A civil rights group billing itself as Love Honor Cherish has partnered with the NOH8 Campaign to "create a public education campaign telling voters why marriage equality is important." Specifically, the two will work together to help repeal Prop 8, California's LDS-backed same-sex marriage ban. Last December, Love Honor Cherish began harvesting signatures for an statewide initiative that, if it lands on the November ballot, would ask voters whether or not they want to repeal Prop. The group has until May 14 to collect 807,615 valid signatures to qualify.
About That Prop 8 Fundraiser...
"Loving" and the Fight for Marriage Equality [Updated]
Here's a little taste of the Proposition 8 hearing coming up on Monday in San Francisco -- high-power attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies (conservative and liberal, respectively) just released a video about how the Prop 8 case mirrors the landmark case that legalized interracial marriage, 1967's Loving v. Virginia. The two attorneys (and unlikely allies) talk about how the Loving case set a major precedent for the current fight for same-sex marriage and civil rights.
Pastor Who Backed Prop 8 Held On Several Child Molestation Charges
JoeMyGod has some shocking, yet not so surprising, news on the same-sex marriage front: "Pastor Tom Daniels of Rio Linda, California is being held on $6M bail after being charged with multiple felony counts of sexual assault on a child." Lavender Newswire notes that that the Baptist pastor "twice made donations to Protect Marriage, the backers of Proposition 8."
Watch Prop. 8 Hearing Live
Though somewhat boring and dry (save the marble walls, which are appropriately stunning), watch the Proposition 8 sponsors appeal U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling right here.
(UPDATED) Judge Vaughn Walker Rules Prop. 8 Unconstitutional
Proposition 8 has been ruled unconstitutional, according to New York Magazine who had early word on today's ruling...
How Will Today's Prop 8 Ruling Unfold?
A ruling in the federal Proposition 8 trial will be announced later today. Prop. 8 backers fear Judge Walker will rule against the same-sex marriage ban. Civil rights supporters fear it could be upheld. What say you?
Matt Baume Recaps the Courage Campaign Training Event
Stop8.org's Matt Baume attended the Courage Campaign's training event in Oakland this past weekend, and learned three main tactics for gaining marriage equality: 1. Tell good stories; 2. Persuade through agreement; and 3. Anticipate certain arguments and know how to discuss them. The main factors for planting the seed in Middle America's brains are listening to the opposing side for at least 50% of the conversation, asking them lots of questions, and appealing to their emotions instead of their intellect.
Watch the CA Supreme Court Prop. 8 Hearing Live
Please see the video above for a live video feed of the California State Supreme court's Prop. 8 hearing, which will go down as a historic civil rights movement when ruled on. The feed will not become active until March 5 at 9 a.m., and is scheduled to last until noon.
Judiciary Committee Passes Resolution Opposing Prop 8
California is one step closer to getting Prop 8, the same-sex marriage ban that passed in November, overturned. Hopefully. A judiciary committee passed House Resolution 5 today (care of one Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco), which states that "a revision is a substantial change to the underlying principles of the California Constitution, or to the structure of California's basic governmental plan."
Prop 8's Forced-Divorces Will Break Our Hearts
We dare you to watch the Courage Campaign's Fidelity video and not get all weepy. We were able to keep it together until it got to the big crowd shots around the end, and then suddenly there was something in our eye.
Branching out on Behalf of Gay Marriage: A Good Thing, Bad Thing, or Somewhere in Between?
Just about everyone agrees: gays can win more support for civil equality by partering with ally-communities. This is a nice-sounding idea, particularly in the San Francisco bubble. But what does it mean -- and is there a point at which collaborating stops being beneficial?
Prop 8 Backers Admit That They Don't Really Believe Their Own Arguments
Oh this Prop 8 stuff just gets hairier and hairier. We were thumbing through some articles about the people who backed Prop 8; that includes groups like the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which despite the word "liberty" in their name wants to wield control over California marriages -- every single one -- vetoing whichever couples they don't like. They plan to use Prop 8 to continue stopping marriages and to nullify the approximately 18,000 that they don't currently like -- and possibly more in the future. And the Amicus Brief that they filed in Prop 8's favor contained this scintillating quote:
Stopping Prop 8 Starts With You (and Continues on February 17)
So, you've got nothing to do on a Tuesday? Well, Equality California has just the thing. Head on over to Sacramento to participate in 2009 Marriage Lobby Day, an opportunity for concerned citizens to nag their elected officials about fighting the good fight against Prop 8.
