Why we say “freedom to marry”

Evan Wolfson, executive director of coalition partner Freedom to Marry USA, this to say about Freedom to Marry Week:

Much as we want people to understand that the words gay and marriage do belong together, we don't want "gay marriage." It's the freedom to marry that matters - for all of us - and the way to secure it is by talking to others. And it's the personal ask - each one of us raising our voice and not just assuming that those around us are there, or can't get there - that makes all the difference. Turn to the people in your life now, and say, "Happy Freedom to Marry Week!"

Read the whole post.

TOMORROW…Your phone rings in an elevator. It's the wedding march. Someone asks, "Why do you have the wedding march on your phone?" You answer, "To remind me and everyone around me that LGBT people still don't have the freedom to marry."

But wait, do you have the ringtone on your phone?

To increase our visibility tomorrow—Valentine's Day—and every day throughout the year, we’re offering a free wedding march ringtone to Let California Ring members and calling on you to use it as a conversation-starter every time your phone rings. Click here to get yours now.

Yes, tomorrow is the big moment—Valentine’s Day! Are you ready for it? You’ve got your sign, you’ve signed our letter to the governor, and you’re planning to attend one of the many freedom to marry events across California. We’re so happy to count you as a face for the freedom to marry.

Once you’ve downloaded your ring tone, use it as a tool to engage someone every time your phone rings. Use it to keep the conversation going with friends, family members, co-workers or people you meet on the bus, street, store or the elevator. Use it tomorrow, the day after and every day—until we all have the freedom to marry the person we love.

Thanks for all that you’ve done to make this campaign a success. We’ve come such a long way, and thanks to your dedication, we can now count thousands of Californians as new supporters for the freedom to marry. Change is just around the corner, my friends. Can you feel it?

It starts with us today. And it continues with us tomorrow. I hope you’ll attend one of the many freedom to marry events this week. And don’t forget to bring your phone!

Sincerely,

Geoff Kors
Let California Ring

Don’t Miss...

The Year of Paper

Last night, the documentary The Year of Paper had its Los Angeles Premier at the LA Gay & Lesbian Center’s Reinberg Theater and doubled as a fundraiser for Let California Ring. Filmmaker Kelley Rouse talks about why putting a human face on marriage is so important.

Our documentary, The Year of Paper, advocates marriage equality as we follow three couples--gay, heterosexual and lesbian--through their newlywed year.

Along with putting human faces on a contentious issue, the film educates about the practical side of all those legal rights and obligations that come with a marriage license.

Ultimately, The Year of Paper and the Let California Ring campaign share the core belief that love is love. If you can connect to folks on that core level and open their eyes to those basic truths, then you have a chance to get past any bigotry or fear..

We're proud to be part of the coalition and to make our Los Angeles premiere a fundraiser for this important campaign.

--Kelly Rouse & Nikki Parker, Co-directors, The Year of Paper

If you missed the film last night, check it out in San Francisco tomorrow night as part of Freedom to Marry Week

Thursday, February 14
7:30 p.m.

San Francisco LGBT Community Center
1800 Market St.
San Francisco

Presented by Frameline, Let California Ring and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

$10 suggested donation. All proceeds benefit the Let California Ring (www.LetCaliforniaRing.org) campaign, groundbreaking effort to open hearts and minds and build public support for marriage in California.

A reception will follow the screening.

From the field...

February 5 Day of Action

February 5 may seem like an eon ago, but photos and stories are just coming in from last week’s Let California Ring Day of Action.

Volunteers in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Sacramento stood outside 15 locations from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday and talked to people about the freedom to marry. The thought of talking with strangers can be intimidating, but we know talking about the issue is what’s going to make the difference in this state.

Many of the over 100 volunteers were first-timers and pretty nervous. Once they started having conversations though, people realized the power of talking. They realized how good it feels to have conversations with people about marriage. They realized the difference just one person can make and the huge impact 100 people can make.

Many people we talked with shared that they themselves are gay or have a gay friend or family member. Time and time again the volunteers were thanked for coming out and talking about such an important issue. We found some people who are against us too, but that didn’t stop us. Rather it motivated us to talk to more and more people. By the end of the day, we reached out to 2,596 people.

Tuesday was a super day, but it was only one day of the many days ahead. We have to keep talking every day about the freedom to marry.

