Best of 2009 #2: "Maine (& Washington, & Nevada): Why Marriage Matters"

Probably one of the biggest disappointments for me in 2009 was the stinging marriage loss in Maine just one year after Prop H8 stole fundamental civil rights away from LGBTQ Californians. Conversely, the biggest victories for me were the comprehensive DP wins here in Nevada and up north in Washington State. So as I reflect on all that's been queer in 2009, I want to go back to something I wrote just before the November election on why marriage matters.

...

OK, so the Yes on H8/Yes on 1 anti-equality forces are now saying they "don't oppose civil rights". Uh-huh. So they just want "equality by another name"?

Not really. After all, why did these same religious right forces fight SB 283 here in Nevada that isn't even marriage?



And by the way, Maine Domestic Partnerships are not even comprehensive like ours in Nevada. They're very limited to only a few medical decisions and property rights. Is this type of third-class (since it isn't even second-class) citizenship what Yes on 1 calls "equality"?

OK, so let's assume some of these Yes on 1 folks are serious about "changing" Maine's domestic partnership law to look more like Nevada's. I did my homework on SB 283, the domestic partner law that's now being practiced here in The Silver State. I did my homework and I know what's in the bill and what isn't. Let me give you the gist of SB 283.

[State Senator and SB 283 author] David Parks wasn't joking when he said that this is NOT marriage. While SB 283 provides for domestic partnerships (DPs) that are supposed to treat "domestic partnered" couples just like married spouses, let's remember that this theory doesn't always work out in practice. So while we celebrate the first major advance in civil rights in Nevada in decades, let's keep working toward the final goal of true civil marriage equality. [...]

But again, we must stress that DPs under SB 283 are not marriage and will not be treated by the federal government as such. Even if you and your partner file for a DP this fall, you will still not be able to file a joint federal tax return. You won't be able to receive any spousal benefits from the military or the VA. You won't be able to sponsor your partner for US citizenship or permanent residency if he/she is a foreign national. Unfortunately, DOMA still applies here as it does across the nation. This is why it's crucial that not only Nevada law change to give our families full equality, but that federal law change as well.

When it comes to federal law, marriage is marriage is marriage. And even if DOMA is repealed soon and same-sex marriages will be recognized by the federal government, comprehensive DPs and civil unions will still not be recognized by the feds and treated as "marriages". So all of us in Nevada will still be left in the cold and so will Mainers if Question 1 passes.

And even worse, comprehensive DPs and civil unions are not even treated equally when it comes to state law. That was the experience in Vermont until marriage equality was legalized there. That's what New Jersey is dealing with in regards to their civil unions. That's what California, Oregon, and Nevada are now facing with DPs. No matter how well intentioned the "separate but equal laws" are, separate is simply never equal.

Marriage equality is important because it gives LGBT families the same equal rights and responsibilities under the law as straight families. And even more so, civil marriage equality gives our families the same respect and dignity they deserve.

And again, I doubt the anti-equality folks will even allow DPs. After all, Richard Ziser is attacking us here in Nevada once again. DPs are under attack in Washington state this year. This is just another excuse for the anti-equality religious right to make LGBT families in Maine and elsewhere suffer. Don't believe them.

....

And I'll finish on an upbeat note by bringing back this explanation in November why the R-71 win in Washington is our glimmer of hope for equality in the future.

....

Well, at least not all the news from last night was bad. Washington looks to be expanding domestic partner rights. If this holds up (and so far the returns and the locations of the remaining uncounted ballots are pointing this way), Washington will be the very first state to approve of relationship recognition rights by popular vote.

In Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a bill in May granting same sex domestic partners all the rights of married couples. That same month conservative interests announced they would attempt to overturn the new law and enough signatures were collected enough to place R-71 on the November ballot.

Gay rights supporters were not ready to declare victory Tuesday night.

"We are hopeful, but we are not stupid. We know better than to think we've got this in the can," said said Jody Lane of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "They may be recounting 'til January, for God's sake."

Before the first batch of results came in at 8:15 p.m., supporters laughed as a clip of Stephen Colbert jokingly endorsing Washington's domestic partnership law played on a projector at the Pravda Studios party.

With a bigger crowd by 9:05 p.m., they were still having fun -- but no one was celebrating. "We are really very guardedly optimistic, remembering that a very very large percentage of King County ballots have not been counted," campaign manager Josh Friedes told the crowd.

So far, so good. Washington is on the right path... And here's why it's so important and why we should care about it.

First, the opposition made this about "gay marriage" even though people were actually voting on DPs. They called themselves "Protect Marriage Washington" and warned about how approving R-71 would "put Washington on the path to let teh gayz merry!" Ironically, this proxy war over marriage equality will encourage pro-equality activists to one day go for full civil marriage equality in Washington.

