Equality California (EQCA) announced yesterday its new campaign Win Marriage Back. Make It Real!, their first public step in joining the grassroots in laying the groundwork for a new campaign to repeal Prop 8 if the California Supreme Court rules to uphold it.
Just this past weekend, the Courage Campaign announced its support for a 2010 initiative, and now with the EQCA joining in on the call, these two organizations among many other grassroots groups have given a solid signal to California that marriage 
equality will beckoning the state once again. And soon.
On a phone call with donors today, EQCA's new Marriage Equality Director Marc Solomon and Executive Director Geoff Kors said their new campaign push will be two-fold. First, joining in the grassroots efforts in community organizing, and second, telling the stories of LGBT families who were adversely affected by Prop 8, the lack of which was a major criticism of the No on 8 campaign in which EQCA was major player.
The first point will be met by hiring 25 field organizers in all parts of the state to reach out to their communities and neighborhoods. In the call, a reference was made to Courage Campaign's amazing Camp Courage, a two-day training event designed to teach the principals and skills of community organizing to activists working to restore marriage equality in California. Courage Campaign has invested over a $100,000 in these camps, raised by on-line matching grant donations from the Dolby Family among others.
EQCA will be relying heavily on the hundreds of camp graduates. The camps have so far been held in Los Angeles, Fresno, San Diego, Oakland and coming up soon in Sacramento and East LA, all areas that EQCA plans to do outreach.
Graduates of the camps have set up successful Equality Teams throughout the state that engage the electorate in phonebanking, canvassing and more, with voter information provided to them through the Courage Campaign's Equality Hub. This giving away of information has been hailed as unprecedented because it gives anyone who wants to make a difference for equality in their own area the chance to succeed.
The second point of the new push are two new tv ads that feature LGBT families. Having heard the sharp criticisms of the No on 8 campaign's refusal to show the faces of the LGBT population and its variety, and seeing how successful the Courage Campaign's record-breaking video, "Fidelity, Don't Divorce Us" has been, EQCA will be releasing their own ads on TV this weekend.
See the second ad here.
EQCA working alongside grassroots is a remarkable change since the No on 8 campaign during which the grassroots felt shut out. The failure of the campaign woke a sleeping giant throughout the nation, but particularly in California, displayed prominently in the massive rallies and protests that followed.
Even more remarkable is that EQCA, along with Courage Campaign, Marriage Equality USA, FAIR, Equal Roots and more, have all chipped in together on the costs of polling, and with the resulting information, all groups will be armed to work together on the new initiative campaign if needed.
Since the November election, the grassroots has grown stronger and more organized, its full force to be seen on the Saturday following the Supreme Court's ruling on Prop 8. Win or lose, thousands will Meet in the Middle in Fresno, CA, the heart of Yes on 8 territory, not only to show numbers, but to stand in solidarity for equality for all.
Just recently, academy award winning actress Charlize Theron issued a letter through the Courage Campaign, urging everyone, especially straight allies, to show support by meeting in Fresno.
EQCA has take its cue from such organizing. Despite some growing pains in working alongside the grassroots, they will be showing their support by appearing at Meet in the Middle, an event that is sure to launch either a statewide effort to repeal Prop 8 if its upheld, or a nationwide movement for LGBT equality if Prop 8 is thrown out.
The former Vice President Former Vice President Dick Cheney is weighing into the heated internal debate over the future of the Republican Party, declaring it would be a mistake for the GOP to "moderate.""This is about fundamental beliefs and values and ideas ... what the role of government should be in our society, and our commitment to the Constitution and constitutional principles," Cheney said in an interview with North Dakota radio host Scott Hennen Thursday, according to a transcript.
"You know, when you add all those things up, the idea that we ought to moderate basically means we ought to fundamentally change our philosophy," Cheney also said. "I for one am not prepared to do that, and I think most of us aren't. Most Republicans have a pretty good idea of values, and aren't eager to have someone come along and say, 'Well, the only way you can win is if you start to act more like a Democrat.'"
on CNN's "American Morning Show."
Rep Joe Sestak (D-PA) was also on to support the repeal of DADT. Rachel also asked him whether he was going to run against Arlen Specter. He said he hasn't decided yet.
Dan Choi will also a 8:40 AM tomorrow on CNN's "American Morning Show."
