So Much for the "Black v. Gay Divide"

One of the most disingenuous memes from the post-Prop 8 fallout in California is that "African-Americans don't get along with gays and vice-versa". Nothing could be further from the truth... Especially for people who are African-American AND LGBT! Here, take a looksy at this protest in LA's historically black Leimert Park neighborhood last weekend.

See how everyone's getting along? See all those beautiful black & queer people marching for civil rights? Yes, it's for real!

So may be FINALLY stop hearing about this fictitious "black v. gay divide"?! Thanks.

The Gift of Equality

On Saturday night, I had the chance to go out to the local town square and join some friends in asking for a special gift for the holidays. We weren't asking for anything expensive or extravagant. All we really want is equality.

Yes, that's right. All we want is the gift of equality. This nation has simultaneously experienced a great leap forward in civil rights with the election of Barack Obama as our next President and a major setback in civil rights with the passage of same-sex marriage bans in California, Arizona, and Florida, along with an adoption ban in Arkansas. These last three weeks since the election have been so awkwardly painful not just for LGBT people, but for all people who want equal rights for all.

However, November 4, 2008, isn't the end date of this story of the long struggle for equality. Rather, it's just turned out to be a new beginning. People from all over America, even in "blood red" locales like Orange County, CA, have filled the streets to peacefully ask for equality.

That's what happened at our local vigil on Saturday. While others all around us went out to eat and drink and party, we were out to ask for the holiday gift of equal rights. We had students from the local college along with families from nearby neighborhoods. We had little children ask why their mommies couldn't marry, and we had young couples ask why they couldn't marry. Why can't all loving relationships be equally legally recognized?

Well, there is some good news. The California Supreme Court has agreed to answer that question, and a legal challenge is pending in Florida. Fortunately, we have great allies in court with a strong case to make for the invalidation of Proposition 8, the unconstitutional marriage ban in California. Meanwhile in Florida, civil rights groups are preparing to defend domestic partner benefits against the forces of hatred already using Amendment 2 to take them all away. And better yet, our progressive allies in California are already preparing for a campaign to secure our rights no matter what happens in court.

Still, we can't just expect victory. We must make victory happen! I mean it. We may not be able to argue in front of court, and we may not be able to develop campaign plans for 2010 & 2012. But believe it or not, we can still give each other the gift of equality this holiday season.

How so? We can give each other (or ourselves!) the gift of equality by supporting these organizations working for victory on the legal AND political fronts!

Legal:

ACLU LGBT Fund

Lambda Legal

National Center for Lesbian Rights

Political:

Courage Campaign's Repeal Prop 8 Plan

Equality California

Equality Florida

Equality Arizona

This isn't over, not by a long shot! We won't stop fighting until all people have their rights all over this nation. And really, wouldn't this gift be far more useful than that sporting goods gift card or clunky toaster that never gets used?

So come on, everyone, let's give the gift that all of us can cherish!

LATE BREAKING: CA SUPREME COURT TAKES PROP H8 LAWSUITS!!

Hooray! California's Supreme Court WILL take the cases challenging Prop 8, the initiative that bans marriage equality in the state. While we didn't get everything we wanted, I think we now have a good shot of overturning this hateful, horrid initiative. Let's take a look at what happened:

1) The court is taking the case on an expedited schedule, meaning that first briefs will be filed next week, oral arguments begin in March, and a final ruling will likely come in May.

2) The court did NOT issue a stay on enforcing 8 while the court hears the case, meaning no marriage equality in California... FOR NOW.

3) The court expressed concern on the matters of whether Prop 8 is an attempted constitutional revision improperly sought after & whether Prop 8 improperly undoes constitutional protections against discrimination by sexual orientation... Meaning that the court is at least paying attention to our concerns & willing to hear what our lawyers have to say.

Overall, this is good news. While we don't know what will happen early next year, we do know the court has concerns about Prop 8 & the judges aren't dismissing this case any time soon. We now must remain vigilant & keep fighting until we win & we have our full rights!

On Joining the Impact

It wasn't that long ago when I was just crying in my bedroom, not knowing what I could do next. Prop 8 had passed in California, and it felt like I was completely stripped of my human rights. Why did everything go so wrong when it seemed like the worst had just ended with Barack Obama's victory?