--Hannah, Let California Ring Field Organizer

You've got to be there

We’re only five days away from our big day—Valentine's Day—and five days away from the largest statewide visibility push ever conducted for the freedom to marry.

You’re invited to some of the biggest, boldest events celebrating the freedom to marry throughout the week of February 14. During Freedom to Marry Week, we will gather to recognize a dream realized four years ago—when thousands of LGBT couples gathered at San Francisco City Hall to have their love recognized in an equal and dignified way.

Four years later, as these dreams remain contested, we have not forgotten our shared vision—that all people deserve to marry the person they love. In fact, we stand stronger, with millions of like-minded Californians, ready for change.

Freedom to Marry Week 2008 will be an important moment for supporters of the freedom to marry. Make sure you are present and counted at one of the many happenings across our state. Click here to check out the full list of events or read more below.

• February 12: Los Angeles Premier of The Year of Paper, 7:30 p.m. at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center at the Village.
• February 13: AT&T showing of Pursuit of Equality, 7:30 p.m. Herbst Theatre.
• February 14: Valentine’s Day Marriage Counter Events, read the locations and times for events happening across the state.
• February 14: Frameline screening of The Year of Paper, 7:30 p.m. at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center.

In addition to attending these events, you can help make Valentine’s Day 2008 a day to remember by:

• Spreading the word to your family, friends, neighbors and colleagues about the freedom to marry and Valentine’s Day 2008.
  
• Making your support seen by being a face for the freedom to marry! Download one of our “I Said It” posters and add your face to the hundreds of others making their support visible through our online gallery.
  
• Hanging your “I Just Said It” sign in your window or cubicle (or anywhere where people are likely to see it and ask what you said!) to show your support throughout Freedom to Marry Week.

Thanks for all that you do.

Sincerely,

Geoff Kors
Let California Ring

What we already knew…

Same-sex couples just as committed as straight couples
SDSU co-authored study finds equal level of commitment and relationship satisfaction
By Randy Hope
Gay and Lesbian Times

Here at Let California Ring, this study came as no surprise to us.
However it’s still nice to hear that:

“Same-sex couples are as committed and happy in their romantic relationships as heterosexual couples, according to two studies in the January issue of the journal Developmental Psychology.

The authors of the studies – researchers from San Diego State University, University of Urbana-Champaign, the University of Washington, and the University of Vermont – say their findings challenge the stereotype that same-sex relationships aren’t as healthy or secure as heterosexual pairings and are therefore not as psychologically healthy.”

That’s why everyone deserves the freedom to marry, and the honor, dignity and respect that come along with it.

LAST CHANCE!

…To get your t-shirt before the Day of Visibility.

Get a t-shirt at a special $20 rate and wear it with pride on Valentine’s Day. February 6th is your last chance to get one before the big day!

Let California Ring Day of Visibility

February 14

Love. It’s what Valentine’s Day is all about.

Every day, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Californians are denied the freedom to marry the person they love. Let California Ring is a coalition effort to open hearts and minds, engage millions of Californians in conversations about the freedom to marry, and increase support for marriage for gay and lesbian couples.

This groundbreaking campaign is educating people in a whole new way about fairness, freedom, and the principle that all people—lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and non-LGBT—should have the freedom to realize their hopes and dreams.

Let California Ring has found the perfect messenger—you! Wear your Let California Ring t-shirt or ring during Freedom to Marry week to start conversations with the people in your life about why you support the freedom to marry.

Don’t know what to say? Download handy conversation starters at http://www.LetCaliforniaRing.org/conversations

February 5 Day of Action

February 5 Day of Action

If you live in Santa Barbara or Los Angeles, here’s a great way for you to get involved with Let California Ring:

Join us at the polls on Election Day! We will be out in small groups talking to people about the freedom to marry and asking them to sign a pledge of support. Small teams will be made when you arrive – so come alone or come with friends! Polling place assignments will be given out at the training.

Santa Barbara Training

Saturday, February 2
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Los Angeles Training

Monday, February 4
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

OR

Saturday, February 2

2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

*Note: all volunteers must attend one training.

Freedom to Marry Sizzles at The Flame in San Diego!

Commentary by Kristi Shaw from the San Diego LGBT Community Center.

I have never heard a nightclub so quiet.