Secondly if the anti-equality forces couldn't muster an off-year election in Washington, what makes them think they can pull a win in Nevada next year with Harry Reid, Rory Reid, and a number of other high-profile races on the ballot? Nevada Democrats have now proven to have a superior turn-out machine than the Republicans, so I doubt voters in a regular general election will be in the appetite to hate on LGBT families just for the sake of hating on them.

And finally, this is truly historic. Again, R-71 in Washington is the first time EVER that voters in any state approved legal relationship recognition. And again, if they can't win in an off-year election like this it gives me hope that 2010 and 2012 won't be so scary for us after all.

And really, I need hope now. The Maine results still scare me. I guess they were just too religious right there... And Obama (again) was hurting us there. Whatever went wrong, hopefully one day it will be made right in Maine.

But at least today, Washington is making baby steps toward equality... And we can breathe a little more easily about Nevada coming along as well.

We Queers Have Been "Trick Rolled"... AGAIN!

The Sun has a good article today on the revived phenomenon of "trick rolling", or prostitutes who promise their "Johns" a good night... Only to drug them unconscious and steal everything they have.

How many people file police reports, after all, when their prostitutes disappoint?

Enough, at least, for Metro vice detectives to determine the problem is getting worse, and assign two detectives to trick roll investigations exclusively. They’ve gotten roughly one case every day this year. In 2007 it was more like one a week.

That increase could have something to do with the economy. Fewer tourists with less money means supply exceeds demand. Prices drop and competition ratchets up for prostitutes, many of whom police say must meet nightly quotas set by pimps. Metro Sgt. Donald Hoier, though, says the problem picked up before the economy fell, simply because Clark County was saturated with sex workers and outlets for illicit entertainment.

When everybody scrambles for the same pool of money, bad seeds take short cuts.

Well, it feels like the Maine's LGBT community was "trick rolled" last night in a way. We thought there was a chance to win marriage equality, but the voters ultimately knocked us out and stole away all our rights. Does this mean I'm calling Maine voters hookers? Or us queer folk "Johns"?

I don't know. I guess I just need some dark humor right now.

It just feels so frustrating. I thought this could be our "penance" for allowing Prop H8 to pass in California. I really thought this could be a new beginning... Yet it feels like the same ol' sad story all over again.

Why do so many heteros get so much sick "joy" out of seeing us hurt? Why is discrimination like this celebrated? Why does it always feel like three steps forward, then two steps back?

I have nightmares of Californication right now. It feels so dark and scary right now...


Annie Lennox - Dark Road (Official Music Video) - More free videos are here

But maybe there's some light at the end of the tunnel that isn't another speeding train. I'm still trying to figure that out. It's another day of pain today, but maybe there will be one day soon when LGBT families will no longer be brutally attacked like this. America can be so cruel and disgusting so often, but somehow we still hold onto hope that one day "liberty and justice for all" will become reality.

Maine: Please Help Defeat H8/Q1 Tomorrow!

If he can do it, why can't you?

Pam has the scary news on the PPP poll showing Yes on 1 ahead 51-47. But even if PPP is wrong and Nate Silver is right about Question 1, it will nonetheless be a close election tomorrow that may ultimately be decided by a handful of votes. If we lose, it will be another devastating defeat for LGBT equality that will continue to hold back progress. But if we win tomorrow, it will truly mean a new beginning as civil rights finally starts to win elections!

So what do you want? Another heartbreaking defeat? Or an encouraging victory?

So please, please, please help defeat Question 1 in Maine! Help make one last ad buy... And/or help make GOTV calls.

I know it seems unfair, but all these Maine families need the permission of their fellow citizens tomorrow to achieve equality.



Let's not screw it up for them. Get on the phone, get on the ActBlue, and don't stop until the polls close tomorrow! I'm quite under the weather today, but it won't stop me from making calls today and tomorrow. So what's your excuse? Let's win this!

Maine (& Nevada): Why Marriage Matters

OK, so the Yes on H8/Yes on 1 anti-equality forces are now saying they "don't oppose civil rights". Uh-huh. So they just want "equality by another name"?

Not really. After all, why did these same religious right forces fight SB 283 here in Nevada that isn't even marriage?



And by the way, Maine Domestic Partnerships are not even comprehensive like ours in Nevada. They're very limited to only a few medical decisions and property rights. Is this type of third-class (since it isn't even second-class) citizenship what Yes on 1 calls "equality"?

OK, so let's assume some of these Yes on 1 folks are serious about "changing" Maine's domestic partnership law to look more like Nevada's. I did my homework on SB 283, the domestic partner law that's now being practiced here in The Silver State. I did my homework and I know what's in the bill and what isn't. Let me give you the gist of SB 283.

