of amfAR …And many more yet to confirm Sponsored by: Equality Action NOW, California Outreach, Marriage Equality USA, and Equality California Along with Join the Impact, Courage Campaign, Equality Campaign, Progressive Jewish Alliance, White Knot, PFLAG, SF LGBT Community Center, Actively Out and GLAAD. Please visit www.equalityactionnow.org for more information. Marriage Lobby Day On Tuesday, February 17, join activists from across the state for a lobby day at the California State Capitol. This is a great way to share your story and take action to make a difference. Lobby your representatives directly to pass two resolutions to overturn Prop 8. SR 7 (Leno) and HR 5 (Ammiano) will make it the state's official stance that Prop 8 should be invalidated. The event is free and open to all. Each participant will receive a lobbying training, advocacy materials, and be assigned to an experienced group leader. EQCA will arrange the meeting with your elected official(s). Register now at www.eqca.org or contact Laurie McBride at LobbyDayEQCA@comcast.net.

LOGO Joins Light Up the Night - This is HUGE

SOURCE: JOIN THE IMPACT

Wednesday, December 17, 2008 20:20

LOGO TO PARTIPCIPATE IN JOINTHEIMPACT.COM’S

“LIGHT UP THE NIGHT FOR EQUALITY” ON-AIR AND ONLINE ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2008

NEW YORK, NY – December 17, 2008 – The gay marriage debate continues across the United States. In response to JoinTheImpact.com’s “Light Up the Night for Equality,” LOGO will participate on-air and online in the nationwide candle light vigil occurring on December 20, 2008.

As members of the LGBT community and allies gather across the nation, LOGO will keep its audience up-to-date that evening with an “on-air candle” directing viewers to the latest news from 365gay.com, the online source for the latest LGBT news, opinion, video blogs and streaming video news. Updated news will be posted throughout the weekend, further supporting LOGO’s status as the ultimate aggregator of LGBT related content across all platforms: on-air, online, on mobile and on-demand.

LOGO continues to reach all various digital platforms on issues that affect the LGBT community including the recent “Day Without a Gay.” LOGO’s NewNowNext.com created a witty, but poignant viral video demonstrating what would happen if people called out “gay” at work in response to the nationwide “Day Without a Gay,” thus generating dialogue within the community and in the press. In addition, on-air efforts include “365Gay News,” LOGO’s half-hour weekly magazine-style LGBT news show, airing Thursdays at 7 PM ET/PT on LOGO and 365gay.com hosted by Emmy-award television journalist Ross Palombo. “365Gay News” has covered extensive issues related to LGBT rights including a recent special on Harvey Milk and political issues including gay marriage on its multiplatform brand “Road to Gay Marriage” on-air and on 365gay.com.

For more information on “Light Up the Night for Equality,” go to JointheImpact.com and for the latest in LGBT news and entertainment, go to 365gay.com and LOGOonline.com.

On December 20, 2008, JointheImpact.com, the official organizers of the nationwide November 15 protests against California’s Proposition 8, have called all LGBTQ individuals and allies of the community to participate in a peaceful demonstration in local commercial district areas in congruence with their National Food Drive for Equality.

RELATED POST:

Light Up The Night For Equality - ACTION ALERT: DECEMBER 20, 2008

ACTION ALERT: DECEMBER 20, 2008

WHAT IS LIGHT UP THE NIGHT FOR EQUALITY?
On December 20th, we ask that you join us again for a nation-wide demonstration that will make an impact on the private sector. Candlelight vigils will be held at commercial centers in cities across the country in vigil for the rights of 18,000 same-sex couples who married and look forward to the day when those rights are available again - for EVERYONE. Find a LUTN event in your city

Light Up The Night For Equality - ACTION ALERT: DECEMBER 20, 2008

ACTION ALERT: DECEMBER 20, 2008

WHAT IS LIGHT UP THE NIGHT FOR EQUALITY?
On December 20th, we ask that you join us again for a nation-wide demonstration that will make an impact on the private sector. Candlelight vigils will be held at commercial centers in cities across the country in vigil for the rights of 18,000 same-sex couples who married and look forward to the day when those rights are available again - for EVERYONE. Find a LUTN event in your city

HOW DOES IT WORK? Please take to your local commercial district -- be it a shopping mall, outdoor financial center, you name it. Check your city page for the time and location of your event. This will be a peaceful demonstration in the spirit of the holidays. Dress alike. Wear the same t-shirts or signs pinned to your coats. You can make or buy a "2nd Class Citizen" t-shirt, but the message is optional. Learn more about why we suggest "2nd Class Citizen." This will be the culmination of our National Food Drive for Equality

WHAT WILL WE BE DOING?