On Saturday, January 19 the San Diego LGBT Community Center’s Marriage Equality and Education Project presented a special Freedom to Marry program during “Milk,” San Diego’s premiere lesbian night, at one of the biggest LBGT clubs in town, The Flame.

Vixen from LA-based Pin Up Girls started the night off with an upbeat performance. She was joined by local hip hop artist and rapper Miz Liberty, who regularly performs at Milk. Miz Liberty added her funky, upbeat style to the issue, performing some crowd favorites as well as a special song that captured her strong feelings about why the freedom to marry is so important.

I took the stage next and said a few words about Let California Ring and encouraged people to sign up, donate and get involved. This was followed by the Let CA Ring video showcased on all screens and over the loudspeaker.The hush that fell over the crowd was unforgettable and several people came up to me afterwards, with tears in their eyes, saying the video and its message was one of the most moving things they have ever seen.

All in all it was a hugely successful night for the freedom to marry movement down here in San Diego!

Over 100 people signed the petition and we raised a significant amount of money for Let California Ring. The visibility the campaign received was also amazing and we have similar events planned at two other nightclubs in the coming months!If this event was any indication, I think 2008 is going to be great!

- Kristi Shaw, San Diego LGBT Community Center’s Marriage Equality and Education Project Coordinator

http://www.thecentersd.org/ftm/

kshaw@thecentersd.org

We're Just Two Weeks Away

Two weeks away from the day we celebrate love - Valentine's Day - and two weeks away from the largest state-wide visibility push ever conducted for the freedom to marry.

Take the first step: add your name to our letter to Governor Schwarzenegger that has already garnered over 8,700 signatures. Ask him to tell the California Supreme Court that the current law banning marriage for lesbian and gay couples is unconstitutional and that all loving couples deserve the freedom to marry. We're delivering it on February 14th, and we want your name on it.

On our day of visibility – Valentine’s Day -- it’s also vital that we make ourselves seen. That means wearing your Let California Ring t-shirt and displaying your ring wherever it can be seen (on your finger, bag or your keychain) to prompt a conversation about what the freedom to marry means to you.

If you’ve already ordered a ring, you should get it by Valentine’s Day. Order a t-shirt at a special rate of just $20 between now and February 6th to get yours by February 14th!

Help us make Valentine’s Day a milestone to remember for the LGBT community by making yourself seen and heard today:

• Sign our open letter to Governor Schwarzenegger. Show him that you’re one of the many Californians – his constituents! – who support the freedom to marry for all people.
  


• Get a t-shirt at a special $20 rate and wear it with pride on Valentine’s Day. February 6th is your last chance to get one before the big day!
  


• Print your sign and hang it up! Download one of our “I Said It” posters and hang it in your window or cubicle (or anywhere where people are likely to see it and ask what you said!). You can also take a photo of yourself with your sign and add your face to the hundreds of others who are making their support visible in our gallery.

I hope that Valentine’s Day 2008 will be a big moment in our shared history – for LGBT people in California and people in every state. Our state will be the tipping point, and the momentum for change, the kind that has the power resonate across the country, and it starts now with you.

Thanks for reading. And I hope you’ll join us!

Sincerely,

Geoff Kors
Let California Ring

New Facebook Application!

Show your support for the freedom to marry on Facebook.

Add our ring of support to your profile and show your commitment to the freedom to marry!

We hope you’ll display our ring until the day that everyone has the freedom to marry the person they love.

Six Organizations: One Event

What issue can get key LGBT leaders from national, statewide and local organizations in one room? Marriage in California.

Over 150 people braved the rain in Los Angeles last night to get insight and raise money for Let California Ring. It was truly unprecedented to have the leading LGBT organizations in the city, state and country on one stage. It is such a crucial time in California right now and to see so much support for the campaign was inspiring.

On the stage: (l to r) Geoff Kors (Equality California Institute), Patrick Sammon (Log Cabin Republicans), Joe Solmonese (Human Rights Campaign), Matt Forman (The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force), Jody Huckaby (PFLAG), and Lorri Jean (L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center).

If Al Gore can say it...

Al Gore said he supports the freedom to marry for LGBT couples. Everyone's listening. And when you say you support the freedom to marry, people who love you listen too.

Just say it by signing our open letter to Governor Schwarzenegger at www.LetCaliforniaRing.org/justsayit and ask your friends and family to do the same.

