I’ll be liveblogging the Senate hearing 10am-noon Thursday morning ET (Nov. 5) at http://bilerico.com Feel free to come by and join us!
Today I am in mourning for our loss in Maine. But before all the
Monday morning quarterbacking and finger-pointing starts, I just
wanted to thank everyone out there who worked on the No On 1 Campaign,
who walked door to door or phone banked, or who gave money to the
campaign. All that work was not in vain. We lost, but came closer
than we would have without all that work. That is small comfort to
Maine couples who just were told their inviolate inalienable rights
were rejected by their fellow citizens. But it makes a difference in
the long struggle for marriage equality ahead.
Yes, we’ve now lost 31 out of 31 of these marriage elections, and each
loss is heartbreaking. But in the last couple of elections, we saw
the opposition actually forced to change the topic, from marriage
equality, to teaching kids about same sex marriage in schools. And
even with such lies, we saw the vote come close even if, tragically,
short of what we needed. So as I mourn the loss, I take comfort in
seeing how much progress we have made over the last decade with
voters, and knowing that although victory will be harder and more
painful to reach than any of us would prefer, we slowly but surely are
moving towards victory. To quote Dr. King, the arc of the universe is
long, but it bends towards justice.
But for today I will allow myself a day to feel the anger and the
loss, and all the good folks who live in Maine, and the brave folks
who traveled there and gave weeks or months of their lives to help,
will be in my thoughts. Tomorrow, I will again think of the future,
and the victories that lie ahead. Now more than ever we must pass
ENDA and repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell before the 2010 elections, and
then press on until we repeal DOMA, or until we keep a pro-equality
President long enough in the White House for one of the anti-equality
Supreme Court Justices to be replaced so that we can win in the
Supreme Court.
Georg Ketelhohn
Chair, Board of Directors
Organizations United Together
Miami, Florida
Submitted by Tommy News
I am angry. I am mad. I am sad. I am deeply ashamed of all those who
voted for Question One in Maine. Yet I still have hope and I will not
give up the fight for National Equality Across America.
Marriage Equality has now been stripped away from Americans in 31
States, in every single state in which it has been placed on the
ballot. Every single state. It is my strong conviction that Civil
rights matters should never be placed on the ballot, because the
majority votes against the minority. These elections are in clear
violation of the Bill of Rights.
After this newest devastating loss and the passage of Question 1 in
Maine, stripping civil rights away from millions of Americans, we must
take action, join and stand together in solidarity against oppression.
I strongly believe that we need to mobilize immediately and organize
nationwide protests, just like we did after California’s proposition
H8 passed last year.
We can use Join The Impact, Facebook, Twitter, etc. to help organize
these demonstrations of outrage and demands for full Equality.
Many of us marched on Washington for LGBT Equality last month, and it
is time to take to the streets again, this time at home.
I urge you and all activists nationwide to organize protest marches
and vigils across the land. In every State, in Every Congressional
District, in every city, and in every town. Make your plans, make your
signs, bring your whistles, pots, and pans top make some noise.
You can do this on the weekend and on the Veteran’s Day holiday next
Wednesday, November 11th, when you can also protest against the failed
Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy which has ruined thousands of lives and
careers.
Gather at town and city halls across the nation. Stand at busy
intersections and town squares. Join the impact and make change
happen with grassroots activism.
We have achieved Civil Marriage Equality in five states, and we have
45 more to go.
Please protest Question 1, Proposition H8, and inequality wherever it exists.
It is time to build on the National Equality March with grassroots
activism and demand Equality Across America. Please join in this
effort. We can do this, but we need your help.
Protest. Take to the streets. Make your plans today. Contact your elected officials, President Obama, newspapers and media
and express your outrage that civil rights matters are still being
placed on the ballot. www.congress.org
Use the anger! Use the outrage! Use the momentum and take action.
The time is right, The time is NOW!
Please pass this on.
-Tommy News
From Equality California:
Take Action
Loss in Maine – Tell Obama to Act Now!
The failure of President Obama and other elected leaders to actively
support efforts to defeat ballot measures designed to take away our
rights must end. Our community must stand together and stop endorsing
and funding candidates who don’t support our equality 100%. We should
only stand with those who do.
Sign our petition to President Obama and his administration. Urge him
to join the federal legal challenge to Prop 8. Then, ask everyone you
know to do the same. www.eqca.org/enough.
http://www.eqca.org/site/pp.asp?c=kuLRJ9MRKrH&b=4026385
Last night’s loss in Maine for marriage equality was very disappointing, losing by about 5 percentage points, but the ENDA-like non-discrimination ordinance won in Kalamazoo by an amazing 30 percentage points. The Kalamazoo ordinance covers housing and public accommodations, in addition to the workplace, so its win indicates the high receptivity of non-discrimination as an issue. That should give some comfort to our Blue Dog Democrats on ENDA. At the same time, however, the loss of New Jersey and Virginia governorships to the Republicans may raise the specter of a U.S. shift to the right, which will complicate matters.
I’m sorry to say that we have little time to mourn the loss of marriage equality in Maine, because there is a Senate hearing on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act tomorrow morning at 10 am. United ENDA, a group of over 400 LGBT organizations, has sent out an action alert asking that you call your Senators. Click here for their easy email form.
Where is Indiana’s Democratic Senator Evan Bayh on ENDA? We don’t know, since he has kept his position to himself. He’s one of 6 Senators* likely to vote for ENDA, but who hasn’t publicly stated his support. The leadership won’t bring it to a vote unless they know they have 60 votes to overcome the Republican filibuster. Please call and ask him to step up to the plate. Contact info and more after the jump.
Sign up here for a reminder of tomorrow’s Liveblog of the Senate hearing beginning at 10am tomorrow. Since the real fight is in the Senate, and because the vote there is going to be very, very close, you should join us if you want to read the tea leaves on ENDA.
Click here for more info: http://bit.ly/4stDNo
