Educate Against Prop 8: The License

A Video shot by Keith Hartman after California banned gay marriage. For more info and how to get involved check out our facebook page "Educate Against Prop 8" at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Educate.

Prop 8: It Breaks My Heart

Watch this video. Keep tissues handy. Sign the petition. Invalidate Prop 8.


"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.
Tell the Supreme Court to invalidate Prop 8, reject Ken Starr's case, and let loving, committed couples marry. DEADLINE: Valentine's Day

We, the undersigned, share President Barack Obama's view that "for too long, issues of LGBT rights have been exploited
by those seeking to divide us. It's time to move beyond
polarization and live up to our founding promise of equality by treating all our citizens with dignity and respect."

Yet, on December 19, 2008, Ken Starr and the Prop 8 Legal Defense Fund filed legal briefs defending the constitutionality
of Prop 8 and seeking to nullify the marriages of 18,000
devoted same-sex couples solemnized before Prop 8 passed.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in this case on March 5, with a decision expected within 90 days. We, the undersigned, ask that the Court enforce the equality promised
to each of us by our constitution and invalidate Prop 8. So
doing will protect all loving, committed couples in California -– including the 18,000 who said "I do" last year –- and prevent
the initiative process from being a tool for stripping vulnerable minorities of precious constitutional rights.

As Americans who believe in the rule of law and fundamental civil rights, we know that Ken Starr and the Prop 8 Legal Defense Fund's shameful attempt to nullify equal protection
and all these bonded unions will be condemned in the eyes of
history. We know that, ultimately, love will prevail, no matter
how hard they try to fight it.

173,807 people have signed this letter*.
GOAL: 200,000 signers. Please add your name now!

BREAKING NEWS! California Supreme Court to Hear Oral Arguments in Prop 8 Legal Challenge on March 5

This just in from...

The California Supreme Court announced today that it will hear oral arguments on Thursday, March 5, 2009 in the Proposition 8 legal challenge.

On November 19, 2008, the California Supreme Court agreed to hear the legal challenges to Proposition 8 and set an expedited schedule. Briefing in the case was completed on January 21, 2009.

The California Supreme Court must issue its decisions within 90 days of oral argument.

On January 15, 2009, 43 friend-of-the-court briefs urging the Court to invalidate Prop 8 were filed, arguing that Proposition 8 drastically alters the equal protection guarantee in California’s Constitution and that the rights of a minority cannot be eliminated by a simple majority vote. The supporters represent the full gamut of California’s and the nation’s civil rights organizations and legal scholars, as well as California legislators, local governments, bar associations, business interests, labor unions, and religious groups.


In May of 2008, the California Supreme Court held that laws that treat people differently based on their sexual orientation violate the equal protection clause of the California Constitution and that same-sex couples have the same fundamental right to marry as other Californians. Proposition 8 eliminated this fundamental right only for same-sex couples. No other initiative has ever successfully changed the California Constitution to take away a right only from a targeted minority group. Proposition 8 passed by a bare majority of 52 percent on November 4.

The National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal, and the ACLU filed this challenge on November 5, representing Equality California, whose members include many same-sex couples who married between June 16 and November 4, 2008, and six same-sex couples who want to marry in California. The California Supreme Court has also agreed to hear two other challenges filed on the same day: one filed by the City and County of San Francisco (joined by Santa Clara County and the City of Los Angeles, and subsequently by Los Angeles County and other local governments); and another filed by a private attorney.

Serving as co-counsel on the case with NCLR, Lambda Legal, and the ACLU are the Law Office of David C. Codell, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.

The case is Strauss et al. v. Horton et al. (#S168047). Click here for more information.

Prop H8: The Fight is NOT Over

If there's one thing that REALLY gets my blood boiling, it's seeing the following note scrawled on a dirty truck driving down the highway, which I spotted while on the road in Malibu only a few short hours ago. Luckily, I was returning from a photoshoot for work and had my camera in hand. I am still in shock and awe at the rampant discrimination that is running through California at this very moment. I had to use some serious self-restraint to stop myself from ramming into the back of this truck, but I knew deep down that a little fender bender wouldn't accomplish anything. Now, if he had a "How is my driving, please call..." sticker on the back, that might have been another story...





Seeing that just made me realize one thing. This fight is far from over. Never before in California's history has a group, who currently enjoys a basic right, been singled out and then had those rights ripped from them by a vote of their fellow citizens. This decision is so radical and so egregious that every voice must first be heard, no matter how unlikely a changed outcome might be.


If you have some time this evening and you live in California, please come join us and show your support at the following locations:

Community Gatherings

Event listing updated regularly at www.NoOnProp8.com/events

Los Angeles
7:00 p.m. | West Hollywood
Corner of Santa Monica Blvd and San Vicente Blvd

Modesto
7:00 p.m.| Stanislaus Pride Center
Silent walk to Graceada Park

Sacramento
5 p.m. | Capitol Steps

San Diego
6:30 | The Center
3909 Centre Street
Co-sponsored by the Center, EQCA and HRC

San Luis Obispo
5:30 p.m. | Mission Plaza Amphitheater

San Francisco
6:30 | City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place

And to keep hope flying high, action has already been taken. According to Lamda Legal:

The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a writ petition before the California Supreme Court today urging the court to invalidate Proposition 8 if it passes. The petition charges that Proposition 8 is invalid because the initiative process was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution's core commitment to equality for everyone by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group — lesbian and gay Californians. Proposition 8 also improperly attempts to prevent the courts from exercising their essential constitutional role of protecting the equal protection rights of minorities. According to the California Constitution, such radical changes to the organizing principles of state government cannot be made by simple majority vote through the initiative process, but instead must, at a minimum, go through the state legislature first.

The California Constitution itself sets out two ways to alter the document that sets the most basic rules about how state government works. Through the initiative process, voters can make relatively small changes to the constitution. But any measure that would change the underlying principles of the constitution must first be approved by the legislature before being submitted to the voters. That didn't happen with Proposition 8, and that's why it's invalid.