• Hosting peaceful candlelight vigils
  
• We will stay silent unless asked a question, we will not yell, instigate, or bear signs. Instead, we will let our shirts do the talking and our candles pay our respects. Bring candles (battery powered if you'll be huddling inside).
• Singing and/or silence encouraged...chanting is not....keep it peaceful and in the holiday spirit.

GOT PHOTOS TO SHARE? Add them here

GOT VIDEOS TO SHARE? Add them here

GOT STORIES TO SHARE? Add them here

What will it take to repeal Prop 8?

You are amazing.

On Thursday, we asked you to help us launch a campaign to repeal Prop 8 by funding the hiring of new Courage Campaign staffers totally dedicated to restoring marriage equality to California.

And you answered the call. Because of your generosity, we just hired a new Program Manager, who will be working full-time to empower over 300,000 of our members in California to repeal Prop 8, online and offline.

Now, we need to hire on-the-ground Field Organizers to help the Program Manager begin the vital work of mobilizing Californians to take direct action in their communities.

But, without your financial support, we can't fund these mission-critical community organizers. It's that's simple.

Can you help us hire a team of field organizers to build a neighbor-to-neighbor, door-to-door, campaign across California to repeal Prop 8? Please power the repeal by contributing whatever you can afford -- whether it's $25, $250, or $2,500 or more -- before Thanksgiving:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/PowerTheRepeal

This is your campaign and we plan to make it as people-powered as possible -- to increase the involvement of grassroots and netroots activists in the formal campaign to repeal Prop 8.

Instead of a top-down campaign, we want to hire grassroots activists who are already organizing their communities from the bottom-up. But, to do that, we need your financial support. And we need you to spread the word by forwarding this email to your friends.

Let's celebrate Thanksgiving knowing that, together, we are building an unstoppable movement for marriage equality in California.

Rick Jacobs
Chair

P.S. After a Prop 8 protest in Los Angeles ten days ago, I joined a meeting hosted by Vincent Jones, a young African-American gay man working with a diverse group of new movement leaders to build dialogue in communities of color about same-sex marriage.

This is the kind of grassroots organizing that is going to change the conversation in California. To help us hire organizers like Vincent in communities across California, we need your support. Please contribute to the Courage Campaign before Thanksgiving so we can hit the ground running ASAP:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/PowerTheRepeal
..............

The Courage Campaign Issues Committee is part of the Courage Campaign's online organizing network that empowers over 300,000 grassroots and netroots activists to push for progressive change in California.

To support our campaign to repeal Prop 8, please contribute to the Courage Campaign Issues Committee today:

Republican mayor of San Diego supports gay marriage

DailyKos

by kos

Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 09:45:04 AM PDT

Turns back on campaign promises to oppose gay marriage in an emotional press conference:

Surprisingly poignant.

"I have close family members and friends who are a member of the gay and lesbian community. Those folks include my daughter Lisa, as well as members of my personal staff.

"I want for them the same thing that we all want for our loved ones—for each of them to find a mate whom they love deeply and who loves them back; someone with whom they can grow old together and share life’s experiences.

"And I want their relationships to be protected equally under the law. In the end, I couldn’t look any of them in the face and tell them that their relationship—their very lives—were any less meaningful than the marriage I share with my wife Rana.

If the GOP hopes to survive into the future, they'll need more of this. That's certainly the case in California, but that will also be the case nationwide in the midterm. A party that has built its power by demonizing government should understand that advocating for government meddling in people's personal lives is a long-term political loser.

• Permalink ::
• Discuss (219 comments)
•