But in the next few days, hope returned. Lawsuits were filed to protect people's rights. People soon took to the streets to protest the temporary "win" for hate. And most importantly, a new civil rights movement was born as people began organizing to show the state, the nation, and the world that love conquers all.

So how has a temporary defeat resulted in a sudden push for victory?

In the months before the November 4 election, the "old school" LGBT political organizations (like Human Rights Campaign and The Task Force) and a HUGE group of elite "old school" West Coast political consultants decided to run a top-down, cautious campaign to defeat Prop 8. There was little mention of the married couples about to lose their legal rights. There were no feet on the ground organized by the campaign to talk to neighbors in the community about the threat to everyone's civil rights posed by Prop 8. There were just a 12-page long phone bank script and rounds of TV ads trying to respond to the constant barrage of lies pounding the airwaves. That was a recipe for disaster.

Fortunately in the days following the disappointing election day results, something changed. Everyday people rose up to fight for their rights. Suddenly, an angry (but peaceful) uprising was transforming into a full-fledged movement. And then, it spread beyond California. It became a national uprising for equal rights.

And really, this is why I now feel a calm sense of reassuring hope. Now don't get me wrong, I refuse to become overconfident in expecting the California Supreme Court to overturn Prop 8 and/or a successful repeal campaign in 2010 and 2012. Rather, I am glad that so many of us have now realized that we are working to make victory happen.

I was once told by a New Age influenced family member that "you create your own reality". At first, I scoffed it off. But now, I know what she meant. We create our own reality by taking action, joining the impact, making it happen. We have the power now to make our case to the court, convince the voters, overturn Prop 8, and guarantee civil rights for all.

The power is ours. The time is now. What can we do in the coming days, weeks, and months ahead to end hateful discrimination and let love prevail?

A Ruling on California's Prop 8 Coming Soon?

I was just emailed this news. Unfortunately, I can't find the link. Still, this may help right what went wrong last week.

California Gay Marriage Ban Ruling Expected Shortly
By On Top Magazine Staff
Published: November 11, 2008

Lynn Holton, a spokeswoman for the California Supreme Court, said she expects the court to rule as early as this week on a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate Proposition 8, the recently-passed constitutional amendment that yanks back the right of gays and lesbians to marry in California.

Pro-gay rights groups filed the motion on Wednesday, the day after the election, arguing that Prop 8 is invalid because it alters the constitution's "core commitment to equality for everyone by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group, lesbian and gay Californians."

To make such a radical change to the constitution would require the
approval of the legislature first, the pro-gay rights groups say.

Now I don't know if we'll actually get a final ruling this week. We may only see a decision on whether or not to issue an injunction to give the court more time to deliberate the immediate future of equal rights in California. Still, this is welcomed news for civil rights advocates everywhere.

The California Supreme Court does have a good record of standing up for LGBT rights. So hopefully, they'll go to bat for us again this time. Prop 8 was snuk onto the ballot to undo the equal rights provisions in the state constitution. But because it was not done properly as a constitutional revision, we may just see the damage undone soon.

My Final Plea for Change

That's the front of my house. Sometimes, I feel so alone. I see McBush-Failin signs all over the neighborhood across the park from mine. I see the Christianists (aka radical right fundamentalists) put up signs in support of the marriage ban all over my neighborhood. Sometimes, I just want to cry because I feel so alone.



But you know what? In the last few weeks of walking my neighborhood and surrounding areas, I found out something quite reassuring. I'm actually not alone! Quite a few of my neighbors are just as disgusted with the radical right as I am. I can tell.

How so? They tell me. They tell me when I knock on their doors. They tell me with their bumper stickers. They tell me with their yard signs. They tell me that I'm not alone in wanting an end to fearmongering, an end to hatemongering, and the dawn of a new day filled with hope and understanding and compassion and love.

For far too long, the Rethuglicans have tried to convince all of us that each of us is alone and isolated. We're alone in not being truly "pro-America". We're alone in not persecuting gay & lesbian couples and blaming them for all our problems. We're alone in thinking that it's wrong to steal from the working class to bestow upon the ultra-wealthy.

