Calendar of Events

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:03:16 -0500

Too many of them at the moment for me to keep up with. So please check out this site: Unite The Fight! at www.unitethefight.blogspot.com.

Unite The Fight's mission is to reach out to you, both the gay and straight community, to help us stay informed to unite this fight into ONE organized movement so together we can win this battle for same-sex marriage.

ACT UP NOW Downloads

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:11:07 -0500

	So You Want to Plan an Action
	Zap-Action Outline
	Marshal Training Tips
	IRS Form to Investigate LDS

Thoughts on the No On 8 Campaign

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:39:24 -0500

Thougts: Open Letter

RE: F.A.I.R. Meeting Clarification

Dear Fellow Organizers,

I want to echo Jonathan Weber's sentiments about last night's meeting: The night was a powerful and empowering event that illustrates quite clearly that the LGBT rights movement is alive and well and is growing exponentially with the sadness and anger we all feel in having lost our right to marry in the state of California.

It is clear that old-guard activists, LGBT and allied youth, African-Americans, Asians, Latinos, the labor movement, suit-wearing conservatives and the tee-shirt and jeans set are all outraged by the elimination of our fundamental right to marry. We have coalesced like never before and our movement has more traction than we could have ever hoped to have.

The protest/rally tomorrow is but one example of our creativity, moxie and power. As we stand tomorrow with the constituency of the groups that comprised last night's meeting, along with labor leaders and their constituencies, organizers from communities of color and their constituencies and, finally, LGBT and allied folks that have never before attended a political event of this nature, we will be heard. Los Angeles, the State of California and indeed all of America will know that we will not stand idly by as our rights get squashed. We will not be silent!

Continue reading Thougts: Open Letter

Thoughts: Dirty Laundry

DIRTY LAUNDRY OVER PROP. 8
Blame-game erupts over Latino and black support for the gay marriage ban

BY PATRICK RANGE MCDONALD, LA Weekly
Published 11/12/2008

As president of The Wall Las Memorias Project, Richard Zaldivar is a “local hero” in East Los Angeles. In 2005, the grass-roots organizer received that honor from KCET for bringing the first publicly funded AIDS monument in the nation to the Eastside’s Lincoln Park. During the 12-year effort, he earned the support of church groups, neighborhood councils, mothers groups and unions. Zaldivar, a gay man, was certain the “No on 8” campaign would put him to work and tap into his vast network of gay and straight Latinos.

No On 8 Campaign Falls Short

"To win you have to define the issue, and we didn't do that," said Smith, who claimed that the campaign was "under-resourced" relative to Prop 8's proponents.

No on Prop 8 Official Grilled Over Campaign

By Dan Aiello, Bay Area Reporter
Published 11/13/2008

Underestimating their opponent's resources, an LGBT community lulled into complacency by an inaccurate Field Poll, a "pathetic" Web site that at times was not fully functioning, an under-funded initial media buy, and a campaign lacking statewide cohesion are just some of the reasons for Proposition 8's passage, a senior official with the No on 8 campaign told Sacramento LGBT Democrats Monday, November 10.

Thoughts: Jim Fouratt

Re: NYC Prop. 8 protest Wednesday!

Same sex civil marriage has nothing to do with church and everything to do with State.

It is a secular civil rights issue.

We should not do what the Democrats have and done over and over: : mash church and State together on this issue. Kerry did it in the debates when he introduced religion in the discussion of "gay marriage" as did Biden In the VP debate. Obama rarely included lesbians and gays in his public announcements and has never supported same sex civil marriage. Now that he is elected its time to turn up the heat. Clinton ditto, Edwards ditto , Dean ditto.

Liberals always use political expediency to step aside from taking a principal stand on this basic civil rights issue.

The Bill of Rights and the Constitution are clear .. equal opportunity for life liberty and the persuit of happiness .... and equal protection under the law.

AND WHY NO PROTEST AT EVEN PUTTING BASIC CIVIL RIGHTS UP FOR REFERENDUM?

Same sex civil marriage is NOT a radical idea. Same sex erotic love is.

Continue reading Thoughts: Jim Fouratt

Thoughts: Andy Velez

Re: NYC Prop. 8 protest Wednesday!

Totally agree with Larry on this one.

Mirroring the bigots by dragging in church and religion into OUR state is a mistake and it's wrong. That's just the kind of Easter Parade nonsense the media loves to gloam on to.

The issue is equality and with equality it's either first class for all or no class.

See ya on Wednesday!

Andy Velez, ACT UP
11/11/2008

Thoughts: Larry Kramer

Re: NYC Prop. 8 protest Wednesday!

I'll be there, but as someone who does not believe in god i could do without this banner [75 foot banner declaring “God Loves Gay Marriage”], which also strikes me as the sort of thing the other side is glorying in doing to us.

And who are we, or anyone, to say what god loves and doesn't love?

Larry Kramer, Founder, ACT UP
11/10/208

Thoughts: KM Soehnlein Jr.

Time for a National Gay Civil Rights Movement

Civil rights should never be put up for a popular vote. But again and again, in state after state, the rights of gay men and lesbians have been curtailed on ballot measures. The Religious Right has exploited ignorance and fear -- often among people of faith in poor and minority communities -- to get the votes they need to keep gay people down. And too many on the left say, Oh, that's terrible, but fail to understand that they are witnessing a kind of sexual apartheid in their own midst.

What happened this election day in California, Arizona, Florida and Arkansas is a stain on this country -- and is raised to the level of tragedy in light of Barack Obama's breakthrough victory. While the progressive left cheered "Yes, We Can," gay men and lesbians were slapped in the face and told, "No, You Can't." We were reminded again, painfully, that we are second class citizens.

