Equality Summit 2009

Equality California recently held its Equality Summit 09. There are four videos of the summit, the first of which I post below. The LGBT community's appeal to Providence, as shown in this first video, is...well...confusing.

Prop 8 Amicus Briefs

By my count, there were approximately 41 amicus briefs filed in support of overturning Proposition 8 and 15 amicus brief filed in support of upholding Proposition 8.

It's amazing how much more support bad policy gets in the courts than in the ballot box.

Prop 8 Foes Getting More Organized

Anti-Family forces are combining and organizing and will continue the fight until they get what they want. Let's make sure that we fight just as hard the whole time.

The "marriage equality" training talked about in the article will become part of every Californian's life when SSM finally comes to California. We will all be required to take sensitivity training in the workplace, schools, etc., so that we can better "understand" SSM.

Determined to avoid the mistakes of their last, losing campaign for gay marriage, gay rights activists are launching the first of what they hope will be many “marriage equality training camps” in Los Angeles this weekend.

The idea is to train activists in “the practical, hands-on skills to organize in their communities to restore marriage equality for same-sex couples to California.”

More here.

Google Fails to Practice What It Preaches

I thought Google's motto was "Don't Be Evil"?

Google has filed an amicus brief in several legal challenges to Proposition 8, which make gay marriage illegal in California.

The company argues that it has many gay, lesbian and bi-sexual employees and many come to work for the company because they can get married in California. If those marriages are annulled then the company says it would lose key talent and be placed at a competitive disadvantage.

“In the wake of the election many were concerned with the impact Proposition 8 could have on the personal lives of people they work with every day, and on California's ability to attract and retain a diverse mix of employees from around the world,” said the company on its blog.

More here.

Good is Evil and Evil is Good

Is it 1984? It must be since Newspeak has officially replaced the English language. Words like "morality," "tolerance," "good," and "evil" mean exactly the opposite of their definitions. So it is with this unbiased (sarcasm) report released by the American Psychological Association which details the negative effects that Proposition 8 has had on society as a whole. As reported by the anti-family Edge:

"In its Introduction, the report noted that, according to the APA’s three studies, released earlier this month, residents of states where voters have approved anti-gay ballot initiatives have suffered elevated stress as 'a direct result of the negative images and messaged associated with the ballot campaign and the passage of the amendment.'

"Study respondents also disclosed that they were /alienated from their community, fearful they would lose their children, and concerned they would become victims of anti-gay violence."

Where is the study from the APA detailing the effect of the actual (as opposed to the No Crowd's speculative "fears") violence and alienation from the community that those who supported Proposition 8 have experienced? Where's the report detailing the effect of the No Crowd's intolerance for religion?

The propaganda never stops, but luckily many of us can see right through it. I'm sure this is only the first of many reports which will be released to convince everybody of the benefits that gay "families" will have on society.

Add Pepsi to the Corporate Sponsors of the Destruction of Moral Society

For some reason multi-national corporations are drawn toward assisting in bringing about the demise of the principles on which the West was built. Add to that list Pepsi. I wonder if they will next add an ingredient to their soda that makes people more "tolerant" of homosexuality.

Read about it here.

Suit to Stop Harassment of Yes on 8 Supporters

The No Crowd will probably argue that this violates their "right" to persecute and harass people who think differently than they. I mean why not? As long as they're inventing rights...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Alliance Defense Fund allied attorneys together with ADF attorneys filed a lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of ProtectMarriage.com and the National Organization for Marriage California to prevent harassment of citizens who gave as little as $100 to support Proposition 8. The lawsuit documents incidents of harassment and retaliation by opponents who have targeted Proposition 8 supporters after their identities and employers were made public by the state as required by California campaign finance law.

“Putting the names and employers of the people who supported Proposition 8 on the Internet for anyone to see has caused serious problems. No one should worry about getting a death threat because of the way he or she votes,” said James Bopp, Jr., lead attorney for the supporters of Proposition 8. “This lawsuit will protect the right of all people to help support causes they agree with, without having to worry about harassment or threats.”

In November, over 7 million Californians approved Proposition 8. Under a California law, people who gave money to support Proposition 8 had their names, employers, and other personal information listed on the Web site of the Secretary of State of California.

After Proposition 8 passed, people who did not support Proposition 8 used the list of names to go after people who supported Proposition 8. Some people who supported Proposition 8 had their homes and churches vandalized, were forced to resign their jobs, and were even threatened with violence and death. To stop this harassment and these threats, this lawsuit asks the court to stop the release of the names and personal information of people who gave money to support Proposition 8.

“Our laws should ensure free participation in the democratic process, and not result in compromising the free speech and association rights of guaranteed to all Americans,” said ADF Legal Counsel Tim Chandler, who is serving as local counsel in the case. “Citizens shouldn’t have to choose between being involved in the democratic process and subjecting themselves to acts of vengeance.”

The lawsuit challenges parts of California’s campaign finance laws that require people who donate as little as $100 to have personal information revealed on the Internet as unconstitutional violations of free speech. The lawsuit also challenges parts of the campaign finance laws that require reporting of donations after a proposition has been voted on as unconstitutional.

Yes on Proposition 8 Campaign Files Response to Jerry Brown

Yesterday, the official campaign for Proposition 8 filed its response to the California Attorney General's theory that even though Proposition 8 is a valid constitutional amendment enacted by a majority of Californians it is nonetheless invalid because it violates inalienable rights.

The Prop 8 Campaign responded that the highest authority in determining what will be part of the California Constitution is the people, and the judiciary must so defer. Read it here.