Sign an open letter to the Governor on marriage

Opportunities like this don't come along very often.

Sign our open letter asking the Governor to tell the California Supreme Court that the current law is unconstitutional and that all loving couples deserve the freedom to marry.

With the Court expected to rule on the legal right for gay and lesbian couples to marry in 2008, right now is the time for your voice to be heard: heard by Governor Schwarzenegger by February 14.

As a defendant in the case, the Governor's voice is critical -- he can change history. That's why we want him to tell the Court that all LGBT Californians should be able to marry the person they love. But your voice can be equally powerful, so I want you to just say it too.

Just say it: "Everyone should be able to marry the person they love. I support the freedom to marry." Say it out loud, to the person next to you on the bus or at dinner. And then, ask Governor Schwarzenegger to tell the Court that the current law is unconstitutional.

Let California Ring is all about everyday people coming together to amplify their collective voice of support for the freedom to marry. For people like you and me, that starts with the most basic action: "just say it" -- to our friends, family members, and neighbors.

We need to generate conversations and get every Californian -- from Supreme Court Justices to our elected leaders to your colleagues at the water cooler -- thinking about what the freedom to marry means for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people between now and February 14 -- the day we celebrate love. So just say it, right now.

With the Court's ruling on the legal right for gay and lesbian couples to marry expected this year, showing that Californians support that basic freedom for everyone is critical right now. Here's how you can help:

• Sign the open letter to Governor Schwarzenegger

• Just say it. Tell all your friends, family members and colleagues and ask them to join you in signing the open letter to the Governor.

Now is the time to double your impact: sign the letter to the Governor and then just say it: make your support for the freedom to marry seen and heard between now and February 14.

Thanks for all that you do -- every action you take makes a difference and fills me with determination.

Sincerely,

Geoff Kors
Let California Ring

Behind the Scenes: Volunteer Night!

If you live in Los Angeles, we have an easy and fun way for you to get involved. Hannah blogs about Volunteer Nights:

We have volunteer night a couple times a week here at Let California Ring. On Monday nights we gather from 7-10pm for Data Entry Night. We crowd around the table in our conference room; you can barely see the table underneath the piles of data we are entering, pizza, and the many lap tops in use. Although we get a lot of work done at Data Entry Nights it hardly feels like work. As we type we talk about anything from what’s been going on in our lives since the Monday before to current events to our love lives. We spend a lot of time laughing. The hardest part about Data Entry Night is deciphering the handwriting of the data we are entering; we all squint at the most troublesome handwriting and everyone takes a guess at we think it says.

We also have Phone Bank Night every Thursday from 6:30 to 9:30. On Phone Bank Nights we call people who have told us they want to volunteer with us and sign them up for a specific activity. We each ding a bell when we get someone signed up for a shift, it’s a lot of fun to hear dings coming from all over the office and shout, “Way to go!!” down the hall.

Volunteer nights are what help keep things running here at Let California Ring. Without them we couldn’t get our data entered and we couldn’t sign up enough volunteers to keep building our team. I feel fortunate to get to work with so many great volunteers, and have so much fun along the way!

--Hannah, Field Organizer

"My little party attracted notice..."

When I came to a Let California Ring House Party held by student friends of mine, I knew right away that this was something I wanted to do myself. Not at my small home, where I find myself gathering mostly with other queer folks, but at my workplace—Chochmat HaLev, a progressive Jewish spiritual community in Berkeley. I love Chochmat HaLev, for its welcoming and supportive vibe as well as its ecstatic and contemplative variety of Jewish spirituality. It is a place of meeting points for me—where my identity as a queer person meets my identity as a spiritual person, and the main place (other than school) that I meet supportive straight people.

I was so surprised by the results. My little party attracted notice, not just at Chochmat HaLev, but in the Jewish and interfaith community all over the Bay Area, and even across the state and as far away as Santa Fe! Those who came were not necessarily the curious and open-minded allies I had expected to make welcome, but were strong leaders in the LGBT Jewish and interfaith communities for whom this event fit right in with the important work on LGBT equality they were already doing. We've made connections that will enable more of this work to be done not only at Chochmat but all over the state. I'm humbled to have been a part of this remarkable beginning.