Because of the struggle fought here in California and fought so incredibly well by the people in this state that loves freedom and justice -- our fight for full civil rights will continue. Stay tuned for more from Lesbiatopia on the fight for equality.

8 Against 8: The Finale

$13,759

Vote NO on Prop 8

Thank you to everyone who donated and helped spread the word. And thanks to these incredible, amazing, super-awesometastic lesbians for all of their passion and outreach:

• Grace Chu and Grace Rosen from Grace the Spot
• Kelly Leszczynski from The Lesbian Lifestyle
• Pam Spaulding from Pam’s House Blend
• Sinclair from Sugarbutch Chronicles
• Riese from This Girl Called Automatic-Win
• Lori Hahn from Hahn at Home
  
• Dorothy Snarker from Dorothy Surrenders

8 Against 8 - Day 3

-- Lori Hahn

$6,054. Can I just say how amazing you all are? We've had one donor who gave $500 and several who have given over $100. Lots have donated other amounts, which are all building towards our overall goal of $8,000 by the 27th. Thank you.

And, thanks to Lesbiatopia's Renee Gannon and all our other cohorts in queerness for their continuing outreach!

8 Against 8

If you Google “8 Against 8″ you can see that this effort has spread all over the country. People who aren’t directly affected have reached into their pockets to help us defeat his discriminatory measure that ELIMINATES the right to same-sex marriage.

I read a blog the other day that made me kind of mad. The blogger was saying there is apathy in our ranks. That we aren’t putting in, as a group, the real effort to effect change. That somehow we all had to be Stonewall rioters or we wouldn’t succeed. I beg to differ. We are offered, because of the Harvey Milk’s, the Stonewall rioters, and other trailblazers the ability to rally for our cause in a million different, quieter ways if we choose. But, he had a point - if we want rights, we have to want them enough to fight for them - whether it’s donating for ad dollars, writing letters to the editor, organizing protests, or whatever method we feel we can offer the most help. It’s about rights - we have no right to complain if we do nothing. If you haven’t posted about 8 Against 8 on your blog, I hope you will!

Causecast has created an amazingly inspirational video in support of No on PROP 8 based on Harvey Milk's "You Cannot Live On Hope Alone" speech.

A reminder too, for all of you working California voters - your employer must give you time to vote. They are also required to post a notice to that effect at your place of employment. There is NO excuse for not getting to the polls on November 4th.

So do something. Donate. Share. Vote NO on Prop 8. Because that’s what it’s all about, your vote.

http://www.8against8.com

• Grace Chu and Grace Rosen from Grace the Spot
• Lori Hahn from Hahn at Home
• Kelly Leszczynski from The Lesbian Lifestyle
• Pam Spaulding from Pam’s House Blend
• Sinclair from Sugarbutch Chronicles
• Riese from This Girl Called Automatic-Win
• Renee Gannon from Lesbiatopia
• Dorothy Snarker from Dorothy Surrenders

Take That Professor Richard Peterson of Pepperdine

8 Against 8: An Online Fundraiser for CA Marriage Equality

IMPORTANT UPDATE: TODAY IS THE LAST DAY
TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN CALIFORNIA

Welcome to the 8 Against 8 campaign. Eight influential lesbian bloggers have come together in a coordinated effort to help place the discriminatory ballot initiative called Proposition 8 in its rightful place in the dust heap of history.

The 8 Against 8 includes:
Grace Chu and Grace Rosen - Grace The Spot
Renee Gannon - Lesbiatopia
Lori Hahn - Hahn At Home
Kelly Leszczynski - The Lesbian Lifestyle
Dorothy Snarker - Dorothy Surrenders
Pam Spaulding - Pam's House Blend
Sinclair - Sugarbutch Chronicles
Riese - This Girl Called Automatic Win

The idea came about last Friday when Grace Chu of Grace the Spot logged onto Facebook and saw a few of her Facebook contacts openly campaigning for the passage of Proposition 8 via their status updates. “My initial reaction was to delete them from my Facebook contacts, because if you’re actively campaigning against my rights, you’re not my friend,” she said. “It totally ruined my morning.”


But instead of deleting her contacts, Chu decided to channel the power of the blogosphere to drive much-needed funds into the coffers of Equality California, the umbrella organization of the No on 8 campaign. Over the weekend, Chu assembled eight prominent lesbian bloggers to help get the word out and fundraise on behalf of Equality California’s No on 8 campaign. “Among the eight of us, we reach tens of thousands of eyes per day,” she said. “If we come together in a coordinated and unified effort, we could send a really powerful message, raise a ton of money, and make a real difference in the fight against Prop 8.”

We've joined the NO on 8 campaign because we believe every Californian deserves the freedom to marry the one they love. Prop. 8 would create a separate set of rules for same-sex couples, treating them differently under law. Regardless of how you feel about marriage, it is a right that belongs to all of us, without exception.

Please join us in making a donation to NO on 8 - Equality California. Every little bit counts, from $1 to $1,000. Your generous contribution will help NO on 8 defeat a measure that is not only unequal under the eyes of the law, but wrong. The bloggers' 8 Against 8 campaign donation page is located at the following URL: www.8against8.com.

Thank you for standing with us to support freedom, fairness and equality.

PROMOTIONS

~ I will be offering a free month of advertising space on the Lesbiatopia homepage & a "The Only Bush I Don't Like" t-shirt for free to anyone that donates $500 or more (with email confirmation)
~ TLL and Grace the Spot will also be offering a week of free advertising on TLL and Grace the Spot to any company or business that donates 100 dollars or more!
~ Kelly at TLL will be offering a free “My Heart is not for you to Judge” T-shirt to the first 5 people that donate over $150.00 and forward me their confirmation email.
~ Pam’s House Blend: if a business or blog donates $100 or more, you can receive a week of free ad space on the Blend. If you donate $500 or more, you will get a month of free space on my blog — and a Pam’s House Blend T-shirt and mug.
~ Hahn at Home: Anyone donating $100 or more through my site will receive a Hahn at Home coffee mug
~ This Girl Called Automatic Win: Anyone who sends me a photo for the No on 8 Quilt and/or donates to 8 Against 8 and forwards me their confirmation email will be entered in a drawing to win fun prizes.

