Conservative, political Christianity is working their religious right constituency to repeal marriage equality in California. Today (August 12, 2008), the American Family Association (AFA) has confronted marriage equality on two fronts:

The first is the AFA Action Alert from Jim Garlow (Pastor, Skyline Church, San Diego, CA Pastors
Rapid Response Team). The AFA is organizing a California Statewide Pastors Conference Call on Wednesday, August 27 at 10 AM. Some of what they want to accomplish on the call:

• Voter Identification Phase (August) – to find out who, among the 16 million CA registered voters, are for Proposition 8 and who are undecided. This canvassing will begin on August 16, and will continue on August 23 and September 6. If you have those within your congregation who would like to participate, please ask them to email protectmarriageCA@4sd.net by early next week including all their contact information, including email, phone, address and zip code.

• Advocacy Phase (September) – returning to those who are for Proposition 8 and those who are undecided. INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED IN THE AUGUST 27 CONFERENCE CALL.

• “Get Out the Vote” Phase (October) – returning to those who are for Proposition 8. INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED IN THE AUGUST 27 CONFERENCE CALL.

Some of the ways they’re going to identify voters, besides cold calls:

[Below the fold: More on the AFA Action Alert, and the OneNewsNow article entitled ‘Deceptive’ tactics continue to undermine Prop. 8]

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For me, this past weekend was a real marriage equality weekend. My Saturday was spent dress shopping for my best friend Vicki’s wedding, and my Sunday was spent cold calling voters to identify that extremely small percentage of Californians that haven’t yet made up their minds as yet on Proposition 8. Our broad and diverse coalition of fair-minded organizations and people want California voters to Vote No On Prop 8.

For simple messaging on these Sunday cold calls, the first question we ask voters is:

Have you heard about Proposition 8 — the Constitutional Amendment that will ban marriage forever for California’s gay and lesbian couples?

And yet, on a personal level, I very much know that marriage equality goes beyond just the G and the L of LGBT. Vicki identifies as transsexual and transgender, and a few years ago had her gender marker changed from M to F on both her driver’s license and birth certificate. So, Vicki’s now legally female in California. Because Vicki is legally female, prior to California Supreme Court ruling sanctioning same sex marriages,Vicki and her partner Lynda weren’t allowed to marry.

Now, of course, they may marry. And, that’s what Vicki and Lynda are going to do on August 23rd — the weekend before the Democratic National Convention. As Vicki’s best friend, I’m the “Party A” maid of honor.

I know first hand that there are trans people like Vicki who also identify as lesbian; I know first hand that achieving marriage equality goes beyond equal marriage rights and responsibilities for gays and lesbians.

[Below the fold; more on Vicki's and Lynda's wedding, and on the Vow To Vote No On Prop 8 campaign.]

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Well, there is a boycott against the Manchester Grand Hyatt in full swing now. The reason why is because significant minority shareholder Doug Manchester (the Manchester of the Manchester Grand Hyatt) donated $125,000 to a group backing Proposition 8, the November ballot measure that would roll back the California Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of marriage equality.

OneNewsNow reported Monday that California homosexuals’ boycott fizzles, while conversely over at the San Diego Union-Tribune, they reported in Will gays’ boycott turn the tables?; Groups target Manchester with conservatives’ tactic.

A question has been asked by the U-T — does actual financial damage to the Manchester Grand Hyatt need to occur for this boycott to have significant impact? Such as, will campaign fundraising damage to pro-Proposition 8 forces — those seeking to redefine marriage in California as being between one man and one woman — occur because of a boycott against this hotel?

Hyatt spokeswoman Lori Alexander told the Associated Press that the Manchester Grand Hyatt was sold out for San Diego Pride weekend. OneNewsNow echoed the Hyatt’s comments, adding in their reporting in their reporting that the boycott of the Manchester Grand Hyatt is fizzling because according the boycott has actually convinced people who support Proposition 8 to stay at the hotel (that, according to a statement by Bryan Brown of the National Organization for Marriage-California). However, the Associated Press/Gay & Lesbian Times reported that the Manchester Grand Hyatt wasn’t actually sold out during San Diego Pride weekend:

…a look at the hotel’s Web site and a call to the hotel on Saturday revealed that there were plenty of rooms available in every category during the busy Pride weekend in San Diego.