[State Senator and SB 283 author] David Parks wasn't joking when he said that this is NOT marriage. While SB 283 provides for domestic partnerships (DPs) that are supposed to treat "domestic partnered" couples just like married spouses, let's remember that this theory doesn't always work out in practice. So while we celebrate the first major advance in civil rights in Nevada in decades, let's keep working toward the final goal of true civil marriage equality. [...]

But again, we must stress that DPs under SB 283 are not marriage and will not be treated by the federal government as such. Even if you and your partner file for a DP this fall, you will still not be able to file a joint federal tax return. You won't be able to receive any spousal benefits from the military or the VA. You won't be able to sponsor your partner for US citizenship or permanent residency if he/she is a foreign national. Unfortunately, DOMA still applies here as it does across the nation. This is why it's crucial that not only Nevada law change to give our families full equality, but that federal law change as well.

When it comes to federal law, marriage is marriage is marriage. And even if DOMA is repealed soon and same-sex marriages will be recognized by the federal government, comprehensive DPs and civil unions will still not be recognized by the feds and treated as "marriages". So all of us in Nevada will still be left in the cold and so will Mainers if Question 1 passes.

And even worse, comprehensive DPs and civil unions are not even treated equally when it comes to state law. That was the experience in Vermont until marriage equality was legalized there. That's what New Jersey is dealing with in regards to their civil unions. That's what California, Oregon, and Nevada are now facing with DPs. No matter how well intentioned the "separate but equal laws" are, separate is simply never equal.

Marriage equality is important because it gives LGBT families the same equal rights and responsibilities under the law as straight families. And even more so, civil marriage equality gives our families the same respect and dignity they deserve.

And again, I doubt the anti-equality folks will even allow DPs. After all, Richard Ziser is attacking us here in Nevada once again. DPs are under attack in Washington state this year. This is just another excuse for the anti-equality religious right to make LGBT families in Maine and elsewhere suffer. Don't believe them.

Maine: No on 1 Taking Lead & The Opposition Is Now Throwing Everything INCLUDING the Kitchen Sink at LGBT Families

Well, we have some good news and some bad news to report in Maine today. First, let's start off with some good news. Maine Public Broadcasting just got the hot new Pan-Atlantic poll numbers.

Pan Atlantic's Patrick Murphy says the survey of 400 likely voters found 53 percent opposing Question 1, which would repeal Maine's gay marriage law, while 42 percent favor the measure and six percent remain undecided. [Empahasis mine.] The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent.

Murphy says Question 1 is getting a different reaction in Maine's two congressional districts, with voters in the 1st District favoring the measure by a 20 point spread, while voters in the 2nd District remain nearly equally divided. He says among the state's Catholic voters, the measure has a narrow margin of support, 49 to 46 percent.

Obviously, ads like this one are working.



And better yet, the campaign actually has an active field program that's contacting voters all over the state and rounding up enough votes against Question 1 to win. And even better, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and other pro-equality elected officials in Maine are stepping up to help with GOTV efforts! With such great work on the ground and on the air, no wonder why No on 1 is gaining momentum!

Still, we can't sit by idly and revel in this success. Nope, since the same Yes on H8 operatives who attacked California's LGBT families last year are now throwing everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink at Maine's LGBT families! NOM is already kicking in another $1.1 million to take away fundamental rights from many thousands of Mainers, and they're ready to spend even more on some of the most disgusting and hateful ads you've ever seen.

Oh, and how fitting is it that NOM's bringing out the vilest of scare tactics just in time for Halloween?

This is why I need to ask you one more time to step up and help No on 1 make it to the finish line succesfully. Donate what you can afford and/or sign up to call for equality while you still can We only have one more week until Election Day, so we have no time to waste!

Trust me, we can win this. We can make sure that Maine families are protected. We can stop the forces of bigotry from causing any more pain and suffering in any more states. We can win if we step up and take action!

So will you join me in taking action? I hope so. Let's make it to that finish line.

Maine: It's a Tie??!!

Public Policy Polling has released its Maine numbers today. And if they're to be believed, Question 1 is completely up in the air.

Public opinion on Question 1 in Maine, which would reject the state's law allowing same sex couples to marry, is knotted up two weeks before election day. 48% of voters in the state support it and 48% oppose it.

With most voters' minds made up the election is not really about persuasion at this point but turnout. Even a small difference in the ability of supporters and opponents of the referendum to get their folks out to the polls could tip the scales with the issue this close.

PPP says it can't get any closer. It was an automated (robodial) poll, so I guess it's to be expected that their numbers would be different from the live call polls' results. We can argue over whose method produces more accurate results, but ultimately all the polls point to a close race. No matter what, we have our work cut out for us.