Here's a great website that's keeping a running list of all the upcoming No on 8 rallies, events and actions on their page at:

http://www.myspace.com/noonh8

and have signs, buttons and more at our not-for-profit CafePress page:

http://www.noonh8.org

Proposition 8: Changes California Constitution to eliminate right of same-sex couples to marry. Provides that only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

“Proposition 8… would eliminate the fundamental right to same-sex marriage. The very act of denying gay and lesbian couples the right to marry – traditionally the highest legal and societal recognition of a loving commitment – by definition relegates them and their relationship to second class status.” Los Angeles Times Editorial, August 8, 2008

It’s not the government’s place to tell couples who have been together for years whether or not they are allowed to marry. In California, we let people decide what is best for themselves – without government interference. Eliminating fundamental rights for same-sex couples treats them differently under the law – AND THAT’S WRONG. Vote No on 8.

Domestic Partnerships are NOT the same as marriage. Domestic partnerships are just legal documents. They don’t provide the same dignity, respect, and commitment as a marriage. In a marriage, a paramedic doesn’t tell you that you cannot get into an ambulance with your spouse. Married couples can automatically make life or death decisions for each other in these crisis situations, no questions asked. Vote No on 8.

Lesbian politics: Dude, Mormons--Why the $H8?

(Before I say anything else, I would like to point out that you can make "No on Prop 8" phone calls from home, no matter where you live in the U.S. Save marriage equality in CA; click on that link above to find out how.

Do you really want to live in a country where voters get to decide who has inalienable rights and who doesn't? On November 5 will you be patting yourself on the back for having done all you could for your fellow queer brethren, or will you be kicking yourself that you failed to stand up for queer rights? Make phone calls today!)

I don't really know very many Mormon people, so I'm hoping I can get an education here in the comments section. Here is what appears to be a spreadsheet with all the "Yes on 8" donors (source: mormonsfor8.com). 46% of them are Mormon. I ask you: why? These are people who themselves had to redefine their own "traditional" marriage to "Marriage is between a man and a woman" from "Marriage is between a man and a woman and another woman and another woman and another woman," and it wasn't that long ago. Their church founder advocated for plural marriages back in 1831 and had one himself in 1835, and the church had to restructure its traditional marriage system back in 1890 to get rid of that. Are the Mormons overcompensating now to prove they're the man-and-wifeiest? Or are they just mad that we can get wife-on-wife action today, and they can't?

Carlos Santoscoy at ontopmag.com writes: "Mormon leaders say gay marriage is incompatible with Mormon theology. According to church doctrine, Mormons must be married to achieve 'exaltation' – the ultimate state in the afterlife – where they retain their gender and give birth to spirit children."

O.K., so you need male/female interaction in the afterlife; let's assume that is true. But LGBT folks typically receive excommunication from the Mormon church when they're outed--hell, the LDS church will excommunicate people merely for supporting "No on Prop 8" even if they aren't gay--meaning (as far as I understand) that they are no longer Mormons. So if they aren't Mormons anymore, they do not go to a Mormon afterlife; is that correct? And if they're not going there, it doesn't really matter if they get married, does it?

Well, I'm attempting to apply logic to literalist religion, which is just going to frustrate everybody, so let that lie. Let's instead take a peek at the lengths to which the LDS community has gone to beat up on us so far:

• $10 million in contributions

• technological firebombing (texts, blog posts, videos, podcasts, Twitter, Facebook) mostly by young people (how sick is that?)

• traditional methods of political organizing (1,000,000 yard signs distributed by mob LDS crews)

• collaboration with James Dobson, the Focus on the Family shithead (who says a father can teach his son not to be gay by doing the following:

He needs to mirror and affirm his son's maleness. He can play rough-and-tumble games with his son, in ways that are decidedly different from the games he would play with a little girl. He can help his son learn to throw and catch a ball. He can teach him to pound a square wooden peg into a square hole in a pegboard. He can even take his son with him into the shower, where the boy cannot help but notice that Dad has a penis, just like his, only bigger.

Sure, James, keep up your pitching/catching, hole-pounding, and prominent penis contests . . . that's not gay at all.)

Almost $27,000 came from these Mormon lawyers alone all from the same law firm in Irvine, CA (contact info taken from firm website):

	Brent M. Dougal 949.760.0404 Brent.Dougal@kmob.com Prop 8 Donation: $500
	Douglas B. Espenschied 949.760.0404 douglas.espenschied@kmob.com Prop 8 Donation: $1,500
	Nathan S. Smith 949.760.0404 nathan.smith@kmob.com Prop 8 Donation: $1,000
	Marc Morley 619.235.8550 mmorley@kmob.com Prop 8 Donation: $1,000
	Ted M. Cannon 949.760.0404 tcannon@kmob.com Prop 8 Donation: $5,000 (extra douchey)
	Philip M. Nelson 949.760.0404 pnelson@kmob.com Prop 8 Donation: $1,100
	Glen Nuttall 949.760.0404 gnuttall@kmob.com Prop 8 Donation: $150 (mini-douche)
	Curtis R. Huffmire 949.760.0404 chuffmire@kmob.com Prop 8 Donation: $1,000
	Paul Conover 949.760.0404 pconover@kmob.com Prop 8 Donation: $500
	Christian A. Fox 949.760.0404 cfox@kmob.com Prop 8 Donation: $1,500
	Bill Bunker 949.760.0404 bbunker@kmob.com Prop 8 Donation: $5,000 (megadouche)
	Ned Israelsen 619.235.8550 nisraelsen@kmob.com Prop 8 Donation: $3,000
	Jason J. Jardine 619.235.8550 jason.jardine@kmob.com Prop 8 Donation: $500
(unpictured)	Michael Erickson michael.erickson@kmob.com Prop 8 Donation: $5,000

These are lawyers--you know, those people who are supposed to defend the Constitution? The ones who are supposed to promote equal rights for all free from religious persecution? The ones who sometimes grow up to be judges? My justice-seeking perennial heroes? Does the fact that lawyers are putting up big money for this terrify you as it does me?