And again, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune:

Some analysts contend that the tactic [of boycott] — even if it doesn’t reduce business at the hotels — could prove effective by persuading other potential donors to Proposition 8 to stay out of the battle.

“They will probably succeed in getting business owners that are hesitant to avoid giving,” said Tony Quinn, co-editor of the Target Book, which analyzes California politics. “It’s a tough tactic, but it may be a wise tactic.”

So even if the boycott isn’t a financial success, it may have an financial impact on those in support of Proposition 8 campaign. And according to the San Francisco Chronicle a lot of money is going to flood campaigns both for and against Proposition 8, much of that coming from out-of-California sources. If this boycott indirectly cuts into the campaign funds for Proposition 8, that may impact the proposition’s outcome this November.

I know I spent half-a-day Sunday working at a Vow To Vote No On The Marriage Ban phone bank this past weekend, have another shift scheduled for this coming weekend, and have a small, reoccurring donation going each month to Equality For All‘s campaign against Proposition 8.

Oh. Off subject a bit…

I politically identify as transgender — marriage equality may not seem like a natural issue for me or my particular LGBT subcommunity. However, because my broader LGBT community has a stake in the outcome Proposition 8, I have a stake in the outcome of this Proposition 8. So, I’m investing my personal time and personal resources to preserve our recent marriage equality gain here in my home state.

Next time you hear that trans people only care about trans issues, please remember my relatively small contributions towards marriage equality, as well as the much larger contributions of attorney Shannon Minter, who is a female-to-male transgender person. As Martin Luther King Jr. said:

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Many of us trans folks really “get” the concept that “All [people] are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.“ For some of us trans folk, stating that we believe there is an LGBT community translates into spending a some of our time and resources on community issues that aren’t seen as primarily impacting transgender people.

H/t: Fred Karger/Californians Against Hate

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Further reading:
* California Secretary Of State: Proposition 008 – Limit On Marriage. Constitutional Amendment; Committees formed to support or oppose the ballot measure (Check here to follow the donation money trails for those who support and oppose Prop.
* Los Angeles Times: GOP suffering from a lack of (ballot) initiative

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Related:
* AFA President Don Wildmon: Culture War Lost If Prop 8 Doesn’t Pass
* PROP 8 ballot wording rewritten: to ELIMINATE RIGHT of Same-Sex Couples to Marry.

I wish Joe Solmonese would just go away.

Mr. Solmonese has morphed into a true lightning rod of a public figure due to last year's ENDA debacle. Wherever he goes now, he's a reminder that the HRC flip-flopped horribly on basic civil rights legislation for all of their stated gender variant constituencies — constituencies which include transgender people.

But he's not going away — He's staying very visible. In fact, the San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Community Center sent out an email indicating he's coming here to my hometown of San Diego on Thursday evening to talk about marriage equality — but oddly, when I checked online on Wednesday afternoon, the event wasn't listed on The Center's community calendar.

Due to his public statements on ENDA over the past year, I'm one who believes that if there ever is an HRC operative that has zero credibility on equality issues, it's Joe Solmonese.

Frankly, with the possible exception of David Smith, I believe pretty much any other HRC operative could come to San Diego from the Washington DC office to talk about marriage equality and speak with some credibility. But Joe…Joe…to me, he really is a special case because he was the mouthpiece of the HRC's flip-flopping on only supporting a fully inclusive ENDA.

With perhaps some true irony, on Monday I received an email from the San Diego Democratic Club (SDDC) with a subject line of A Transgender Inclusive Democratic Platform – Make It Happen! The email announced a meeting that will discuss the adding of a plank to the Democratic Party Platform in support of transgender civil rights. This event is scheduled for the same day as Joe Solmonese's talk on ENDA.

I talked to people at both the SDDC and The Center, and apparently neither was aware of the other's event. Fortunately, the meetings are scheduled at different times during the day Thursday, so at least I don't have to choose whether basic civil rights for transgender people or marriage equality is the more important issue to me — frankly, both issues are extremely important to me.