And as PPP said, the race ultimately turns to turnout.

Opinion on the issue predictably breaks heavily along party lines. 74% of Republicans
are planning to vote yes while only 25% of Democrats are. Independents may end up
deciding which way it goes- presently 50% of them support rejecting the law with 44% in
opposition.

Older voters are strongest in their support of cutting off gay marriage. 54% are in
support with 40% opposed. Senior citizens can often dominate the electorate in low
turnout elections so the ultimate fate of this measure may lie in how many younger
people get out to the polls and vote.

This is expected to be a low turnout election. And unfortuantely, Republicans and older voters have a history of dominating these low turnout special elections. We can't let history repeat itself this time. We need to help No on 1 turn out the votes to defeat the marriage ban!

The campaign still needs volunteers to help round up votes for marriage equality. If you're close enough to Maine and have enough time to take a little "road trip", why not consider driving for equality? And for all the rest of us who are too far away and/or too busy to go to Maine in person, we can still help by signing up to call for equality.

And of course, we can still help the campaign build up its "get out the vote" effort by funding it! The campaign still needs our support as they put TV and radio ads on the air, and as they go door to door all over the state to turn out the vote. Our support can go a long way and be the deciding factor in victory next month.

Election Day is drawing near. The poll numbers can't be any closer. Please do whatever you can to protect marriage equality in Maine and stop the forces of hatred from attacking any more LGBT families.

Maine: More Lies from the Bigots

Already, the liars are back with an even more outrageous lie.



They just won't stop. Even though Maine's Attorney General has declared this a lie, they keep at it. They know what they say are lies, so they're just following the old KKKarl Rove tactic of saying it enough until people believe it.

Unfortunately it worked in California, so the Yes on H8/Yes on 1 radical right Californicators are trying to do it again in Maine. We can't let them succeed. No on 1 has already done some great ads to fight back...





But they obviously have more work to do to fight the lies and get the truth out. We still have time to help them, so let's make sure they have enough resources to keep fighting. The forces of inequality know this is their last chance to stop progress, so they're throwing everything including the kitchen sink at us. We all know the story of California, so let's make sure it isn't repeated in Maine.

We know how this homophobic H8 campaign hurt millions of California families, so Maine's LGBT families need to be defended. Please help make calls this weekend and please donate whatever you can to make protect equality and fundamental civil rights for Maine's LGBT families.

Maine: Today's the Day!

Remember what I told you yesterday?



Today's the day for the Big Maine Moneybomb for Equality! Now GIVE, GIVE, GIVE as much as you can! We're so close to winning marriage equality in Maine, but No on 1 can't do it without our help. Please give what you can today so we can see victory in Maine on November 3.

Thanks. :-)

Maine: No on 1 Has Small Lead, But the Race is STILL CLOSE!

We have some good news today on the Maine front.

According to new poll data, 51.8 percent of people who plan to vote in November say they will vote no or are leaning in that direction on question 1, the people’s veto of Maine’s same-sex marriage law.

The poll shows that 42.9 percent plan to vote yes, or are leaning that way. And 5.2 percent remain undecided.A “no” vote would allow the same-sex marriage law to stand. A “yes” vote would overturn the law.

The poll was from Portland-based Pan Atlantic SMS Group, which released its fall Omnibus Poll today. [..] According to Pan Atlantic, the survey is of 401 Mainers who identified themselves as “likely” voters in the Nov. 3 election. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.9 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

So either we have quite a tiny lead or we're starting to see a larger lead. But most likely, No on 1 is leading by just under 9%. Folks, that's still too close for comfort.

And Gerald at Dirigo Blue has the internals. While we're holding our own in the more progressive Portland based 1st District (only 34.2% voting Yes on 1), we're still being clobbered in the more conservative 2nd District up north (51.8% voting Yes on 1). And when leaners are taken out, we just have 50.6% knowing for sure they will vote No on 1.

So basically, we still have a lot of work to do. The No on 1 ads are clearly working in turning around public opinion, but now we need to focus on turning out the No on 1 vote. By the way, here's the latest No on 1 ad that's turning on the waterworks for my eyes.



Here's another recent ad fighting back against blatant Yes on 1 lies.



Now if we want to keep seeing ads like this on the air, we need to donate so the No on 1 campaign can afford it. And if we want to help the campaign turn out the No on 1 votes needed to win, we need to volunteer for virtual phone banking! There's just no getting around it. We can't afford to be lazy.

Remember this time last year? Remember when all of a sudden, what was thought to be an "easy win" for No on 8 California suddenly became a losing campaign? Do we really want to see a repeat of that in Maine? Let's remember that the very same people who ran the disgustingly deceptive and hateful Yes on H8 California campaign are doing it again this year in Maine. There's nothing they won't consider doing to trip us up and steal away our civil rights.