I applaud the efforts of groups like Affirmation, the coalition of queer Mormons that has been admirably and bravely standing up for our side. (That is the link to their main site, but they also have a blog.) Unfortunately, many of Affirmation's members have to practice a sola scriptura, sola fide strain of Mormonism due to their rejection by the church proper.

I'm so curious why the LDS church is so LGBT-unfriendly! I mean, even the fundamentalist Christians let you stick around (although I'm not religious and never have been, so I would have to ask all you Lesbiatopia readers, "What's worse--excommunication from the church, or being allowed to stay but having to go through reparative therapy?") As always happens with whatever the evil kind of anti-gay garbage, devout and well-meaning people wind up hating and/or hurting themselves.

There is a really terrific autobiographical one-man show about these types of issues called Confessions of a Mormon Boy. The show's protagonist mires through unceasing struggle from beginning to end, confronting faith, upbringing, family, addiction, and hate on his passage to coming out. He does get excommunicated, though not for lack of trying. I highlight this show because I know there are thousands of people out there with similar stories--people the LDS church has gone out of its way to shame into silence. Now the church is trying to extend this into government policy, because, sure, look how well it works to hurt people.

I'm a, well, fairly tolerant person so long as no one is attacking me and mine; sometimes even under attack I can forgive if I can understand from whence the attack comes. I just don't get this one, though, especially because it seems like we have so much in common, me and Mormons. I mean, c'mon, we both like choral singing, genealogy, soda . . . well, the list just keeps going. Can't we be friends?

Even the Politically Quiet Are Getting Loud

My friend Uncle Doreen is a quiet sort. She has her political opinions. She volunteers for her causes. Sometimes in a BIG way like heading down South after the Big Hurricane a couple of years ago and working for weeks with the Red Cross.

This weekend, she put together her first video as a NO on Prop 8. I think it says it all.



Hahn at Home

Dear Crystal - Thanks for Writing

I don't get a lot of mail like this at Hahn at Home, but this one struck me particularly and I need to respond on to her. The assault of money and zealotry pouring into California from the outside of the Prop 8 issue is very scary.

Crystal Oftedahl said: Participating in Homosexuality will leave any person with an inevitable feeling of guilt and shame that cannot be relieved except by true repentance- it can only be deadened by ignoring it. That’s because Our Creator endowed each of us with the ability to recognize whether we are are on the right track in life, so that ultimately we can return home to Him and experience the pure joy of unpolluted family relationships. The Devil is real, and wants to stip (sic) us of our freedom to have that happiness by convincing us to participate in filthiness and degenerate behavior. Promoting those things which are right and good and clean in harmony with God’s laws will bring all of us greater liberty and freedom, while succumbing to Satan’s devices always restricts our freedoms. Proposition 8 will help to secure our liberties- both for those who are part of traditional families and those who are influenced by with homosexual tendencies.

Dear Crystal:

First of all, I believe you believe what you’re telling me. That’s fine with me that you believe it – just don’t tread on my rights in the name of your religion, okay? And, if I didn’t “participate in homosexuality,” I would be dead, because being a homo is not something I do, but who I am.

And, right off the bat, I’m wondering about how deep your guilt and shame is. Since coming out, I have lost all of my guilt and shame. Staying in the closet, not being true to who I am is what caused all the pain. I’m quite sure my Higher Power is the thing that allowed me to come out.

So, Crystal, if I try real hard, I can choose to go back to my unpolluted family relationships? What would those be? Childhood verbal abuse? Divorced parents? An adulterous ex-spouse? How about you, Crystal? Are you married to a divorced man? Have you been divorced? Not marry your husband’s brother after your husband died? Let your boyfriend cop a feel - lust, you know? Do you eat pork? Shell fish? Did you have pre-marital sex? If you answered yes to even one of these questions, I am sure this devil of which you speak has made note.

Degenerate behavior? Have you met me?

So, I’ not promoting things good and clean? By raising three children to be productive members of society, working in a job that helps millions of children, helping my fellow citizen with my money and time, paying my taxes, serving my country, and living a life based on the tenet of personal responsibility - that what I do comes back to me, doesn’t bring me happiness or give me the right to share in the same rights and benefits of being a citizen of this state that you do (if you do, which I doubt – I think you’re an inexperienced-at-life Mormon 20-year-old college student from Idaho which makes this none of your business)?

Prop 8 restricts my freedoms. It restricts your freedoms too if you live in California. Government should not distinguish between your desire to not marry homosexually and my demand that I be treated equally in the eyes of the law. NO on Prop 8 ensures that all citizens of California continue to enjoy the same rights and freedoms as those who believe like you do, Crystal. Frankly, you just don’t have a right to deny me – I believe your Bible says something about sitting in judgment – which, if you’re basing a vote regarding a legal issue on a religious belief, you would be doing.

But wait, you don’t live here in California, do you?

Hahn at Home

Re-Post: The LGBT Community Call to Action

Our No on Prop 8 Yard Sign
Originally uploaded by life_changes

There are just four short weeks to go until the gay marriage ban is voted on in the State of California.