But I did learn something about myself when I was thought I was going to have to choose between which of these events I was going to attend. And, what that was: I found I may have mixed feelings about the HRC and their mixed record with their gender variant constituencies, but I have no mixed feelings at all about Joe Solmonese. I would have attended the SDDC meeting not because I felt it was the more important of the two meetings, but it's because I really, really dislike like Joe Solmonese on a very, very personal level.

There. I said it. I'm not proud of myself for saying it; I'm not happy to realize how much I don't like Joe and how much that impacts my objectivity regarding the HRC. But it is what it is.

It isn't up to me, but if it were — well, I honestly wish Joe Solmonese would just go away. As a public voice of the LGBT activist community, he’s just become too much of a controversial, lightning rod of a public figure within the LGBT community to be a truly effective voice for LGBT people within and without the LGBT community. Plus, after all of his ENDA flip-flopping last year, I don’t believe a word that passes through his lips — he has absolutely zero credibility with me.

I'm not proud of saying that either.

If we loseWeight Exercise California, if they defeat the marriage amendment, I’m afraid that the culture war is over and Christians have lost. I’ve never said that publicly until now — but that’s just the reality of the fact.

If the homosexuals are able to defeat the marriage amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman, then the culture war is over and we’ve lost — and gradually, secularism will replace Christianity as the foundation of our society.

–Don Wildmon, President of the American Family Association, quoted on OneNewsNow

I’m sure he’s using hyperbole to make his point, but still — I think that his statement says a lot. It would be very wonderful to defeat Prop 8 — seeing it as a win for the LGBT community and marriage equality.

I hate to say though that if Prop 8 fails to pass, I will probably be just as happy to know that conservative Christians will consider this a Culture War movement defining loss for them.

Go Equality For All! Go California!

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Related:
* Pam’s House Blend: Equality For All
* Pam’s House Blend tag: Marriage Equality

He says it’s a boycott.

The San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that ex-gay/former homosexual/alleged mouthpiece of God James Hartline is planning to organize his thousands of followers into not tip employees of the Manchester Grand Hyatt.

We have to back up a little, so here’s the story. Doug Manchester is a large shareholder of the Manchester Grand Hyatt, which is named for his family. He contributed $125,000 to Proposition 8 — also known as the California Marriage Protection Act — which is the ballot measure that would undo the California Supreme Courts’ marriage equality ruling.

Fred Karger, Public Relations Chair and founding President of Californians Against Hate organized a news conference about the LGBT boycott of the hotel. From a Union-Tribune article entitled Gay-rights supporters to boycott Manchester Grand Hyatt:

From the Californians Against Hate website:

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From the Los Angeles Times:

The San Diego Union-Tribune added that fourteen county clerks inquired about religious exemptions to performing marriages:

Focus On The Family/CitizenLink got the facts wrong over the numbers…

It’s easy to give easy digs on Focus On The Family/CitizenLink/Focus on the Family Action for their marriage is the union of a man and a woman language, other than I feel a need to join RadicalRuss in pointing out Sen. Obama recently started using the same language on marriage equality as conservative Christians are using — again.

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Transgender people were thrown out of the Gay Liberation Movement in part because newly out transwomen aren’t photogenic — transwomen are often perceived to photograph as “freaks” — Is the desire to appear mainstream becoming more key in the LGBT push for marriage equality than it already has been? Could the “mainstreaming” approach to LGBT issues again negatively impact basic civil rights and protections for transgender people?

When I look at myself in the mirror, I see that my only two piercings are centered in my two earlobes; my hair is dyed a dirty blond (close to my old, natural color) to cover my gray; I get manicures and pedicures that are finished with “work-friendly” nail polish shades; my clothing is usually age appropriate; and my written opinions at Pam’s House Blend are usually made with a soft touch…with my opinions being pretty much within the norms of progressive politics. My therapist reminded me last week, as she has frequently, that I appear to be pretty mainstream.

What isn’t mainstream about me? Maybe the one, large tattoo on my back isn’t that mainstream, but frankly tattoos have pretty much entered mainstream society. The only other thing is I’m a very out transsexual — who very much for political reasons identifies as transgender. But even with that, I’m not an angry transwoman who often whines about my fate, or frequently and militantly rails against perceived societal injustices towards transgender people. Apparently, I’m about as close to mainstream in appearance and attitude as an out transwoman can be — so I imagine it’s safe to identify me as mainstream transgender.