But the truth is that these defeats are only the latest in a decades-long assault upon the civil rights of gays and lesbians by the Religious Right. Almost every state in the U.S. now has in place legislation that limits the ability of taxpaying gay men and lesbians to set up stable homes and beneficial relationships, raise families and receive the benefits that heterosexual citizens receive.

Continue reading Thoughts: KM Soehnlein Jr.

Thoughts: Ron Goldberg

RE: No on 8: Stand Together

First, be very skeptical of the statistics that are being promoted regarding who voted for what and by what percentages. Exit poll numbers are always dodgy. While they use "random samples" of voters, the term does not mean the same thing as it does during regular polling. These polls are far less scientific and the results are not weighted as carefully. They are more along the lines of Stephen Joseph's AIDS estimates: in the end, they don't add up. In addition, they can be manipulated so as to fulfill a pre-determined storyline. (See 2004 and the "values voters.")

Second, I would strongly suggest that whatever is being organized should not be about pitting LGBT against "people of color," regardless of how we may think those communities may have voted. Frankly, I think age is probably a better indicator of how people voted than color or ethnicity, but strangely I haven't heard the same level of anger directed at old people. In any case, we need to be VERY CAREFUL about our rhetoric on this point. Squaring off against communities of color may create a nice segment for FOX, but it will not get us one second closer to legalized marriage. Besides, the real targets are not the people who voted against us, but the people who organized against us. We need to determine how we want to deal with them, and more importantly, how do we get what we want.

Continue reading Thoughts: Ron Goldberg

Thoughts: Elizabeth Sunwoo

Re: Report From The Front - L.A. - Show Us The Change

Hi Alan & company,

I agree with you. During the immigrant rights protests in the last 5-8 years, we've been training tons of community members in march organization and work with legal observers from NLG. I know that people are burnt from the election but I know the president of NLG in LA. I wonder if he can get some folks out there for Saturday at least.

Also, I think that mass marching is great but we're lacking a real target. I don't think the Mormon church is a good one. It makes sense for us to take away their exempt status but if we want to move people, its not a good public target.

I know that many civil rights groups felt this way but none of or very little of the No on 8 resources for commercials, etc. were targeted to ethnic communities. If we targetted the Latino community alone, it would have helped put us over the top in No votes. Latinos came out 50/50 on this issue. I think with the recent immigrant rights movement upsurging here, we could have really spoken to their core issues for equal rights for all.

Continue reading Thoughts: Elizabeth Sunwoo

Thoughts: Matt Ebert

RE: No on 8: Stand Together

Nov 4 was bittersweet, and I am no longer content with piecemeal civil rights. This can not be won in parts. 8 proved what a disaster we face from the church and state. Continuing in the manner of one state - one issue is a defeated strategy. The No on 8 campaign failed to deliver (God Damn Apologist ads!), and went woefully soft on the issues facing sexual minorities. All I saw were those damn teachers telling us how they wont teach the lifestyle. BULLSHIT. We will teach children about separation of church and state, tolerance, and equality. Obama claims to be no on 8, yet he stumped against marriage equality, which anesthetized the debate and sank 8. Leaving me separate from my spouse and definately not equal to Barack and Michelle Obama. The Obamas go to bed a married couple, while my spouse and I and thousands of new families are in jeopardy. One minority traded up on another. With the familiar "Oh he had to say that to get elected" rap being foisted to further marginalize sexual minorities. Like Clinton before him, Obama appears poised to give us mention but no real substance. A good word in Chicago does an window in California make.

Continue reading Thoughts: Matt Ebert

Thoughts: Alan Klein

My Thoughts on the No On 8 Campaign

Marriage Equality and No On 8 made some incredible missteps — some that I feel led directly to us losing this important battle in the war against hatred and bigotry faced by the LGBT community.

Arrogance. Both organizations took it for granted that Prop 8 would not pass. Fundraising efforts were not aggressive. The PSA's were also not aggressive and failed to frame the civil rights issue at all. In fact, No On 8 allowed the opposition to frame the issue (a real PR blunder) and allowed lies to become the predominant message. If we are to win this issue, both at the polls and in the court of public opinion, we must have media-savvy people at the helm of our organizations.

Ignorance. People of color were 'educated' about Prop 8 by their churches. We were not there. There were no representatives of No On 8 dispatched to communities of color, until it was too late. There was no No On 8 signage or collateral in Spanish, nor Korean, nor Tegalic, only English.

Continue reading Thoughts: Alan Klein

Best of YouTube

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:29:00 -0500

YouTube videos about No On 8 that you've just gotta see!

NYC Protest and Civil Rights March

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow

Olbermann on Prop 8

Meetings and Volunteer Info

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:23:47 -0500

Click here for information on current events, news and an up-to-date calendar of protests and actions.

ACT UP Marriage License Bureau Protest

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 12:35:05 -0500

News coverage of ACT UP New York protest at Manhattan's marriage license bureau in 1989. Click here to see the video.

Contact Us to Volunteer

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 22:43:59 -0500

Please use this contact form to indicate that you are able to lend your support to help organize, be a marshal, be a legal observer, help organize a town meeting, or anything else you think may be of benefit to No On 8 protests and protesters. Names and emails will NEVER be used for anything but this purpose.

If, you are unable to use the form below, we can be reached by telephone at +1-917-720-4017.

Community Action | alan klein communications

Calendar of Events

ACT UP NOW Downloads

So You Want to Plan an Action

Zap-Action Outline

Marshal Training Tips

IRS Form to Investigate LDS

Organizing and Training Manuals

Thoughts on the No On 8 Campaign

No On 8 Campaign Falls Short

Best of YouTube

Meetings and Volunteer Info

ACT UP Marriage License Bureau Protest

Contact Us to Volunteer

Photos: No On 8 Protest 11/06/2008