As I've said before, I'm sick and tired of seeing LGBT families being kicked around like political footballs. I'm also sick and tired of hateful idiots trying to capitalize on "momentum" in Washington and Maine to spread the discrimination to states like mine... And here in Nevada, we'll only be trying to protect domestic partnerships! So don't think what happens in Maine won't affect you, as they may already be planning to hit your state next!

Again, this is why we must keep fighting. No matter what the poll numbers say, this will be a hard fought race all the way to the last minute before polls close on November 3. So please, please remember to donate what you can through tomorrow to ensure No on 1 has what it takes to win!



Thanks.

NEW No on 1 Maine Ad UP!

Take a looky here...



This is a response to the nasty lying Yes on 1 ads trashing LGBT families. Please help them keep this ad on the air. Please donate whatever you can to help No on 1 fight the lies.

Thanks.

Maine's STILL So Close!

OK, I have some good news and some bad news for you. Let me start with the bad news. A new poll out today still show a close race in Maine.

And the good news? Democracy Corps shows No on 1 taking a 50-41 lead!

Now let me ask something else. One of the questions on the ballot this November will read
as follows: "Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows
individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?" - If the election were
held today, would you vote YES or NO on this question?

Total
Yes strongly.........................................................................37
Yes not strongly....................................................................4
No not strongly.....................................................................7
No strongly..........................................................................43
(Don't know/refused)............................................................9

Total yes.............................................................................41
Total no..............................................................................50

So far, it seems No on 1's ads seem to be working in hitting back against the dishonest and misleading Yes on 1 ads being imported from California. However we know not to take anything for granted, as the Prop H8 campaign in California taught us.

As we move into October, the battle will get rougher and the campaign will get tougher. While we can cheer good polling news and jeer bad polling news, the only poll that really counts is the one that the State of Maine conducts on Election Day.

That's why No on 1 badly needs our support. When so many of us were rightfully concerned about the tanking No on 8 campaign in California, we waited too late in donating. We can't repeat the same mistake in Maine.

While Yes on H8 California is reprising its role in Maine, No on 1 isn't making the same No on 8 mistakes. They haven't waited to respond to the lying ads, and they have a real field plan in place to reach out to voters and ultimately get out the vote. They just need our support to keep those ads on the air and fund the field program.

So please spare whatever change you can to help our Maine friends and family preserve marriage equality. The polls may be close, but I know our help can really defeat Question 1 and protect Maine LGBT families' civil rights.

Why I Still Hope for No More H8

Those first few days were the worst. I was scared. I was depressed. I felt less than human.

Prop H8 had passed in California. And even though I didn't have any immediate marriage plans, I nonetheless felt like all my future hopes and dreams were ripped away from me. I didn't know what to do... Until I got active in working to undo the damage.

Yet even though I'm seeing progress in my new home state, I still have raw feelings about what happened in California last fall. I still have wounds that are only starting to heal.

The yard signs that were stolen from my front yard. The homophobic insults coming from my own family. The belligerent Yes on H8 paid canvassers trying to bully my dad into taking away my civil rights. The "urine yellow" Yes on H8 signs being sprinkled all over my neighborhood by the anti-equality churches. These are my memories from the campaign.

The married couples wondering if their marriages were still "legally valid". The couples that waited too long and missed the chance to get a "limited edition marriage". The kids who were bullied in school before and after the election. These are still memories I have from the first days after Prop H8 passed.

Beating myself up constantly about why I didn't do more to stop this oncoming tragedy. This is the guilt I still have over my failure to do enough to stop Prop H8 from passing.

This is why the special elections in Maine and Washington are so important. I don't want my friends in either state to feel what I felt after Prop H8's passage. I don't want their civil rights stripped away from them. I don't want to see any more Prop H8s succeed in hurting any more LGBT families.

Just like California last year, the opposition is using blatant lies to deceive people into voting for discrimination. And in fact, the very same scumbags that ran Yes on H8 in California are doing the same with Yes on 1 in Maine!

And just like California last year, real families will be seriously hurt if the anti-equality forces succeed. In Maine, LGBT families will be stripped of their marriage rights if Question 1 succeeds. In Washington, LGBT families and seniors will lose important domestic partner rights if Referendum 71 is rejected.

Family values are important. All of our families should be valued. President Obama understands this, and hopefully voters in Maine and Washington will as well. We shouldn't make them face the same fate that so many California families had to endure last fall.

This is what's motivating me now. I don't want my friends in Maine to suffer. I don't want my friends in Washington to suffer. I don't want a "deja vu experience" of seeing the same California sad story unfold all over again.