So if I’m so mainstream, why am so I chafing at the Los Angeles Times‘ story Gay couples are emphasizing low-key weddings? I’m concerned about the “unsolicited advice” to same sex couples is don’t be flamboyant even if you are flamboyant (emphasis added):

The gay and lesbian couples who packed a Hollywood auditorium last week had come seeking information about California’s new marriage policies. But they also got some unsolicited advice.

Be aware.

Images from gay weddings, said Lorri L. Jean, chief executive of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, could be used by opponents in a campaign designed to persuade California voters that gays and lesbians should not have the right to marry. Those getting married, she cautioned, should never loseWeight Exercise sight of what they might be supplying to the other side.

Sitting close to his husband-to-be in the audience, hairstylist Kendall Hamilton nodded and said he knew just what she meant. No “guys showing up in gowns,” he said.

“It’s a weird subject,” added Hamilton, 39, who plans to wed his partner of five years, Ray Paolantonio. “We want everybody to be free, but the image does matter. . . . They are going to try to make us look like freaks.”

[After the fold, transgender inclusion in LGBT civil rights legislation tied to how transgender women are often less than photogenic.]

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I received an email from Equality California‘s Geoff Kors yesterday, identifying a major contribution to the opposition protect marriage campaign. From the Equality California email on the major donation (Equality California being one of Equality For All‘s coalition organizations):

“I … discovered the unhappy news that Focus on the Family just donated $250,000 to ban marriage for same-sex couples in California. After this morning’s celebration of love and commitment, this only makes me more determined to ensure that all couples continue have the opportunity to celebrate their marriages.”

If we want marriage equality in California to last past this November, we’re going to have to, as a broad community, work for it — and we’re going to have to donate for it. Are opponents are going to be very well funded.

Select the Equality For All logo below if you wish to donate to California’s marriage equality continuing past this November election.

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Further reading:
* Los Angeles Times: Gay marriages begin with a day of hope and hoopla; Although protests are low-key, a constitutional battle is gathering behind the scenes

When I look at moralists like Southern Baptist Theology president Albert Mohler Jr., I’m going to think of him a little less for their Southern Baptist Convention association than I did even yesterday.

Why? Well, FindLaw has a article up that explains what the Southern Baptist Convention won’t do to limit child abuse by their churches’ pastors and employees:

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has recently proven why it is that children are at risk for sexual abuse in our society: It’s easier not to protect them, and especially easy to issue ineffectual platitudes while looking the other way.

According to the Associated Press, the SBC has concluded that its decentralized structure of independent churches makes it impossible for it to establish a website of pastors credibly accused of child sexual abuse, or even to require the reporting of such crimes to the police. Yes, you read that right: The SBC is citing these lame procedural reasons for not taking the most basic steps to protect children from devastating abuse that can have repercussions that leave victims suffering for a lifetime (and that severely taxes society in medical and other resources).

…In short, there is a basic procedural answer to what the SBC has portrayed as an insuperable barrier – agree among all independent entities to coordinate. If Baptist churches cannot coordinate on a shared, national strategy in favor of children at risk, they rightly loseWeight Exercise a great deal of moral capital.

This past week they had their annual convention, and decided the following:

- Approved a resolution supporting a ballot initiative in California that will define marriage as only between one man and one woman.

- Dr. Johnny Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Georgia, was elected president on a first ballot, beating out five other candidates.

- Approved a resolution calling for more minority representation on denomination boards and committees.

- Soundly defeated an amendment that would have called on Christians in the state to remove their children from public schools.

And, of course…

“One sexual predator in our midst is one too many,” Chapman said. “Our denomination and our local churches must condemn publicly this vile act.”

The executive committee announced Tuesday it would not create a national database of Baptist ministers accused or convicted of sexual abuse. The church representatives — called messengers — asked the committee last year to consider creating such a database.

“The convention has no ecclesiastical authority over local churches,” Chapman said.

Instead of a Baptist-only database, Chapman and other Southern Baptist leaders argue that churches should use the national sexual offender database, maintained by the federal government.

