Evan Wolfson blogs about the campaign in "Let California Ring: Talking About Change Makes It."
"It's striking how many non-gay people have never really been invited to put themselves in another's place. Left on their own, they too often treat their view or vote on ending marriage discrimination as kind of a "freebie" that has no real-life consequences to couples, kids, and even the gay people they say they want to be fair to. Those of us who care owe it to the fair-minded people we know to ask them to get engaged."
Read the post.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Our Stories
Is there anything as moving as a love story? Stories about real people who long to live and love—with the support, understanding and celebration of everyone around them. That's what Let California Ring is all about: sharing love stories.
Check out the "Our Stories" section of the website.
Here’s a sample:
I'll Be There…
Dia & Jessica, San Francisco
To look at them together and think, I, too, can have a relationship like that. I can have that strong a love, 'cause man-oh-man, those two are crazy about each other...
You have a story to tell. Is it about realizing your hopes and dreams by getting married? Is it about allowing people the choice, the freedom to get married? Is it about wanting to be treated fairly? Why do you support the freedom to marry? We want to hear your love story. Tell us your story and encourage your friends, family, and neighbors down the street to do the same.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Sacramento Kickoff!!
What an amazing event!
Standing room only, interactive and enthusiastic guests, and scrumptious snacks! Coalition members included: MEUSA and EQCAI. Staff from EQCA attended including Alice, Ali, Kendra, and me. MEUSA representitives were Lysa and Christine. Lester from the Sacramento Gay & Lesbian center spoke, and board member Bill was also present.
Kendra kicked it all off with a T-shirt auction, which was fun and entertaining. The shirt went for $25. You can purchase these for $27. at www.letcaliforniaring.org. We talked about where the campaign came from, where it was going, and how we would get there. Then we looked at a clip that showed everyday Californians talking about the importance of the freedom to marry. "Marriage is in the Heart!" We also took a look at the TV commercial, and talked about how and why we thought it would be very effective.
Then I asked for your Time, Treasure, and Talent. You helped us raise over $2000., schedule 4 new House Parties, and identify 11 people to help with the My100 program! Great Job! Thank you to everyone who helped put on this fantastic kickoff!
Standing room only, interactive and enthusiastic guests, and scrumptious snacks! Coalition members included: MEUSA and EQCAI. Staff from EQCA attended including Alice, Ali, Kendra, and me. MEUSA representitives were Lysa and Christine. Lester from the Sacramento Gay & Lesbian center spoke, and board member Bill was also present.
Kendra kicked it all off with a T-shirt auction, which was fun and entertaining. The shirt went for $25. You can purchase these for $27. at www.letcaliforniaring.org. We talked about where the campaign came from, where it was going, and how we would get there. Then we looked at a clip that showed everyday Californians talking about the importance of the freedom to marry. "Marriage is in the Heart!" We also took a look at the TV commercial, and talked about how and why we thought it would be very effective.
Then I asked for your Time, Treasure, and Talent. You helped us raise over $2000., schedule 4 new House Parties, and identify 11 people to help with the My100 program! Great Job! Thank you to everyone who helped put on this fantastic kickoff!
Friday, October 12, 2007
From San Diego
As National Coming Out Day was yesterday, it was a perfect day and evening to spend with folks in a living room in the hills of La Jolla talking about the freedom to marry. I was lucky enough to be in San Diego this week working with folks from the SD LGBT Community Center (Delores Jacobs, Kristi Shaw and Caroline Dessert) talking about how we kick Let CA Ring into high gear in SD and build upon the incredible momentum and the good will that has followed since Mayor Sanders' personal epiphany resulting in his vocal and public support for the freedom to marry.
I've had great meetings--breakfast, lunch and dinner--with a wide range of folks from EQCAI Board Members, to former and current ACLU staff to Center volunteers and leaders, as well as speaking at the Center's Public Policy Cmte meeting.
I love San Diego and San Diegans, in particular. I have to tell you, while the stereotype still exists that this town (and County) is conservative and folks (not these folks!) bemoan how hard it is to do progressive organizing here - I don't buy it, nor has it been my experience.