The voter information guides have arrived, and so have the official sample ballots. Both sides of the campaign are running their ads on TV, and more endorsement money continues to roll in for both as well. At this point in the game many voters are thinking over the issues in their heads and making decisions on what their votes will be on November 4th. A month ago I issued an The LGBT Community Call to Action which encourages all members of the LGBT community and those who support them to "get out and about" in their community every weekend until Election Day, if possible to a McDonalds and preferably wearing No on 8 gear. Today I am re-issuing the Call to Action, and letting everybody know that now is the time to come out with No on 8 FULL FORCE! By participating in this Call to Action, we are giving voters a chance to see members of the LGBT community out and about participating in daily life, and show that we are the same as everybody else – human beings who deserve equal rights.


Here is a list of the endorsers and supporters of The LGBT Community Call to Action efforts:

About Lesbian Life
Ask Gay Dr Bill
Bi The Way UK
Breast Cancer Wall of Courage
Bridge Out
Card Carrying Lesbian
ComeTogether Gift Baskets
Curve Magazine on MySpace
Discovering Pride
Emanuel Xavier
Fiesty Charlie
Gay Link News
Gay Persons of Color
GeekP*rnGirl.com
Grow By Love
Hahn at Home
Lesbiatopia
LNews
PFLAG.org
Queers United
Rainbow Wedding Network
So Cal GSA on MySpace
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund
The Outskirts
Unapologetically Female
and the Wicked Gay Blog

These supporters have reposted The LGBT Community Call to Action on their blog or website, or re-sent the message to their network of friends and family in an effort to help the No on 8 Campaign.

Others have donated to help fund more TV time, and if you are financially able to donate as well, please go to the campaign website and make a donation right away! (**Enter referral code 536) The No on Prop 8 campaign has created a Community Finance Council, which gives each and every one of us the opportunity to personally fundraise for the cause. You could create your own fundraising page, host a home party in your town, and more. (There is a No on Prop 8 Pool Party this weekend October 11th here).

I've kept an eye on the local community events that are going on over the weekends and drive around with our ‘No on 8’ bumper sticker, honking in support when we see No on 8 activists like the MYTE youth group pictured here from The Center Long Beach.



If you are a member of the LGBT community in California we need you to make it a point to get out and about in your community every weekend until Election Day.

Your presence out and about in the community is a big help and the number one way to get out and about is to visit your local McDonald's. There is one in most every community and serves as a common ground for all. My wife and I have participated in the Call to Action each weekend, visiting McDonald's and letting the kids run around and play. I really feel we are doing our part to make it known that we are just like everybody else. We have been making it a point to go to a different McDonald's each time and the kids love it because they get a new play land and different kids to play with each time. Just being out and about in the community showing your smiling face can really change the perception people have about the gay community. Plus, engaging in conversation with others is crucial right now, because remember, now is the time voters are thinking over the issues and deciding which way they will vote. I really admire the MYTE youth group, because they got really creative in raising awareness and used all their resources (and body parts!) to show their support. In talking with a few of them I realized just how close this hits home for our youth; some were raising awareness for a gay parent, others for themselves, but mostly because it was the right thing to do.

These teens inspired me to keep the LGBT Community Call to Action going strong, and to let you all know that the fight is not over yet!

We've all got to keep steady in the campaign to strike down the gay marriage ban in California and let everybody we know voting in that state this coming Election Day to VOTE NO ON 8.

Leave us a comment showing YOUR support for NO ON PROP 8 (even if you don't live in California)

Richard Peterson Doesn't Scare Me - NO on Prop 8

I had a comment from JC on my blog this morning about where we can write concerning the Right Wing’s latest advertising assault for their attempt at continued discriminating through its Prop 8 here in California. You remember, that same Prop that would take away our right to marry legally. As a NO on Prop 8 proponent, I’m here to tell you, they are pulling out all the scare tactics they have because they can’t base anything on actual facts. Check it out at Pam’s House Blend.

You can write to Professor Peterson, and I highly recommend you do, here: Richard.Peterson@pepperdine.edu Tell him that fair-minded people, opposed to the tyranny of fundamentalism and scare tactics. are not going to buy into his baseless assertions.

Hahn at Home

Levi Strauss & Co. joins PG&E as Co-Chair of No On Prop 8 Equality Business Council

Levi Strauss & Co. has joined PG&E as the Co-Chair of The No On Prop 8 Equality Business Council along with a $25K donation. Levi Strauss & Co. is one of the oldest and most prestigious clothing and apparel companies in the world.

"As a company with a long history of standing up for equality, civil rights and social justice on behalf of our employees and other stakeholders, we are proud to co-chair the business council with our friends at PG&E,” said John Anderson, President and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co.


In 1992 Levi Strauss & Co. became the first Fortune 500 company to extend health benefits to the unmarried partners of its employees, and in 2007, it was the only California company to file a brief with the state’s Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage.

The No on Prop 8 Equality Business Advisory Council (now co-chaired by PG&E and Levi Strauss & Co.) has joined civil rights and religious leaders, elected officials and other fellow business leaders who are pledging to vote “NO” on Prop 8 this November.

Geoff Kors, a member of the NO on Prop 8 Executive Committee, welcomed Levi Strauss to the campaign. “We’re delighted to have Levi Strauss & Co. join our efforts to defeat Prop 8,” said Kors, who is Executive Director of Equality California. “Everybody wins when businesses take an important leadership role in ensuring that California remains a place where no one is treated differently under the law. Levi Strauss & Co., and other members of the Business Council, recognize that gay and lesbians are their employees, their shareholders, customers, neighbors and friends. We welcome Levi Strauss & Co. as Council Co-Chair and look forward to many more California businesses joining our effort.”

Businesses can endorse the campaign, join the council, lend use of their company name and give monetary contributions to help defeat Proposition 8 by visiting www.NoOnProp8.com.

You can read the original press release here.