Maya, Trina, and Liam from Let California Ring were a great support for me helping me organize things, plan the event, and get the word out. It was an amazing opportunity to start 2008 on a high note. I encourage anyone who is thinking about doing something for the freedom to marry to consider putting on a House Party—at your house, your office, your school, or any other place you gather. It’s the most fun way to help out, and the rewards are incredible.

I’d like to thank once again all those special people who made it out in the rain, who shared their spiritual and personal experiences, and whose actions will spread the work we are doing together farther and deeper into our communities. Thanks are due to Karen Ehrlichman from Jewish Mosaic, who couldn’t be there but who was indispensable for connecting me with the other people who pitched in, Rachel Biale, from Progressive Jewish Alliance, who added the power of PJA’s beautiful “Bringing the Orange Under the Huppah” campaign, Sasha T. Goldberg from Nehirim, who are creating an exciting spiritual retreat for LGBT Jews in March, Kerry Chaplin from California Faith for Equality, who was a great help not only with planning and publicity but with setting up and cleaning up, Steve Krantz at Jews for Marriage Equality, who helped us spread the news to Southern California, to Joy Silver for being excited enough to come all the way from Santa Fe, and to Maya, Trina, and Liam, and all at Let California Ring for being such an inspiration.

--

Kerrick Lucker
Office Manager
Chochmat HaLev

“Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through the streets trying to find you.”
-Hafiz

New England is Winning

The new year in New Hampshire brought unprecedented amounts of snow, an unprecedented winning streak for the Patriots and the implementation of a new civil union law.

New England is now winning with the number of states that extend rights and benefits to LGBT couples. My home state joins the ranks of Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts. (New Jersey is not in New England).

When I was home for the Christmas holiday, I got to talking about the new law with my father who works in the State Attorney General’s office.

The good news, he said, is that the law is simply defined. It basically says that couples entering in to a civil union have the same benefits and protections as a married couple. The bad news is that because it is so simply defined there are a lot of wrinkles that still need ironing out. For instance, it doesn’t tell government agencies how to implement the law, whether nonresidents can apply, whether California’s domestic partnerships will be honored, and on and on and on.

While they’ve gained significant gains with civil unions, New Hampshire families will continue to have to struggle with a second-class status until they have full marriage. It’s possible the full extent of civil unions won’t be known until it’s fully tested in the courts. But unlike their neighbors Vermont and Massachusetts, there was no strong opposition to the new law so who knows how long it will take.

The New Hampshire Legislature could have solved a lot of frustration by going the way of Massachusetts, as only marriage will allow families to live out their hopes and dreams and give them the respect they deserve.

New Hampshire might not be on the ball with marriage, but at least they can say they have an unbeatable football team.

Hello, 2008

State of the movement for the freedom to marry:

In New Hampshire, laws went into effect on the 1st granting lesbian and gay couples civil unions.

In Oregon, progress on civil unions is being held up in the courts.

And here in California, we’re still pressing ahead, opening hearts and minds and finding new supporters.

Things can be great in 2008!

Let California Ring T-Shirts

Support the campaign, and look great, too!

Buy a T-shirt.

Becoming a Citizen

Merelin, Los Angeles

After waiting 20 long years, and going through a difficult process, I am finally a U.S. Citizen. It's a huge accomplishment in my family since I'm only the second to become a U.S. citizen. My parents immigrated to this country to give me the opportunity of two things; a college education and protection under the legal rights of citizenship status. So I am truly grateful for being able to fulfill that American dream that most of us immigrants strive for and that few succeed achieving.

As non-citizens, we tend to live in fear and we are limited to certain rights and self-expression just like our LGBT community. So I am excited to finally be able to have that freedom to realize my own hopes and dreams. I look forward to the day when our LGBT community can share that same equal choice of realizing their own hopes and dreams.

We can create change and build a powerful community when we stand together.

Merelin Giron
Straight ally, Let California Ring Field Organizer

Who needs a gift when you can give the gift of equality?

Toby, Sacramento

Happy Birthday to ME! OK, I admit, opening presents is cool. But when I thought about it, I realized that once the guests had gone home, and the cake was just a memory, that presents wouldn't mean anything compared to the love and support of all my friends and family who came to my party. And if I really thought about what I wanted more than anything, it was to have the freedom to marry the person I love! So I decided that this year I would have a "Let California Ring BIRTHDAY House Party"!