This is why I'm doing all I can to help. Will you please join me? If each of us pitches in a few spare dollars, we can stop the radical right from assaulting our families and our community any further. We can stop being victims and start turning back the tide of hatred.

Time will soon run out. We have just over a month left until the election. Please join me in giving whatever you can to help No on 1 Maine and Approve R-71 Washington have the resources necessary to win this year. Whatever your "Prop H8 story" is, remember it and do what you can to prevent it from repeating.

Btw, here's the other new No on 1 ad

And again, please take a few minutes to chip in a few dollars to keep this ad on the air. Thanks.

New No on 1 Maine Ad UP!

H/T to Louise at The Blend for finding it!



Thankfully, No on 1 didn't pull any punches in calling out the ugly and baseless lies that have simply been recycled from Massachusetts and California by the same far right Republican consultants that ran Yes on H8 in California. Still, they need our help to keep these ads on the air so that the truth isn't drowned out by Yes on H8/Yes on 1's lies.

Please donate whatever you can to help keep this and other No on 1 ads on the air in Maine. You can also help by signing up to volunteer. The poll numbers are very close, so every dollar and/or hour donated helps!

H8 and CaliforniWashingMaine

It's happening...



All over again!



This pack of lies has now made its way from Massachusetts to California to Maine. Again, it's the same ol' friggin' story. And just like California, the religious right is heavily invested in stripping many thousands of Maine families of their fundamental civil rights.



Real families will be hurt if Question 1 passes in Maine...





Just like real families in California are now suffering because of Prop H8.







Fortunately, groups like Courage Campaign and the Restore Equality 2010 are working to undo the damage of H8 in California. But in the mean time, we can't let the same mistake be made again. That's why it's critical that we do whatever we can to ensure that Maine LGBT families don't suffer the same painful loss that California's families had to endure. Please give whatever you can to No on 1 so they can fight the lies.

And by the way, don't believe the radical right when they say they're only concerned about "traditional marriage". The State of Washington is not even voting on marriage this November, but they are already using many of the same ugly attacks tossed out in Maine and California to strip Washington families of domestic partner rights. Yes, you heard me right, comprehensive domestic partnerships in Washington state are under attack!

Just today, a new poll on Referendum 71 (R-71) has been released by the Approve 71 campaign. While R-71 is ahead 51-44, it's a small margin that leaves no room for error or complacency. If R-71 is rejected, then many thousands of Washington families will lose even the most basic legal protections that even California and Nevada now have with comprehensive domestic partnerships.



Now let me say this again. R-71 is not even about marriage equality, yet the radical right is out to strip many thousands of Washington families of even the most basic civil rights and legal protections. This should be a wake-up call to all of us love warriors for equality that the forces of bigotry won't be satisfied until we're all locked away in the closet again.

This is why it's critical that we get involved!



2009 is an off-year election. Most people typically don't vote in these special election. That's why we progressives must work extra hard to turn out enough votes to defeat Question 1 in Maine and approve R-71 in Washington. Failure to do so could very well set back further pro-equality legislation on the federal level. Failure to do so could very well hurt the California campaign for marriage equality in 2010. Failure to do so could jeopardize even our domestic partnerships in Nevada.

Believe me, our opponents won't give up easily. Even if you think you don't care about Washington and Maine, reconsider. Remember the pain we all felt when Prop H8 passed in California. Imagine feeling it all over again... And then do something to stop this from happening all over again! Please do whatever you can to help defeat Question 1 in Maine and/or approve R-71 in Washington. Let's defeat the same radical right forces behind Prop H8 once and for all so we can move forward in fighting for full equality.

National Equality March Supports Day of Action for Maine

Here's an important message from the organizers of the National Equality March coming up next month. Please join them, and join us, in calling for equality in Maine this weekend. And if you can make it to Maine in person next month, please sign up as soon as you can.

Dear friends,




As we get ready to march for full federal equality next month, we also have to protect our rights in the few places we have them.



Marriage equality is under attack in Maine. The National Organization for Marriage, Focus on the Family, and other groups that bankrolled Prop 8 in California have out fundraised the local effort by 2-1. But no matter where you live, there's something you can do about it.



Don't let them stand their ground alone! Here are a couple things you can do right now.



1. Join the Virtual Phone Bank on September 27



Can you donate 2.5 hours to call voters in Maine on Sunday, September 27? All you need is a phone and a computer with internet. No long distance fees!



2. Take a Volunteer Vacation in October


Can you spend a week in Maine volunteering for the campaign to preserve marriage equality? They can even help you find housing! Sign up here.

Thanks for helping protect equality in Maine, and we'll see you in the streets next month!



Peace,

Equality Across America and the National Equality March Team

Call for Equality Next Sunday!