Ques tion for everyone - has the dam broken on this one? How can the President ignore the fact that his policy (and it's his decision not to press Congress to do anything) is hurting our military readiness - and he cannot hide now that the media spotlight is shining brightly on it?
***
If you caught Rachel Maddow last night, she discussed the situation of out gay service member Dan Choi, who publicly came out of the closet last year, but wasn't given the boot by U.S. Army until now; he has received his official letter of discharge. He will be on her show tonight to discuss the issue.
Choi also movingly speaks about the failed, discriminatory policy of DADT on the West Point LGBT Alumni Group KnightsOut's web site:
My name is Dan Choi. I am a West Point graduate. I am a Lieutenant in the United States Army.The first time he appeared on Rachel's show, the audio mysteriously cut off as he speaking. They replayed a bit of that it on the March 20 show:I am gay.
I serve my country. I serve my country btry because I heard a leader say: "ASK NOT what your country can do for you... ASK what you can do for your country." But when I step up to serve our country, to put my life on the line to protect my community, to protect my neighbors, to protect my family, to protect America, I am ordered... DON'T ASK. I am ordered... DON'T TELL.
I serve with 65,000 selfless gay and lesbian Americans; we are ordered to deny who we are. We're ordered to HIDE. But I am not hiding anymore. I am not asking permission anymore. I am done ASKING. I am TELLING. I am gay.
More below the fold.
You can also join the "President Obama: Lt. Dan Choi Needs a Fierce Advocate Right Now" Facebook group. From the group's site:
Lt. Dan Choi is one of 38 graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., who came out last year and announced the formation of a group called Knights Out, dedicated to helping West Point educate future Army leaders on honoring the sacrifices of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) U.S. military personnel.Tune in to Rachel's show tonight to see what Dan Choi has to say. This administration has stated that it is committed to funding this policy while it remains in place.Lt. Choi has now received a letter informing him of his discharge from the U.S. Army for violating the military policy on "homosexual conduct." He will appear on The Rachel Maddow Show on Thursday, May 7, to discuss his situation.
Remember after the election last year, when the Obama Transition team announced that Pastor Rick Warren would give the invocation at the inauguration...? and remember the subsequent firestorm that erupted from LGBT people and our allies because of the Pastor's and his church's speeches/activities/policies in opposition to LGBT rights...?
President Obama responded by saying that everyone knew he was a "fierce advocate of equality" for lesbians and gay men (as if, it would seem, advocating for someone's rights gives one license to spit in their eye).
But since taking office, the President has not made advocacy for LGBT Americans a priority, even while he has been creating a veritable tidal wave of policy and spending proposals touching most every aspect of American life. A few weeks ago, Defense Secretary Robert Gates admitted that he was in no rush even to conduct a review of DADT.
Meanwhile, while advocating for LGBT rights has not been a priority for President Obama, honorable LGBT Americans who are serving their country face life-changing enforcement of the idiotic policy that requires them to betray their own integrity or be honest and discharged.
t;p>Lt. Dan Choi and others need a fierce advocate right now.
They need an executive order, signed by President Barack Obama, putting an emergency halt to discharges from the U.S. military based on infractions of the Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell policy.
These LGBT service members are fierce defenders of the United States, and right now they need President Barack Obama to keep his promise to be a fierce advocate for LGBT rights.
Write the President today and ask him to sign an Executive Order putting an emergency halt to discharges from the military based on infractions of the Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell policy.
The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500or, for an electronic link,
http://www.whitehouse.gov/cont...or, by telephone:
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461TTY/TDD
Comments: 202-456-6213
Visitors Office: 202-456-2121
$13 - General Admission - Standing Room Only $35 - General Seating - Reserved Seating $75 - VIP Seating - Front Row Seats, Lounge with sparkling wine and VIP Bag Get your tickets online at www.strutpdx.com, or visit the following locations to purchase your tickets TODAY: IDOM - 1600 NE Alberta IDOM - 1600 NE Alberta Popina Swimwear Boutique - 4831 NE 42nd Avenue Sofada Boutique and Show Room - 2937 E Burnside BRO Office - 310 SW 4th Avenue, Suite 730 (9am-5pm, Monday - Friday) (click hyperlink for hours information) Want to attend STRUT but can't afford the ticket? Contact Andrew Hogan at andrew@basicrights.org to sign-up for a volunteer shift today! We're ready to STRUT, are you?
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