Check out the great press we received for Let CA Ring in San Diego at www.10news.com, and get involved by hosting a house party or get trained to be a speaker. We need you and everyone you know learning how to tell your story and then getting out in the world and telling everyone you know why you support the freedom to marry and helping them find their story and sign on as a supporter.
Happy Coming Out Week!
Sarah
I've had great meetings--breakfast, lunch and dinner--with a wide range of folks from EQCAI Board Members, to former and current ACLU staff to Center volunteers and leaders, as well as speaking at the Center's Public Policy Cmte meeting.
I love San Diego and San Diegans, in particular. I have to tell you, while the stereotype still exists that this town (and County) is conservative and folks (not these folks!) bemoan how hard it is to do progressive organizing here - I don't buy it, nor has it been my experience.
Check out the great press we received for Let CA Ring in San Diego at www.10news.com, and get involved by hosting a house party or get trained to be a speaker. We need you and everyone you know learning how to tell your story and then getting out in the world and telling everyone you know why you support the freedom to marry and helping them find their story and sign on as a supporter.
Happy Coming Out Week!
Sarah
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
I believe in the freedom to marry because...
e
As someone who's been working as a volunteer or paid staff in the LGBT and progressive community for nearly 15 years, there are many reasons I choose to put my time, talent and treasure into working for the freedom to marry in California. I do it because it's an opportunity to build power for our community. I do it because--while we may not all agree about the actual institution of marriage--the issue is a bell weather topic for the American population. And as such, confronting the issue of the freedom to marry gives us a chance to combat basic homophobia and transphobia. Because, as I've discovered over the past months, supporting the freedom to marry is a simple proposition: do you believe that love is love is love?
I do, but I didn't always think our community should be spending so much time, energy and resources on it. And, while there are many issues that are as or more important to the LGBT community and our allies, I have had a personal transformation about how I come to the freedom to marry work. I used to come to it from a purely political place. And now, it's personal. And not just personal because I believe that my love for my partner is equal to my sister's love for her husband.
In a writing exercise that was facilitated by one of the Let CA Ring organizers, I realized that I cared about securing the freedom to marry for all because of my Mom.
As the daughter of a public school teacher, my Mom always taught me that as a people, even if we disagreed about issues, everyone deserved the opportunity to realize their hopes and dreams and be treated fairly. It wasn't until this little writing exercise that I realized that my Mom deserves that same opportunity.
When I came out to her at 19 (she had been asking me if I was a lesbian since I was 14 so this was no big shock!), her first response was that of sadness and worry while she exclaimed, "You won't be able to build the life you've always dreamed - getting married, having kids, etc." Now, this was the Mom who always reminded me that she had gay and lesbian friends long before I was even thought of. This was the woman who's mother actively fought for the ERA and continued her active involvement in progressive organizing until she died. My coming out was in no way the end of the world for my family or a day to be mourned in infamy. In fact, just the opposite. My folks and my sister, my grandparents and my godparents were supportive and joyful that I finally felt free to be me.
But back to the moment of sadness and worry. It wasn't until just the other day that I realized that precisely because I don't have the freedom to marry is what brought my Mom (and I'm sure countless others) to the point where her love and joy for me came in direct conflict with what she knew to be a barrier in her own hopes and dreams for her daughter and herself.
Not only do two people in a loving, trusted relationship deserve the honor and support that comes with marriage, so does my Mom. She deserves to be treated with the same honor and support from her friends and colleagues when she's recounting stories about my life with my partner as when she's telling tales about my sister and her husband.
Excluding someone from marriage is like excluding them from being part of a family. I have a great family and a great Mom. I believe in the freedom to marry because she taught me that people should be able to have different beliefs and still be treated fairly. And, because she deserves to have 2 girls, not just 1, who get to realize their hopes and dreams of a fairy tale wedding and a fairly tale life!