What are you doing on Sunday? Want to take action to defend marriage equality in Maine? OK, so what are you waiting for? Sign up to call for equality!

National Day of Action: Save Gay Marriage in Maine!

2.5 hours to save Gay Marriage in Maine. You don't even have to leave your house. No more excuses - if you believe in the dignity of equality for all, YOU CAN DO THIS!

Host: Equality Network

Type: Causes - Rally

Network: Global

Date: Sunday, September 27, 2009

Time: 9:00am - 5:00pm

Location: Virtual Phonebank

Description

Marriage equality is under attack in Maine, and no matter where you live, there's something you can do about it.

Far right extremists have imported their national anti-equality agenda to the Pine Tree state with the goal of stripping away marriage rights. The same group that bankrolled Prop 8 in California has set up shop in Maine and has out fundraised the local effort by 2-1.

Despite that, polls show fairness is winning by a slim margin, thanks to the local grassroots No On 1 effort to protect Maine equality.

We can't leave them alone to stand their ground. We need to rally to support the local effort! No matter where you live, there is a way to help win this fight.

**All you need is a phone and a computer with an internet connection. No long distance fees, no dialing- the web-based software does it all.**

With 500 people ACROSS AMERICA, donating 2.5 hours of time, we can accomplish 1250 volunteer hours!

This is a VIRTUAL PHONE BANK on Sunday, September 27th to SAVE MAINE FROM RIGHT-WING EXTREMISTS, and pave the way for a repeal of Proposition 8 in California!

Sign up and you will get all the information you need to be a part of the Sept 27th Maine Day of Action. IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE, YOU MUST PROCEED TO THIS LINK AND FILL OUT THE FORM.

© 2009 Protect Maine Equality, 550 Forest Avenue, Portland, ME 04101 Paid for and Authorized by Protect Maine Equality.

Maine's So Close!

Yes, Maine really is close.

Yes on 1: 48%
No on 1: 46%
Not Sure: 6%

Despite the recent attacks on LGBT Mainers, No on 1 is still within a striking distance of victory. However, it will obviously take a lot of work to overcome this deficit and finish out on top. The Yes on 1 anti-equality campaign is already starting the "scare campaign", and we need to be ready to fight back and win.

This is where Travel for Change steps in.

“Maine is an amazing place and it's beautiful to see Mainers welcoming their fellow American's into their homes,” said Travel for Change director Jay Cash. “It's exciting because people are signing up to go to Maine and others are signing up to sponsor them financially and with airline miles. We used airline miles to pay for more than 300 tickets in the general election and we hope to gather at least 100 for Maine.”

Supporters of Question 1 have out-fund-raised Protect Maine Equality's "No on 1" Campaign by using big donors like Focus on the Family and the National Organization for Marriage. In contrast, Protect Maine Equality is following the lead of the Obama campaign, using the power of small donations and counting on large numbers of volunteers. Partnering with Travel for Change, an organization that supported Obama in the presidential election, Protect Maine Equality is asking supporters across the country to take a "Volunteer Vacation" to Maine and help get out the vote.

"Marriage equality is a national issue,” Cash said. “Just ask our opponents. A California consultant is running their campaign and the star of their first commercial is a Massachusetts lawyer.” [...]

If the Question 1 is turned down it will be the first time in this country that marriage equality has won at the ballot box.

“It's simple this election will either be a huge victory or a huge defeat for equality," said Alisa Whitfield, Managing Director of Travel for Change.

Again, the polls are as tight as can be. The opposition is already throwing everything including the kitchen sink at Maine LGBT families. The campaign is already underway. We need to get fired up and ready to go and defend equality!

Fortunately, Travel for Change is ready for us. Even if you can't afford to come to Maine, they will help with airfare and connect you to low and no-cost volunteer housing. Even if you can't come but can afford to help, you can donate your frequent flyer miles and/or money to Travel for Change to help pay for needy volunteers to go to Maine.

We really don't have time to waste. Our moment is now. Will we stand up for our LGBT brothers and sisters in Maine? Will we make sure they won't suffer the same fate of California and Prop H8?

Need a Vacation? Want to Protect Marriage Equality in Maine?

(Also at Stonewall)

If this doesn't inspire you, I don't know what will.



Yes, I know this is Maine. But remember, this can happen anywhere. It happened here in Nevada. It happened in California. It happened in Oregon. It happened in Arizona. It's happened in states all over the place, but now we have a chance to turn the tide in Maine.

If Mainers succeed in protecting marriage equality in their state, it will help turn the tide nationwide. It can set a precedent of voters affirming equal rights. It can give us hope in Nevada to one day replace Question 2 and SB 283 with real, complete civil marriage equality.

