I just emailed 80 friends, relatives & neighbors asking them to support me and the Vote No On Prop 8 campaign.  The letter is below.  Feel free to adapt it to send to your friends.Subject: I’m going to CA to help keep marriage legal !

Hi Everyone,

My right to marry is at risk of being taken away by popular vote in California this November, and I have something to say about that!  I’m heading down to San Jose to work with the Vote No On Proposition 8 campaign to help keep marriage legal for same-sex couples in California.

This past spring, the CA Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to deny same-sex couples the right to get civil marriages.  In response, anti-equality forces are working overtime to strip us of this right.  They wish to amend the CA constitution in a way that will reverse the court decision and keep civil marriage a special right for heterosexuals.  Constitutions are in place to insure the rights and freedoms of citizens, not deny rights to unpopular minorities.  If Prop 8 passes, it would be the first time in CA history that the constitution was amended to deny rights to citizens. [Note: I was wrong about CA.  See Fritz’s post below.].

Mary and I don’t live in California, but the outcome of the Prop 8 vote will profoundly affect us.  California is home to 10% of the US population, and is the 7th largest economy in the world.  What happens there will certainly influence future events in states teetering on the brink of marriage equality: NY, NJ, CT, NH, VT & WA.  The Prop 8 fight has been called, rightly I think, our Gettysburg.

The anti-equality campaign has so far outstripped us 3-to-2 in funds raised, and has used churches to organize legions of volunteers.  So I’m dedicating my week of Oct. 14-21 to knocking on doors & making phone calls to ask voters to vote “no” on Prop 8.  Will you help support my effort?  The best ways are:

+ make a donation to the Vote No on Proposition 8 campaign at http://noonprop8.com/home

+ contact friends and family in CA and asking them to vote “no”.  Feel free to forward this email if you’d like.

+ put up a yard sign or put a bumper sticker on your car.

+ write a letter to the editor of your newspaper in support of marriage equality.

+ volunteer for the campaign.  Go to http://noonprop8.com/events?id… to find the campaign office nearest you.

+ Florida and Arizona are also voting on anti-equality constitutional amendments in November.  If that hits closer to home for you, please consider supporting their equality campaigns too via the links I’ve provided below.

Similar anti-equality amendments have already passed in 26 states.  Don’t let them vote us off the island…again.

Love from Lurleen

P.S.  I’ve provided some additional information below.  If you have any questions about anything please don’t hesitate to give me a call!

California Proposition 8 info and action ideas

http://noonprop8.com/home

Florida Amendment 2 info and action ideas http://www.fairnessforallfamil…

http://sayno2.com/

Arizona Proposition 102 info and action ideas

http://www.votenoprop102.com/w…

Map of US Anti-Gay Marriage Measures

http://thetaskforce.org/downlo…

Map of US States Recognizing Same-sex Couples

http://thetaskforce.org/downlo…

Text of the California Supreme Court Decision

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/op…

California Proposition 8 Ballot Language

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ELIMINATES RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY.

INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

Changes California Constitution to eliminate right of same-sex couples to marry. Provides that only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

Fiscal Impact: Over the next few years, potential revenue loss, mainly sales taxes, totaling in the several tens of millions of dollars, to state and local governments. In the long run, likely little fiscal impact to state and local governments.

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