Congratulations to Lindsay and Sam

Although this may be a foray into unknown territory for this Enlightened Dyke, but I have a bit of insight to share on this latest bit of Celesbrity News. I subscribe to several LGBT-related blogs and news feeds in my beloved Google Reader, and often, high-profile information comes to me from multiple sources. Yesterday's announcement that Lindsay Lohan verbally and publicly confirmed her relationship with DJ Samatha Ronson was no exception. You can read about it here and here and here. Although many people "in the know" (i.e. who pay attention to tabloids and celebrity gossip) have speculated for several months, the couple had previously refused to verify the status of their relationship.


I am personally a fan of privacy, of minding your own business, of giving people space, and of respecting boundaries. I understand, however, that being a celebrity necessitates the sacrifice of some of these rights. It's the price you pay for fame. So I took a gander at the news that's been released over the various media outlet, and here's a summary of what I've found:

Lindsay Lohan, initially famous for her tres mingnone dual-role as the twins of the Parent Trap remake, became much more famous for her slip into scandal as a teenager. Between the drugs, the rehab, the nude pictures, the car accidents, and the cat fights with other scandalous celebs, it seemed that she hit rock bottom and planned on staying there. And then, all of a sudden... nothing. No scandal, no drama, no fighting, not even many public appearances. Was a parole officer? A newfound faith? Had she seen the light? Well, we now know that it was much simpler, and yet more profound at the same time - she fell in love. Not a one-night stand, not a publicity stunt, but that turn-your-world-around, make-you-a-better-person, hers-and-hers-coordinated-towels kind of love.

They went shopping together, they accompanied each other to work, they generally just couldn't get enough of each other. But they kept it personal and private. Rumor has it that they were offered a payout in excess of 2 million for an exclusive on their relationship, but declined. Instead, the public confirmation of their status came as a casual "yeah, it's been a long time" during an informal conversation with friends. And have you noticed how happy they look? Gosh, it just warms my heart. Everyone deserves to feel this kind of love. And after all that she's been through, I hope this love lasts for Lindsay, and for Sam.

There's been quite a bit of discussion among the lesbian community about whether or not it is "good" to have this kind of celebrity on "our" side, as well as speculation about her sexuality and whether or not that played a role in the drama she went through as a teenager. Well I just wish we didn't have to have "sides" in the first place. As someone who only dated guys before falling in love with a woman, I tend to eschew labels. Why should we be obligated to identify ourselves by the gender(s) to which we are attracted? Maybe Lindsay has always felt she was a lesbian, or maybe she never has. I don't think it really matters. What's important is the exposure. That the two of them, the media, and the rest of us all treat them just as we would any other celebrity couple. I think that by acknowledging their relationship in such a simple and profound way, they've helped "normalize" (I hate that word) the idea of same-sex couples in the minds of a few more people.

Here in California, we have a few short weeks remaining until our state votes on whether or not to take away the rights of same sex couples to marry. Recent polls have indicated that more and more people are leaning toward the NO vote, but there is still a significant segment that is undecided. I think as they see things like this: that two women can have a successful relationship which helps them become better people, and that their relationship is no different from any other, I think they will begin to see that this is not an attempt to "change the values of America", but rather, a fight for equal rights, and the right of everyone to love.

Whatever your thoughts on LiLo, I hope that you remember the joy of your first real love, and I hope that you join me in celebrating Lindsay and Samantha's relationship and wishing them all the best as they grow in their love.

My Goodness, These Young People Seem Awfully Normal

I look at my children and wonder - do they ever experience anything different with their friends because I'm a lesbian? So, I asked. My son said: "My friends just think you're weird, just like their parents." That seems mighty normal. My kids are also advocates of equal rights for our community. They think it's the only fair-minded thing. Out of the mouths of babes.

John McCain and Sarah Palin don't care about my family. They don't care that by continuing to oppose the fair-minded belief that our laws should guarantee the same fundamental rights and freedoms to all of its citizens on a Federal level they are hurting my family. I want to protect my family - and those kids you are about to see - well, I think they'd agree.


They can't vote, but you can. Vote NO on Prop 8 in California this November - and remind your friends and family to take a look at this video and then do the same.


Youtube by way of LesbianDad.

Hahn at Home

Update: No on Prop. 8 and The LGBT Community Call to Action

Last week, I issued an LGBT Community Call to Action in efforts to help strike down Proposition in 8 in California, which would eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in the state if passed on November 4th, 2008.

The LGBT Community Call to Action encourages all members of the LGBT community and those who support them to "get out and about" in their community every weekend until Election Day, if possible to a McDonalds and preferably wearing No on 8 gear. The idea behind this Call to Action is to encourage voters to interact with those in the LGBT community directly in an effort to "Personalize Prop 8 across the State", hoping that voters will think about how their vote affects us on a personal level. Kathryn Kendell, executive director of San Francisco’s National Center for Lesbian Rights, says that gays, lesbians and their straight allies need to educate their friends and neighbors about the importance of voting. “There are heterosexuals out there who might love their gay next-door neighbors, but not bat an eye at voting for Prop 8", said Kendell. “You have to engage them in the harm” she said, adding that if the issue isn’t personalized, “it’s easy for them to think the harm doesn’t exist.” By participating in this Call to Action, we are giving voters a chance to see members of the LGBT community out and about participating in daily life, and show that we are the same as everybody else – human beings who deserve equal rights. McDonald's is a business that is present in many communities, and serves as a common ground for voters from every community to be seen out and about over the weekend.



McDonald’s is also a member of the NGLCC and this is what they had to say when I emailed them about The LGBT Community Call to Action:

"Hello Julie:

Thank you for contacting McDonald's. We appreciate this opportunity to share information regarding our commitment to our employees as well as the communities that we serve.

First, it's important to note that McDonald's respects and values people. Diversity and inclusion are business imperatives and integral components of McDonald's culture. We believe that by embracing our differences we are better enabled to value and respect other people as well as understand differing points of view.

We have a long and proud history of leadership in these areas. We continually strive to maintain an environment in which everyone feels valued and accepted. We encourage employees to recognize and appreciate the contributions that all diverse groups and individuals bring to the McDonald's system.

