Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Next Event: Freedom to Marry Day


The next major national protest also marks the anniversary of when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom ordered city clerks to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, setting a frenzy of gay couples lining up at City Hall right before Valentine's Day.

So it's no surprise that Freedom to Marry Day is set for Feb. 12. The event is sponsored by Marriage Equality USA and Join the Impact. Same-sex couples are encouraged to go to their city halls across the nation and ask for a marriage license. If they're denied (and you'll likely be denied unless you live in Massachussetts), then you should sit down and not leave. So this is really a national sit in for marriage rights.

It'll be interesting to see what the turn out will be. For example, I'm single so I really have no reason going in asking for a marriage license. That would be fraud. And it's a work week, so wondering how many people can take time off work to sit at city hall. But hopefully enough will show up so at least there will be media coverage and more awareness built around this ongoing issue for civil rights.

To find out more about the actual local events, check out Marriage Equality USA's chapters here.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

If We March, Who Will Lead?

When Prop. 8, the anti-same sex marriage proposition, passed in California last November, there was so much anger that many stormed the streets across America. Many felt the momentum was enough to go all the way to the capital and march on Washington ala the Million Man March.

But now it seems plans for a march is decentralized, misleading and confusing. Which is the lead group planning the event? Is it a march to D.C. or a march to Sacramento?

One particular group calling itself Yes on Gay Marriage and leading the charge for a march on Washington reportedly has ties to a voter guide printed last November that supported the Yes on 8 campaign, according to a new report in the Bay Area Reporter.

So who are we to believe? And more importantly, who are we to follow? It's time for legitimate and credible LGBT organizations to step forward and take the lead on planning such a major and important event. Where are our established leaders at a time when we need someone we can trust?

Today (Jan. 24), a task force planning session called the Equality Summit took place in Los Angeles. I hope more clarity will come from this meeting, and I hope that a march on Washington is still on the table so that we can show the force of our solidarity to the nation.

Monday, January 19, 2009

What's Next?

When I started this blog, I was hoping to help people stay informed with what's happening on the repeal Prop. 8 front. But now with the lawsuits awaiting a hearing before the state's highest court, and locally (in the Bay Area) a lot of focus on the transit police officer shooting of a black man, it's been quiet on the protest front.

Join the Impact, a site many people went to early on to find out the latest on protests and campaigns, are now looking for ideas from the community on how to keep the message in front of people. Should there be more protests? Should we shift to town hall meetings? What's next?

If you have an idea, suggest it on the Join the Impact site, and then if others agree, it may grow and snowball into an actual movement. That's the whole grassroots elements of the anti-Prop. 8 unrest right now.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Stand Up Against DOMA



A video from Join the Impact to drum up support for the national DOMA protest set for Saturday, Jan. 10.

UPDATE: Read the comments section and Sean, one of the organizers of the local DOMA event, notes that there will be a small rally at Castro & Market and then volunteers will fan out to collect signatures for the petition to be sent to Obama. If you want to join in, meet at the Castro. Go to the group's Facebook page for more info. (Again, check the comments).