Christa Brown, the Baptist outreach coordinator for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said the decision was disappointing but expected.

“A database is not a threat to local church authority,” she said. “It would give churches a much needed resource.”

To quote Matthew 7:3-5 on the denomination’s condemnation of homosexual marriage to the point of supporting a California initiative to repeal the recent California Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality, while not adequately setting in place a denomination wide system to track church employees (including pastors) accused of child sexual abuse:

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Instead of suffering the little children to come unto Jesus, the message I’m hearing from the Southern Baptist Convention is “Let the children suffer.”

Oh yeah, the Southern Baptist Convention has the moral authority to condemn marriage equality…right?

Yeah, well…not right.

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Related reading:
* Baptist Press: SBC’s ministry to homosexuals growing

Apparently, God didn’t bless James Hartline with a big win in San Diego’s Council District 3 — Hartline only garnered 595 votes, which equated to only 3.25% of the district’s popular vote.

My candidate for Council District 3, Stephen Whitburn, came in second place, which qualifies him for the run-off election in November. I know Todd Gloria — definitely the best two candidates of the six qualified for the run-off.

San Diego’s Republican Mayor, Jerry Sanders, won the office of Mayor outright — no run-off for him. If you don’t remember why San Diego’s LGBT community in large part embraced Mayor Sanders, this is Mayor Sanders from September of 2007:

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Related:
* Who I’m Supporting In San Diego’s Third City Council District
* Republican San Diego mayor comes out in favor of marriage equality
* James Hartline’s Frothing At His Keyboard
* James Hartline Filled Out A Form All By Himself
* From The Man Who (Literally) Wants To Be My Councilman
* Six Years In Sodom: From The Journal Of James Hartline
* Jerry Sanders’ daughter on her father’s support of marriage equality
* James Hartline: San Diego is on fire because of the homos
* Pam’s House Blend: Jerry Sanders
* Pam’s House Blend: James Hartline

From In re Marriage Cases 5/15/08 :

We therefore conclude that in view of the substance and significance of the fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship, the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples.

…We therefore conclude that although the provisions of the current domestic partnership legislation afford same-sex couples most of the substantive elements embodied in the constitutional right to marry, the current California statutes nonetheless must be viewed as potentially impinging upon a same-sex couple’s constitutional right to marry under the California Constitution.

Furthermore, the circumstance that the current California statutes assign a different name for the official family relationship of same-sex couples as contrasted with the name for the official family relationship of opposite-sex couples raises constitutional concerns not only under the state constitutional right to marry, but also under the state constitutional equal protection clause. In analyzing the validity of this differential treatment under the latter clause, we first must determine which standard of review should be applied to the statutory classification here at issue. Although in most instances the deferential “rational basis” standard of review is applicable in determining whether different treatment accorded by a statutory provision violates the state equal protection clause, a more exacting and rigorous standard of review — “strict scrutiny” — is applied when the distinction drawn by a statute rests upon a so-called “suspect classification” or impinges upon a fundamental right. As we shall explain, although we do not agree with the claim advanced by the parties challenging the validity of the current statutory scheme6 that the applicable statutes properly should be viewed as an conclude that the purpose underlying differential treatment of opposite-sex and same-sex couples embodied in California’s current marriage statutes — the interest in retaining the traditional and well-established definition of marriage –cannot properly be viewed as a compelling state interest for purposes of the equal protection clause, or as necessary to serve such an interest.

[Below the fold: California Govorner speaks on ruling; Links to organizations' media releases on the ruling]

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Many of you know about San Diego’s Third District City Council race because James Hartline is running for the seat. It’s obvious that I wouldn’t vote for Mr. Hartline, but it hasn’t been obvious who I’m for in the race.

So, who I’m for is Stephen Whitburn.

I became aware of Mr. Whitburn a long time ago specifically because of his support of transgender civil rights issues. Mr. Whitburn, as a member of the San Diego Democratic Club, was there supporting the adding of gender identity protections to San Diego’s Human Dignity Ordinance in 2003.

Since the passage of the HDO amendment, I’m aware he’s attended every major transgender event members have put on at The Center. Let me tell you, it’s not because my community has a lot of resources to dole out to his campaign, or have a large population of volunteers that will rush to his electoral assistance, but just because he genuinely embraces civil rights and human equality as values.

