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Launching a 50-state network to repeal DOMA
April 6, 2011
By Adam Bink
This morning, Courage Campaign and veteran LGBT activist Cleve Jones are partnering to launch a 50-state network of volunteers committed to repealing DOMA.
As I’ve written here, we are just one vote shy of the votes needed to pass DOMA repeal in the Senate Judiciary Committee. As Cleve wrote to our members this morning, what we will need to find the rest of the votes in both houses is volunteers nationwide, organizing in all 435 Congressional districts — from the reddest and most homophobic to the bluest and pro-LGBT, everyone can play a part.
Leading this effort is someone you all know very well, Arisha Michelle Hatch, our National Field Director, and her team, Phyllis, Anthony and Danny from the NOM bus tour project, who will be working with volunteers in each state.
Live in a pro-LGBT mecca? We could use your help finding the next Ed and Derence and make them (or you!) into a national story about why DOMA is unfair and must go. Live in a homophobic neighborhood with anti-LGBT members of Congress representing you? We want to engage with you to organize your community on-the-ground, neighbor-to-neighbor. Live somewhere in between? The possibilities are endless.
So sign up to volunteer a few hours a month to repealing DOMA. And share with your friends on Facebook. Arisha and her team will be reaching out personally to each of you over the next few days. And if you can’t volunteer for whatever reason, there is something you can do — you can chip in to fund this network. The money you give will support projects like travel to film couples and organize neighbor-to-neighbor.
Together, we will pick up the votes, one by one.
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| Dear Adam,
When I heard the news that Sen. Dianne Feinstein would introduce repeal of the “Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA), I was thrilled. Clearly this is a game-changer. And I remembered almost 40 years ago when Dianne Feinstein was still a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and hosted a commitment ceremony for our mutual friend Jo Daly, a lesbian activist. A great deal has happened in the 40 years since I joined this movement. Today we are on the cusp of winning full equality. But full equality by definition can only come from the federal government. For decades we have fought city-by-city, state-by-state for fractions of equality, and even when we won, every victory is incomplete and impermanent. Incomplete because they do not include the federal rights that are granted to straight Americans and impermanent because we see how easily these victories are overturned at the ballot box. Now is the time to end this debate. Now is the time to win. We will win through concerted, coordinated political action in all 435 Congressional districts. We must show all 435 members of Congress that people who live, work, pay taxes and vote in their districts believe in equality for all Americans. And to do that, we must have volunteers in 435 districts who can help build pressure on elected representatives in their state. or, if you cannot volunteer: Will you chip in to fund our efforts to build a 50-state network to repeal DOMA? Look, I’ve been in this movement a long time and I’m nearly 60 (if can you believe it). I’m not saying it’s made me wise, but it’s given me a lot of memories. And I’ve never seen anything like the sea change we’ve seen in the last two years. Now is the time to finish the job. When Sen. Feinstein said she was determined to repeal DOMA, we knew she meant business and we’re going to be full partners in making it happen. Please join us — whether through volunteering or through donating to our work. In solidarity, Cleve Jones |
Filed under: DOMA Repeal
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27 Comments Leave a Comment
1.
Sagesse | April 6, 2011 at 3:14 am
This is the kind of thing Courage Campaign, including this community, does well.
2.
Ann S. | April 6, 2011 at 3:24 am
§
3.
Bob | April 6, 2011 at 3:25 am
woot woot,,,, yahoo,,,, great undertaking,,,, fifty states,,, expand the movement,,,
"But full equlity can only come from the Federal Government"
excellent,,, direction,,,,,, so glad to hear it…..
4.
Ann S. | April 6, 2011 at 3:26 am
§§
5.
Kathleen | April 6, 2011 at 3:28 am
√
6.
Ronnie | April 6, 2011 at 3:44 am
=…..<3…Ronnie
7.
Straight for Equalit | April 6, 2011 at 4:03 am
❀
8.
AnonyGrl | April 6, 2011 at 5:13 am
Well, sign me up for that! I'll go add my name now.
9.
Mark M (Seattle) | April 6, 2011 at 5:19 am
We in my household are certainly on board!
10.
Mark M (Seattle) | April 6, 2011 at 5:23 am
meant to write: 'OUR' household
11.
Sagesse | April 6, 2011 at 5:31 am
Commentary on Plaintiffs' reply briefs to the California Supreme Court
Prop. 8: Who speaks for the state?
http://www.scotusblog.com/2011/04/prop-8-who-spea…
12.
Ronnie | April 6, 2011 at 6:09 am
Congratulations to Chely Wright & Lauren Blitzer on their engagement…..<3…Ronnie:
Chely Wright Is Engaged http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20476360,…
13.
Richard A. Jernigan | April 6, 2011 at 6:26 am
Signing up for the DOMA repeal effort.
14.
AnonyGrl | April 6, 2011 at 6:28 am
Completely and utterly off topic…
Just heard that Glenn Beck's show is being cancelled.
Thought I would share! Have a nice day!
15.
Mark M (Seattle) | April 6, 2011 at 6:48 am
NICE!!!!!
Some of the best news I've heard all day!
16.
Michelle Evans | April 6, 2011 at 6:53 am
Wanted to pass along this story link:
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id…
Notice it is from One News Now, so their anti-LGBT rhetoric is nothing new. What caught my eye in this case is the graphic they chose to use to highlight the story. It is the pink triangle used in Nazi Germany to identify LGBT people.
Does this "news" site not even understand the use this symbol has had in history? It shows exactly what they want of all LGBT people, for us to go into camps and disappear.
17.
chris from co | April 6, 2011 at 6:59 am
This could be big if every district in the US pulls together. I'v never been a part of this. Except here watching daily with the ups and downs of whats going on. I will be a freshman at this but I'm in.
18.
Straight Ally #3008 | April 6, 2011 at 8:36 am
Revisionists like Scott Lively think that the Nazis were a bunch of brutal gay people. History and science are like kryptonite to One News Now.
19.
Mark M (Seattle) | April 6, 2011 at 8:39 am
I seem unable to get posts to show up….hmmmmm
20.
Mark M (Seattle) | April 6, 2011 at 8:43 am
Read my blog post on wordpress…click on my name and it should link you over
50,000 Pink Triangles
21.
JonT | April 6, 2011 at 9:48 am
☮
22.
JonT | April 6, 2011 at 9:56 am
Awww…
I guess even his 'fans' are dwindling as they begin to see the increasing depths of his madness.
Seriously, the guy is totally nuts.
23.
JonT | April 6, 2011 at 9:58 am
Hehe. Actual history is foreign to these people. They are so busy trying to rewrite it, that they get tripped up on their own deceptions.
It would be funny if it weren't so sad.
24.
Straight for Equalit | April 6, 2011 at 10:16 am
I'm in, too!
25.
Richard A. Jernigan | April 6, 2011 at 2:47 pm
There is a reason people in that type of group are beginning to get classified with the neo-Nazis.
26.
AnonyGrl | April 7, 2011 at 12:10 am
And the last line of the article reads:
"The battle against homosexuality, Lively notes, is a politicized battle like no other."
So I'm guessing this guy is probably not going to be called in to court by the Prop 8 proponents to show there is no animus?
And, since we KNOW he is not only a supporter of Uganda's "death penalty for homosexuals" but, in fact, one of the people who has been in Uganda stumping for it (despite his protests that all he did was preach that homosexuals were evil, diseased pedophiles who should be removed from society, not that they should be killed), I would think, perhaps, he should change his name from Lively to Deadly.
Just a thought.
27.
Ladainian | April 13, 2011 at 5:39 pm
Good point. I hadn't thghout about it quite that way.
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