Opposing Prop 8: Why I just Donated $200 to Lambda Legal

[Mike 03]

What happened last week with the passage of several Gay Marriage bans, including one in my state (AZ, which I doubted would defeat it anyway) shocked and upset me. The depth of the pain that was expressed here alerted me to how serious this issue is and how imperative it is that we defeat these last vestiges of discrimination.

Please help in this fight. Even if you think you don't have "skin in the game," I'll bet you do. When I sat down and really thought about it, I could think of two Gay teachers who changed my life and a transgender nurse who looked after my grandmother. And that is just the tip of the iceberg in my case. I could write for eight hours about the positive influence gay, lesbian, transgender people have had in my life.

This is not a "fifteen minutes of fame" issue. In good conscience, we have to join this fight. If we believe in all of the virtues we say we do, it is a moral imperative that we go the full distance with our friends.

Thanks for listening.

Mike

[Happyhippychick]

1. K&R'd. I have asked about where to donate money, gotten some good suggestions, and will add this

to my list.

This is not over by a long shot.

[Mike 03]

4. Thank you.

[Lerkfish]

2. ok, cool, kicked and reccomended.

[Mike 03]

8. Aw, thank you Lerkfish. You have been one of my favorite DUers for years. N/T.

[Lerkfish]

16. aw shucks, tis a good cause is all.

[justiceischeap]

3. If you're going to be in DC before 1/19/09 you can do this too

EVEN IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD TO EVERYBODY YOU KNOW.

THE FOLLOWING RELEASE WILL BE SENT THIS WEEK TO HUNDREDS OF NEWSPAPERS, ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESSES AND ELECTED OFFICIALS LISTED AS SUPPORTERS OF MARRIAGE EQUALITY ON HTTP://WWW.EQUALITYFORALL.COM, BEGINNING WITH THE LARGEST AND MOST RESOURCEFUL. PLEASE LET ME KNOW OF ANY OUT-OF-STATE COALITIONS THAT SHOULD BE INFORMED IN THESE BEGINNING STAGES OF ORGANIZATION.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

March on Washington for Equal Protection Under the Law NOW

—We Still Have the Dream

January 19, 2009

The entire world will be watching—

Over 45 years since Martin Luther King, Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech, gays and lesbians are 'still sadly crippled by the…chains of discrimination.' The time to act is NOW.

With the passage of Proposition 8 in California, constitutional amendments to ban same sex marriage in 29 states, including most recently Florida and Arizona, and a ban on gay and lesbian adoption in Arkansas, it is clear the GLBT community is under attack and being denied equal protection under the law.

In fact, the passage of Proposition 8 is breath-taking in its scope and injustice. It marks the first time in US history that a particular group's rights have been eliminated after a Supreme Court found in the group's favor. The California Supreme Court found that limiting marriage to a relationship between a man and a woman violated the equal protection clause of the California Constitution. Prop. 8 reverses this important and ground-breaking ruling.

As the entire world watches the first African-American inaugurated as President of the US on January 20, gays and lesbians are still fighting for basic civil rights. This is the ideal moment for the entire GLBT community, their friends, family and other like-minded people committed to ending discrimination to stand up and register their outrage.

We invite you to attend the nation's largest march and rally ever for Equal Protection Under the Law NOW to be held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Monday, January 19, 2009 at high noon.

See you in D.C.

[FreeState]

5. They are also organizing on on the same date in Sacramento n/t

[justiceischeap]

9. MLK day? In Sacremento? (eom)

[FreeState]

10. Yes - link

http://www.californiansforfairness.com/

"What We Do

We are trying to coordinate a Million Person March on Sacramento, Monday January 19, 2009. What better day than Martin Luther King's birthday to bring people from all over the world together to march and declare that we will not be held separate but equal. We will not go quietly into the night.

The time for action is now. We can no longer be complacent in this struggle. We can no longer accept what we have been allowed to have. We need to demand what all straight men and women have: equality. We cannot have a right, such as marriage, taken from us. What right will they take next?"

[AntiFascist]

12. My blood is boiling!

I just heard that Barney Frank was being interviewed on Sirius OutQ and was telling people that it doesn't do much good at this point to march or demonstrate, that they should instead be directly trying to convince people to support their cause by talking to them, not yelling at buildings.

I know, for a fact that the recent demonstrations in California have persuaded a lot of people how deeply we feel about the gay and lesbian rights issues, and the media coverage has made it all the more prominant. I've also participated in one of the first marches on Washington D.C. durng the Reagan era and anyone who witnessed that event would have been blown away by the masses of people involved. This surely must have had a tremendous impact on the people living and working around Washington at the time.

Don't let the naysayers get you down, we need to stand up for our rights!

[keepCAblue]

15. Good gawd...MLK must be rolling in grave about now. n/t

[bluedawg12]

17. The protests kept media coverage all week end

it's put's a human face on those who some would dehumanize and it's but one prong of a campaign.

[AntiFascist]

19. Rachel Maddow just covered a whole bunch of the CA protests...

complete with video, and even the protests in Salt Lake City and Chicago. Rachel: :yourock:

[bluedawg12]

20. She sounded pissed off too!

Good for her.

[bluedawg12]

6. Thanks for the support Mike!

If anyone is interested:

http://www.lambdalegal.org /

Lambda Legal, along with NCLR and the ACLU, has filed a lawsuit directly in the California Supreme Court on behalf of Equality California and six same-sex couples challenging Proposition 8.

[Mike 03]

13. Thank you for at least understanding how some of us could be so dense, and forgiving us. NT

[AntiFascist]

7. K&R n/t

[ruggerson]

11. recommended

[Mike 03]

14. There are other good causes for this as well. Please give to them, if you feel like it.

I'm no expert on this, but please listen to the comments of others. There are many good organizations that fight discrimination.

Thank you, dear friends.

Peace.

[Maat]

18. I donated right away to www.invalidateprop8.com -

and I'll make a donation to Lambda Legal as soon as I can.

I've actually had nightmares over it. I campaigned and campaigned against it; it wasn't enough.

I marched in Saturday's protest out her in San Diego.

It represents a constitutional crisis in my humble opinion. I've always been a proud Californian - not anymore.