But hey, I won't annoy you with any more of my platitudes. I'll let Jesse Connolly, campaign manager for No on 1/Protect Maine Equality, explain why it's important for us to help.

The national movement for marriage equality is at a tipping point-- if we defeat this referendum in Maine, we'll look back on November 2009 as a watershed moment in our history. Be part of this history in the making. Join us for a Volunteer Vacation in Maine.

Volunteer Vacation is simple. During the month leading up to the election, the NO on 1 campaign is hosting a team of highly motivated volunteers to serve as full-time, volunteer campaign staff. Once you arrive in Maine, you will receive a full orientation, be assigned to a team, and be trained on various aspects of the campaign. You will get an intensive, hands-on campaign experience while working with a great team of people from around the country.

Sign up here to learn more about the program and to learn about housing options and travel assistance.

Be part of history. Join us for a Volunteer Vacation in Maine.

Even if you can't do a volunteer vacation yourself, please donate what you can to help someone else make the trip. Just do whatever you can to help your LGBT brothers and sisters under attack in Maine. And in the coming days, I'll let you know about other volunteer opportunities as soon as I find out about them.

Just remember the Maine... Election, that is.

On Cutting Through the Lies

Have you seen the new blatantly false Yes on 1 ad?



Oh OK, that wasn't really it. But seriously, Jackie Beat would have SO MUCH FUN spoofing the real one! Yes, it's really that lame.

But unfortunately, more and more of these blatantly false ads are going on the air thanks to major donations from the religious right. It's become increasingly obvious that the same folks who ran Yes on H8 in California are using the exact same dirty tricks to strip marriage equality away from the people of Maine. And as this becomes clear, we need to realize not to make the same mistakes that led to Prop H8's passage.

We can't just ignore the attacks from the religious right. We can't let them goad us into ridiculous arguments over things have have nothing to do with marriage equality. We can't let them distract and bamboozle the Maine electorate into total confusion just like they did in California.

Simply put, the pro-equality campaign needs to get on the offensive and stay on the offensive. We need to point out what would happen if Yes on 1 succeeds. We need to tell the real stories of real families that will be hurt of Question 1 passes.

State Rep. Emily Cain (D-Orono) did a great job of explaining this in today's Bangor Daily News.

This referendum is about children and families, but I disagree with Rev. [Bob] Emrich's assessment of what is at stake. For Emrich [more about this guy here], gender and sexual orientation determine who will be a good parent. In fact, every reputable children's advocacy organization agrees that love and support are what children need most. As Dr. Daniel Summers of the American Academy of Pediatrics testified at the April hearing in Augusta: It is the quality of parenting that predicts children's psychological and social adjustment, not the parents' sexual orientation or gender. He added that children raised by same-sex couples do not differ in any important respect from those raised by heterosexual parents.

All Maine people love their children. But in his crusade to deny marriage equality to thousands of Mainers, Rev. Emrich completely ignores the rights, responsibilities and protections that marriage automatically bestows on couples and on their children. Do we really want to deny these benefits to any Maine child because his or her parents are a same-sex couple? [...]

There are thousands of loving same-sex couples in Maine who have made commitments to one another, many for decades. Marriage equality honors these commitments and acknowledges them under the law. Without marriage equality, Maine law does not recognize these couples as a legal pair. They cannot file taxes jointly, access health insurance as a family or inherit property when one partner dies without the hardship of crushing taxes.

Contrary to Rev. Emrich's apocalyptic view, marriage equality will make Maine families stronger, extend vital rights and protections to the children of the couples who marry and uphold core Maine values of fairness, equality and personal freedom. Let's not forget Massachusetts. New government statistics show Massachusetts with the lowest divorce rate in the country, down to 2 divorces per 1,000 residents, a drop from 2.2 before 2004 when same-sex couples began marrying. This is down to pre-World War II levels. Obviously, the dire predictions about the downfall of society have not come to pass and thousands of families there are stronger as a result.

Now this is what I'm talking about! And already, the No on 1 campaign is wasting no time getting on the air to tell the truth about marriage equality!





This is what's motivating me to do whatever I can to help protect marriage equality in Maine. I also hope this is inspiring you to join me on my online walk for equality in Maine by donating whatever you can to No on 1. The campaign wants to air additional ads to counter the radical right lies, but they need to have the money in hand by tomorrow to make it happen. We have no time to waste in ensuring No on 1 has the resources necessary to cut through Yes on 1's BS and tell the truth to Maine voters!

Btw, hot off the presses, here's No on 1's new response ad!



So please, please join me in this online walk for equality in Maine by donating whatever you can to make sure No on 1 can stay on the air with ads like these and make the voter contacts needed to turn out the vote in November! Thanks.