But guess what? They're WRONG! We are not alone, and we'll find out on November 4.

That's why it's critical that we stand up now & let ours and! our friends' voices be heard! Whatever you can do, please do it! Give, volunteer, speak up.

I'll be leaving home tomorrow to help elect Democrats (including Barack Obama) to office in Nevada. But if you'll still be in California, please stay & work to defeat the hateful and bigoted Proposition 8 and elect great Democrats like Debbie Cook to office. This is our last call to make real change happen. Please take it.

The Battleground in My Backyard

Nervous yet? I know I am. It's crazy enough having to follow the Presidential Election 24/7. But for me and my friends & family here in California, we have even more on our minds!

We have a Congressional race to win. We have an evil, discriminatory
ballot initiative to defeat. And of course, we have a community, a county, and a country to take back!

Let me tell you about what I did last weekend to make all of this happen.



On Saturday, I met with some hard-working union friends in Costa Mesa to walk a neighborhood for Debbie Cook. As always, the pre-walk rally was great! Debbie fired up the crowd as she talked about what she would do to actually serve us in the district. Local labor leaders talked about what we can do to translate enthusiasm for Obama into votes for local Democrats. All in all, I felt quite good about what I was about to do to help Debbie win.

I also felt good about going out and talking to voters about Proposition 8. For all of you unfamiliar with California politics, we often govern by initiative because of our dysfunctional state government. Unfortunately, the radical right has used the initiative process to try to pass horrible legislation that wouldn't otherwise see the light of day in Sacramento. Prop 8 is one of these horrid radical right power plays that would overturn marriage equality in California and reinstate a Plessy v. Ferguson style segregation that treats gay and lesbian couples as inferior to straight couples. The polls on Prop 8 are close now, so we can't take anything for granted. That's why I included Prop 8 in my walk.





After the rally, I walked with a friend from the local Young Democrats club in a Republican leaning area near the 405 Freeway in Costa Mesa. At first, I was disheartened by all the "Yes on 8" and "McCain-Palin" signs I saw on the street. But as I began talking to the voters on our list, my experience wasn't so demoralizing. In fact, I found a few undecided Republicans, two houses with Debbie Cook signs up, and a beautiful 90 year old woman who smiled as she told me she was voting for Debbie Cook and against Prop 8! All in all, that's not so bad for a "Republican stronghold"!

On Sunday, I shifted to the small southwestern portion of Santa Ana that lies in the 46th Congressional District. Specifically, I walked the neighborhood across the street from mine which has sizable Latino and Vietnamese populations. And while this neighborhood is less Republican than the Costa Mesa neighborhood I walked the previous day, I knew it would still be an uphill battle here. So what happened?

I was in for some pleasant surprises! I met a wonderful 80 year old woman who was glad to hear about Debbie Cook and was already voting no on 8. I met a fantastic 60+ couple who have been volunteering for MoveOn.org, so they were very receptive to what I had to say! I found a couple more undecided Republicans and some young voters who appreciated my last minute reminder to vote. So again, the final results weren't as bad as I had originally expected.

So what does this all mean? Hopefully, this means that we can win if we work for it! Despite all the talk of whether or not Obama will "win by a landslide!", we can't be sidetracked into post-election punditry when we still have an election to actually win! And despite all the talk about California being "safe", it's NOT! It's not safe for marriage equality, but on the other hand it's also not safe for corrupt Republicans.

So what can we do in the next week? We can donate! We can volunteer! We can do all we can in the next week to win and WIN BIG! So don't just stand there, but go out & help win this election! :-D

California

PPIC has a new statewide poll out, and we have some BIG news being made.

The good news:

Obama (D) 56%
McCain (R) 33%

The not-so-good news:

Proposition 4 (mandated parental notification of teen abortion)-
Yes 46%
No 44%

The not-so-bad-but-still-not-good news:

Proposition 8 (same-sex marriage ban)-
Yes 44%
No 52%

If you're in California, please get to work to defeat Props 4 & 8! And no matter where you are, please help us win! As I've said before, PRESIDENT OBAMA IS NOT ENOUGH! We must also win the battles on the state level to make change happen.