I've been so inspired by the Let California Ring Campaign. If you haven't seen the video, it's a must. It still makes me cry (well, almost) every time I see it. I knew if my friends and family who came to my birthday party could see it, they would understand why all I wanted them to bring to the party was their love and support and willingness to hear this message. Not a gift, or a bag of chips, but a checkbook. Tomorrow is my party, and I can't wait! Dozens of people are coming, and I bet every one of them will agree to help the campaign in some way: as a volunteer, as a donor, or by hosting a house party of their own. I'll let you know how it goes!

Let California Ring hits MySpace!

Check us out:
http://www.myspace.com/letcaliforniaring

Add us as your friend.
Forward us to all your friends.
Add us to your favorites.
Leave comments.

Come and friend us!

What do a married straight woman from Los Angeles and a single gay man from San Francisco have in common?

More than you might think.

We are both proud members of Let California Ring, and we're committed to securing the freedom to marry for all our gay and lesbian family and friends. But we need your help to do it.

Thalia: As a straight couple considering marriage, Mike and I felt how unfair it would be for us to take advantage of a right that was denied to so many of our gay and lesbian friends. So during our wedding, we pledged to do all we can, as straight allies, to help change the laws that prohibit the freedom to marry. Let California Ring gives us easy tools to carry out that pledge.

Seth: When I came out to my parents years ago, they expressed deep sadness that I would not be able to marry and have a family like my straight sister. While they still love me unconditionally, I have the power with this campaign to create a world where every parent can feel that all their children will have the same opportunities to realize their hopes and dreams. What happens in California has a ripple effect across the country.

We both remember February 12, 2004: the day when many people descended upon San Francisco's City Hall with the belief that they could finally marry the person they love. We were heartbroken when these hopes were shattered.

Today, nearly four years later, there are more Californians than ever who support the freedom to marry -- yet there are millions of Californians who still haven't voiced support for the freedom of gay and lesbian people to marry.

That's where supporters like us come in. We are the change-makers; we are the people with the power to bring about a tipping point in California. And to make a difference, all is takes is a few moments of our time to share the things that bond us together as fellow human beings -- a desire to love, to be loved, and to have our love recognized in an equal and dignified way.

Don't we owe this to our friends, to our family and to ourselves?

We haven't a moment to lose. If you haven't already, please add your name to the state-wide effort that's building support for the freedom to marry and pledge to reach out to the people in your life. You can also download talking points to help get these important conversations started.

Individually, we have a lot of power -- more power than you might think.

Thanks for reading,

Seth Kilbourn and Thalia Zepatos
Let California Ring Executive Committee

We're Well on Our Way

A few months ago we—you and I and countless other allies—launched the largest visibility campaign ever attempted to open hearts and minds about the freedom to marry in California. We started with a simple goal: for supporters like you to have conversations with the people you know.

Having these face-to-face conversations can be the most powerful way to reach the millions of people who still haven’t stood up for the freedom of gay and lesbian couples to marry—simply because they haven't heard from the people behind our fight. That’s why we are committed to making it as easy as possible for people like you to have these history-making conversations.

•Thousands of supporters have bought a Let California Ring “ring of support” to wear on their finger, necklace, or key chain to use as a conversation starter. Get yours here.

•We’re running a television ad that puts viewers in the shoes of so many gay and lesbian couples who are prevented from marrying the person they love. Watch it here.

•Our campaign video, “Let California Ring,” has opened thousands of hearts and minds by sharing the personal stories, heartfelt reflections and inspiring perspectives of LGBT couples, their families, and their friends. Watch it now and send it to your friends.

In a few short months, over 26,000 Californians have pledged their support for the freedom to marry. And though we have a long way to go toward reaching our goal —a California that supports every gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual person’s freedom to marry the person they love—we’re well on our way.

Together, we can keep the momentum going. The first step: if you haven’t already, sign the pledge and say “I do” to having conversations with your friends and family. You can also host a house party or join the MyOneHundred challenge programand commit to having conversations with one hundred people in your personal network. Remember, these conversations are the lynchpin for our campaign, so for those of you already having them, keep it up!

Thanks for all that you’re doing. Each action you take brings us one step closer to a California where everyone is treated with honor, dignity and respect. I feel privileged to be involved with all of you—fighting so fiercely—to give gay and lesbian couples the freedom to marry the person they love. Thanks for reading,

Geoff Kors
Equality California Institute