Get Ready to Lose Prop 8 Part Two: They're Already Fighting to Protect DOMA
Oh, things. They're anticipating that Obama will overturn DOMA (which is like the national version of Prop 8), and they've already taken steps to stop him.
Day Without a Gay Protest Photos, San Francisco, 12/10
Tonight's Day Without a Gay protest seemed peaceful compared to those just over a month ago when Prop 8, the same-sex marriage ban, passed. Although cops in riot gear gathered on Market and Octavia streets just eager for a head to crack open, we haven't heard word yet as to any arrests or melee.
Mormon Church Investigated for Role in Prop 8
A complaint filed by civil rights organization Californians Against Hate prompted the the California Fair Political Practices Commission to investigate the LDS Church and their work in supporting Proposition 8. It seems the Mormon church allegedly concealed just how big a role they played in initiating a ban into the California constitution that would bar same-sex couples from getting married. According to AP, "the investigation does not mean there was any wrongdoing, only that commission staff have found evidence to warrant further inquiry."
Quote of the Day: Constitutional Crisis
Speaking about today's California Supreme Court agreeing to hear case on same-sex marriage, City Attorney Dennis Herrera had this to say:
California Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Case on Gay Marriage
A decision has been made. The California Supreme Court has decided to hear the legal issues over Prop. 8, the same-sex marriage ban which passed by razor-thin 52% of the vote, but said it won't issue a stay against the voter-approved same-sex marriage ban. Which is to say, county clerks will not be allowed to resume issuing licenses to queer couples until the case is decided. Prop. 8 is still in effect.
AG Brown Asks CA Supreme Court to Review Prop 8 Constitutionality... Now
Due to extreme public interest, State Attorney General Jerry Brown pressed the CA Supreme Court today to decide whether or not the gay marriage ban, Prop 8, is constitutionally valid. While these kinds of "matters are brought before lower courts before the Supreme Court hears the case ... petitioners have asked the Supreme Court to accept the review directly to bring an early resolution to the matter." According to the former CA Governor and Oakland Mayor, "the public interest would be best served not by issuing a temporary stay, but by an expedited resolution of the important issues raised by the petitions." So, it looks like we could see some sort of turning point in the very near future. Hopefully, that is. (To read the press release in its entirety, check it out.)
Prop. 8 Demonstration March, 11/15, San Francisco
After Saturday's Nationwide Prop 8. protest at City Hall, an after-march sprouted through the streets of San Francisco, going from Civic Center to Octavia and the Castro and then back up Market to Union Square, over to Chinatown, North Beach, and then back to Civic Center.
Nationwide Prop 8. Protest Underway: San Francisco, 11/15
San Francisco rallied against Proposition 8 (the same-sex marriage ban) starting at 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning. The demonstration is part of a slew of other Prop. 8 protests taking place across the United States.
"The Office" Star Gives Constructive Advice on Prop. 8
Actor Oscar Nunez, who plays the gay character Oscar Martinez in "The Office," talked to the and suggested something interesting: Prop. 8 opponents should try to gain support by helping other communities.
A Look at the Map and List of National Prop 8 Protests
The above image -- showing just how large scale Saturday's national Prop 8 protest will look -- is from the flyer used to promote the big event. All of the demonstrations start at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow unless noted otherwise.
Cinemark's CEO Donated 9,999 Bucks to Yes on 8
Alan Stock, CEO of Cinemark Theaters, donated $9,999 to anti-gay Prop. 8. According to AmericaBlog...
Save Same-Sex Marriage: Nationwide Prop. 8 Protest This Saturday, 11/15
Early Saturday in San Francisco there will be another massive protest against Proposition 8's passing. But this time it will be a nationwide event, with demonstrations in each state. (Another one, you say? Well, Dan Savage has a great op-ed piece in The New York Times today about how Prop. 8 can get worse, much worse, if we don't overturn it. And quick.)
Mormon Allies to Support
Now that we've gotten all the childish bile out of our system, please check out these sites aiming to bring people together in the fight for gay marriage. These people deserve lavish praise and tons and tons of our attention if we're going to stop Prop. 8 from snowballing out of control.
New Yorkers Protest Prop 8, Connecticut Begins Gay Marriage
Last night, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people gathered for a protest outside the Church of Latter Day Saints' Manhattan Mormon Temple and march down Broadway to Columbus Circle.