His stands on issues — and his priorities related to those issues — pretty much matches my own. Top among his and my concerns are open government — in line with the spirit of California’s Brown Act — and honest budgeting:

Excerpt:

…My name is Stephen Whitburn. I live in North Park, in council district three, and participate in several community groups.

I’m here to ask you to vote in favor of this item.

We — the citizens — have a right to know about plans to change the city services we receive. We also have a right to participate in the decision-making process.

The right to know is at the core of our state’s Brown Act. It requires that deliberations and actions be conducted openly.

Our city is in financial trouble partly because of discussions and decisions that we – the citizens – weren’t aware of. Now, more than ever, our city leaders should embrace our right to know what’s going on…

He’s also taken a pretty stong stand for marriage equality:

His commitment to equality in general, and marriage equality in specific, isn’t just mere words. He and I both worked on the same shift a few Saturdays ago in the Decline To Sign campaign, which was an attempt to keep the marriage initiative off California’s November ballot.

Well, I’ve even donated money to Stephen Whitburn’s campaign too — I’d only donated to the campaigns of transgender candidates prior to Mr. Whitburn’s run for City Council. And, now that I’m pretty much recovered from my gastric bypass, I’m sure I’ll be volunteering some time to his campaign as well.

Thanks Stephen, for giving me a candidate besides James Hartline to focus on in San Diego’s 3rd City Council District.

A round up of interesting news — well, at least it’s news I find interesting.

* Now here’s a quality protest event! Bay Area College Republicans Revolt — over beer tax proposal…

* The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Obama is picking up support and calories.

* From the San Francisco Chronicle: Anti-war Cindy Sheehan files to take on Pelosi. She’s made good on her threat to run against Pelosi if Pelosi didn’t start impeachment proceedings against President Bush.

* From the New York Times‘ Soldier Sues Army, Saying His Atheism Led to Threats:

As we’ve seen this past week regarding protests against Day Of Silence participation, free speech and freedom of religion are often perceived by conservative Christians as only applying to them, — not to those who don’t share their views.

Read the rest of this entry »

I really enjoy reading information heavy articles and documentation, ful facts and figures on issues I care about, especially when the information is presented with easily understood bar graphsand simply designed, but “dense” tables. So I was very pleased to have my friend Babs send me a link to a webpage by eQualityGiving.org, entitled States Of Equality Scorecard. Here’s the paragraphs from the webpage that describe what’s provided:

Are you a second class citizen in your own state? Review state by state comparisons of the score on equality and gay rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Americans.

The score indicates the number of Equality Goals that have been reached in that state. Each “YES” gives 1 point. Half a point is given for partial achievement of an Equality Goal. One of the seven Equality Goals (repealing “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”) can only be achieved at the federal level. Therefore, at the state level, the maximum score is 6.

Here’seQualityGiving.org‘s analysis of the graph and table:

ANALYSIS (50 states + District of Columbia):

? Half of the states satisfy none or just one of the 6 Equality Goals that are required to ensure that LGBTQ people have the same legal protections as everyone else.

? No state offers full legal equality. California would have been the first state offering full equality if it were not for the veto of marriage equality legislation by Governor Schwarzenegger.

? Only two states (California and New Jersey) achieve 5 of the 6 Equality Goals.

? Massachusetts scores only 4.0 despite that if offers marriage equality. This is because it falls short in transgender protections in hate crimes, non discrimination, anti-bullying, and providing new birth certificates.

? Passing federal legislation on an Equality Goal would increase every state score by 1.

Of course an organization with a name like eQualityGiving.org is going to provide a list of organizations, state-by-state, that it believes are working towards full equality for LGBT people.

The eQualityGiving.org scorecard does have me thinking in terms of full equality issues for my state of California. Where do I need to spend my personal resources (time, money, etc.) towards full equality that to obtain basic equality for all LGBT people?

Even before seeing the scorecard’s score for California, the conclusion that marriage equality is probably one of the most significant full equality issues in my state is why I’ve volunteered approximately 40 hours to this point for the decline to sign campaign.