Thank you for sharing your personal point of view on this topic with us.

Jennifer
McDonald's Customer Response Center"

I also sent The LGBT Community Call to Action to all of the major TV and radio stations in California, newspapers from the top of the state to the bottom, all of the major activism organizations and gay and lesbian centers in the state (including the ones on a college campus and a few of their radio stations), and as many blog owners, podcasters, and LGBT online business owners as I could find emails for, plus all of my personal LGBT friends and supporters. I sent out over 600 emails! I posted the Call to Action on many gay and lesbian social networking websites and message boards online such as GLEE, Our Chart, Olivia, Curve Magazine Online and After Ellen; I submitted the Call to Action to social news sites such as Mixx, Propeller, and Yahoo! Buzz; and I even submitted to the homophobic news site Digg for more visibility. I also issued my first ever press release! I am not a professional but I am very proud of myself for all of the hard work. You can read the press release I submitted here, and you will see that The LGBT Community Call to Action generated coverage from others on social news sites like Topix, QueensSpeech, Top Out News, Buzz Tracker, and Congoo. I also gained support from organizations, bloggers, and LGBT business owners around CA, the US, and the rest of the world who passed along the message to their network of people!

Here is a list of the endorsers and supporters of The LGBT Community Call to Action efforts:

About Lesbian Life
Ask Gay Dr Bill
Bi The Way UK
Breast Cancer Wall of Courage
Card Carrying Lesbian
ComeTogether Gift Baskets
Curve Magazine on MySpace
Discovering Pride
Emanuel Xavier
Fiesty Charlie
Gay Link News
Gay Persons of Color
GeekP*rnGirl.com
Grow By Love
Hahn at Home
Lesbiatopia
PFLAG.org
Queers United
Rainbow Wedding Network
So Cal GSA on MySpace
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund
The Outskirts
Unapologetically Female
and the Wicked Gay Blog

Since I issued The Community Call to Action I have been keeping my eye on the Prop 8 news and am happy to report that like me, many are coming out to show support for the ‘No on 8’ side by starting their own initiatives and efforts.

A Freedom to Marry march was held last weekend in NY and CA where supporters marched for Marriage Equality over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. Straight supporters of the LGBT community are currently holding events around the nation, called Seven Straight Nights ‘08. The events are endorsed by Judy Shepard, the mother of Mathew Shepard who was murdered in 1998 because he was gay; and are promoted by the group Atticus Circle. One sign held at the Seven Straight Nights event in Austin, Texas quoted civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. who said “In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Many contributions have also come through to the ‘No on 8’ campaign recently as well such as a $100K donation by actor/activist Brad Pitt and $250K from PG&E. Republican Mary Cheney also made a donation and Joan Rivers is performing on October 12th in San Diego and donating a portion of the proceeds to ‘No on 8’.

Lesbian activist couple Robin Tyler and Diane Olson have created an ad campaign, which features gay and straight celebrities speaking out against the proposition, telling others to “Stop the Hate and Vote No on 8”.

The couple is encouraging the media to feature the ads at no cost, which can be found on YouTube on The Equality Campaign Channel.

Here is one of the videos featured on the channel:



Celebrities featured in the ads include legendary organizer Dolores Huerta who commented on Prop 8 saying:

“When I speak to Latino audiences in particular, I always refer to our great president of Mexico, Benito Juárez. He had a saying: Respecting other people’s rights is peace -- as individuals and in nations. And when I repeat that phrase, people understand.” She goes on to say “every single family has someone gay or lesbian or bisexual in their family. Everybody does. I can say that about my own family.”

Many well known politicians and other organizations are speaking out against Prop 8 as well, and you can find the entire list of endorsements to the No on 8 Campaign here.

Recent polls show that support for the California gay marriage ban is slipping with a majority of 55 percent of voters against Proposition 8, but we still need more help to “Personalize Prop 8 Across the State” and strike the measure down.

I am only one person and can only do so much. I was only able to email those with a public email address, and the No on 8 campaign volunteers are working endlessly to spread the word and secure the No on 8 vote. We still need YOUR HELP, no matter where you are in the world this is a cause that affects us all!

San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom says :

“I don’t think its hyperbole to say that this is the second most important election in the United States of America. Let’s not look back and say we could’ve, should’ve, would’ve. We know this is going to be close. I’ve got polls, they’ve got polls that are very good, and I’ve got some polls that have this right on the bubble. So as far as I’m concerned, this thing is a dead heat. So we are going to have to work harder and absolutely are going to have to work smarter than our opponents. If we succeed, we will not only change history in California, we will change the tone and tenor of this debate across not only America but the rest of the world. People are counting on us. This is a big deal. This is a BIG deal. We have done so much, we have come so far. We have changed the way people feel and the way people view members of the LGBT community, but we have not finished the job.”

There are fewer and fewer days left until Election Day and those that are for Prop 8 are pulling out all the stops to get the measure passed, such as going door to door and hanging ‘Yes on 8’ door signs.

According to Lorri L. Jean, Chief Executive Officer of the LA Gay and Lesbian Center, ‘Yes on 8’ supporters also bought time to begin running “misleading and discriminatory” TV ads a full week before mail-in ballots are sent to voters.

Jean says that:

“Analysis of undecided voters tells us that they may well make up their minds based on the first TV ads they see. We cannot afford to let them get on the air first, especially when the race is so close! That means we need to raise millions more to purchase an additional week of time. And, the longer we wait, the more expensive it gets to buy that time. So, we need money and we need it fast so we can get the biggest bang for our bucks.”

If you are financially able to give to help fund more TV time for No on 8, then go to the campaign website right now and make the largest donation you can afford! (**Enter referral code 536 to help track donations resulting from The LGBT Community Call to Action.) The No on Prop 8 campaign has created a Community Finance Council, which gives each and every one of us the opportunity to personally fundraise for the cause. You could create your own fundraising page, host a home party, and more.