Btw, the photo is of my sister, Katie and her husband Lee (and the best 7 year old nephew EVER) at their wedding this Summer. I of course, got to be bridesmaid. :-)
As someone who's been working as a volunteer or paid staff in the LGBT and progressive community for nearly 15 years, there are many reasons I choose to put my time, talent and treasure into working for the freedom to marry in California. I do it because it's an opportunity to build power for our community. I do it because--while we may not all agree about the actual institution of marriage--the issue is a bell weather topic for the American population. And as such, confronting the issue of the freedom to marry gives us a chance to combat basic homophobia and transphobia. Because, as I've discovered over the past months, supporting the freedom to marry is a simple proposition: do you believe that love is love is love?
I do, but I didn't always think our community should be spending so much time, energy and resources on it. And, while there are many issues that are as or more important to the LGBT community and our allies, I have had a personal transformation about how I come to the freedom to marry work. I used to come to it from a purely political place. And now, it's personal. And not just personal because I believe that my love for my partner is equal to my sister's love for her husband.
In a writing exercise that was facilitated by one of the Let CA Ring organizers, I realized that I cared about securing the freedom to marry for all because of my Mom.
As the daughter of a public school teacher, my Mom always taught me that as a people, even if we disagreed about issues, everyone deserved the opportunity to realize their hopes and dreams and be treated fairly. It wasn't until this little writing exercise that I realized that my Mom deserves that same opportunity.
When I came out to her at 19 (she had been asking me if I was a lesbian since I was 14 so this was no big shock!), her first response was that of sadness and worry while she exclaimed, "You won't be able to build the life you've always dreamed - getting married, having kids, etc." Now, this was the Mom who always reminded me that she had gay and lesbian friends long before I was even thought of. This was the woman who's mother actively fought for the ERA and continued her active involvement in progressive organizing until she died. My coming out was in no way the end of the world for my family or a day to be mourned in infamy. In fact, just the opposite. My folks and my sister, my grandparents and my godparents were supportive and joyful that I finally felt free to be me.
But back to the moment of sadness and worry. It wasn't until just the other day that I realized that precisely because I don't have the freedom to marry is what brought my Mom (and I'm sure countless others) to the point where her love and joy for me came in direct conflict with what she knew to be a barrier in her own hopes and dreams for her daughter and herself.
Not only do two people in a loving, trusted relationship deserve the honor and support that comes with marriage, so does my Mom. She deserves to be treated with the same honor and support from her friends and colleagues when she's recounting stories about my life with my partner as when she's telling tales about my sister and her husband.
Excluding someone from marriage is like excluding them from being part of a family. I have a great family and a great Mom. I believe in the freedom to marry because she taught me that people should be able to have different beliefs and still be treated fairly. And, because she deserves to have 2 girls, not just 1, who get to realize their hopes and dreams of a fairy tale wedding and a fairly tale life!
Btw, the photo is of my sister, Katie and her husband Lee (and the best 7 year old nephew EVER) at their wedding this Summer. I of course, got to be bridesmaid. :-)
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
It's Time to Let California Ring
You meet someone special. You fall in love and vow to spend your lives together. Maybe you want to get married. Yet every day, lesbian and gay people in California are denied the freedom to marry the person they love.
Like many Californians, you want a fair chance to realize your hopes and dreams and you want that for your family friends and neighbors. You probably believe that everyone should be treated fairly and not singled out for exclusion. The Let California Ring campaign is about engaging people like you to talk to other people you know. It's that simple. These conversations-millions of them-will open hearts and minds and build the public support we need to end exclusion of gay and lesbian couples from marriage.
So, welcome to our campaign website, where you can get engaged in Let California Ring. Learn how to have the conversation with people you know about the freedom to marry. Learn more about the campaign and our coalition partners and supporters, check out events happening in your neck of the woods and read stories from real people who talk about why the freedom to marry is important to them - and all of us.
Together we can engage millions of Californians in conversation through Let California Ring to help make our country, and the lives of many lesbian and gay couples and their loved ones, better. The campaign is that big. It's that important. And it starts with you
Please join us today.
Geoff Kors
Executive Director
Equality California Institute
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