There are many ways to get involved, and if you can’t afford to donate to No on 8, that’s okay too – you can help with your time!

Anyone around the world can do their part to help the cause online by re-posting The LGBT Community Call to Action on their blog, sending the message to their friends, or visiting the post on your favorite social networking websites below and making a comment:

Proud Parenting
OurChart
After Ellen
Olivia
Tribe
iVillage
Yahoo!
Google
Craigslist
43 things
Gather
And MiGente

Or you can vote on The LGBT Community Call to Action on the following social news sites:


Yahoo! Buzz
Digg
Topix
QueensSpeech
Top Out News
Buzz Tracker
and Congoo

If you are in California and are looking for a way to get involved in the efforts in your local community, you can volunteer to participate in activities that are going on in your neighborhood.

Your presence is a big help especially if you are in the Orange County or San Diego areas which boasts the biggest contributors to the Yes on Prop 8 campaign. You can find opportunities to get involved in your neighborhood at the No on 8 Events Page. If you can’t volunteer for going door to door or waving signs at an event, you can also help with the Phone Banks in an effort to reach out to voters. Aside from television advertising, a phone call from a committed volunteer is one of the best ways to persuade undecided voters.

Even if you are not able to donate or volunteer, you can still help our efforts if you live in California by making it a point to get out and about in your community every weekend until Election Day.

There are many events planned which help raise awareness of the need to Vote No on 8, and your presence at these events or simply out and about in your community can do wonders for the cause, especially if you are a member of the LGBT community. Hopefully you can sport some of the No on 8 gear for sale at the No on Prop 8 website here. (Let me also tell you that twenty-five percent of each sale goes towards the TV ad campaigns!) Find your local No on Prop 8 events here, or you could participate in the Seven Straight Nights event if you are looking for something to do this weekend. On September 25th Rialto Cinemas in Elmwood is showing the movie about the attempt to ban gay marriage in California called ‘Pursuit of Equality’, and October 12th is the Joan Rivers event in San Diego which benefits the No on Prop 8 efforts. There are also pride festivals over the weekend in Stanislaus on September 27th, in Oceanside on October 11th, and in Palm Springs November 1st. Plus, one person who left me a comment reminded me that there are Gay Days at Disneyland in Anaheim which are from October 3rd to October 5th. Of course the number one way to get out and about is to visit your local McDonald's. There is one in most every community and serves as a common ground for all. Feel free to leave a comment on this post with info about other opportunities to get out and about over the upcoming weekends and thru Election Day!

Hopefully we can change the opinions of those who are for eliminating the rights of same sex couples, such as was the case with San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders.

Last September, Sanders officially announced that he would sign a resolution to direct the city attorney to file a brief in support of gay marriage. Sanders initially did not support gay marriage, but did support civil unions and domestic partnerships. After Sanders took some time to ‘reflect and search his soul for the right thing to do’ he announced in an emotional statement that:

“I just could not bring myself to tell an entire group of people in our community that they were less important, less worthy, or less deserving of the rights and responsibilities of marriage than anyone else simply because of their sexual orientation.” He goes on to say that “The concept of a ‘separate but equal’ institution is not something that I can support.” He ends his announcement by saying “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.”

Smilin' & Dialin' for NO on Prop 8

Hey Californians,

I’ve got some news on how you can talk on the phone for a couple hours and help our community at the same time!

I was talking to some one of the Regional Field Organizers for HRC the other day, who put me in touch with our local office. One of the biggest things needed, he said, was people to man the phones. It’s easy, it’s painless, and it only takes a couple of hours.

The segment of society that is undecided on their stand on Prop 8 are the ones they want to speak with.

One of the biggest concerns for the “good guys” is that well-meaning and pro-gay marriage folks are confusing whether voting “Yes” or “No” is the right thing to do.

“Why, ‘Yes” I want gay marriage. I’m voting ‘Yes’.”

NO!

We all want to vote NO on Prop 8:

“NO! I won’t let those crazy, right-wing religious nuts determine the destiny for my brother/sister/ mother/father/neighbor/friend. I’m voting ‘NO’!”

NO ON PROP 8

If you are in the San Francisco, Long Beach, or San Diego area, you can find a place to start smilin’ and dialin’ at Queers United.

Or, if you’re in the Sacramento area, you can volunteer at those phone banks here:

Tuesday - 9/16, 9/23, 9/30 - 6-9pm

EAST SACRAMENTO

UPE Local #1

5370 Elvas Ave., Suite 100

Sacramento, CA 95819

Google Maps: http://tinyurl.com/eastsac

SOUTH SACRAMENTO

Unitarian Universalist Community Church

8231 C East Stockton Blvd.

Sacramento, CA 95828

Google Maps: http://tinyurl.com/4z3n4d

Wednesday - 9/17, 9/24 - 6-9pm

EAST SACRAMENTO

UPE Local #1

5370 Elvas Ave., Suite 100

Sacramento, CA 95819

Google Maps: http://tinyurl.com/eastsac

Thursday - 9/11, 9/18, 9/25 - 6-9pm

NORTHEAST SACRAMENTO

Democratic Campaigns Headquarters

4146 Sunrise Blvd.

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

Google Maps: http://tinyurl.com/northeastsac

Saturday - 9/13, 9/20, 9/27 - 10am-1pm

NORTHEAST SACRAMENTO

Democratic Campaigns Headquarters

4146 Sunrise Blvd.

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

Google Maps: http://tinyurl.com/northeastsac

EAST SACRAMENTO - 9/20 ONLY

UPE Local #1

5370 Elvas Ave., Suite 100

Sacramento, CA 95819

Google Maps: http://tinyurl.com/eastsac

Sunday - 9/14, 9/21, 9/28 - 5-8pm

AUBURN/ROSEVILLE

Sierra Foothills Unitarian Universalist Church

190 Finley St.

Auburn, CA 95603

Google Maps: http://tinyurl.com/aub-rose