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05/17/08-05/19/08

After the Ruling, Attention Turns to Antigay Ballot Initiative

Less than eight hours after the California supreme court ruled 4–3 Thursday that gay men and lesbians are entitled to marry, the Equality for All campaign, aimed at defeating a likely ballot initiative that would amend the state's constitution to ban same-sex marriage, had already received tens of thousands of dollars in donations, according to Lorri Jean, CEO of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center and president of the campaign.

But that's far from the $20 million she estimates the campaign will need to defeat the measure if it goes before voters in November. "We're not starting at zero, but we have the vast majority of the $20 million to raise," Jean told The Advocate. The campaign raised close to $1 million earlier this year to fund its Decline to Sign effort to dissuade Californians from signing the ballot petition, she says, and she estimates that cash on hand is in the ballpark of several hundred thousand dollars.

The campaign and its allies will be facing well-financed foes in the Family Research Council and VoteYesMarriage.com, the two groups spearheading the ballot initiative. They say they raised $2 million to subsidize the signature drive alone, which they claim yielded more than 1.1 million signatures -- well above the 763,790 required to put the measure on the ballot. The California secretary of state is expected to do that formally by the end of June, barring any unexpected signature forgeries and the like. In post-ruling statements, both Family Research Council and VoteYesMarriage.com said they planned to raise at least $10 million to ensure the initiative passes.

"We will need to match them dollar for dollar," said Geoffrey Kors, executive director of Equality California.

According to Kors and Jean, the fight will be waged primarily with television and radio advertising, which will present personal stories of gay and lesbian Californians. "The more people understand that this is about families and loving couples -- not about some sort of obscure, esoteric law -- and the more we put this personal face on it, the more we get people to take a moment to think about it and to have some empathy," said Kors. "Even the ruling talks about how this is about people, not the law."

Of course, as inspiring as the ruling Thursday is, Jean concedes it's a bit double-edged. On the one hand, she says, "it's causing people to rally around a right they now have and can lose, as opposed to something abstract." On the other hand, the ruling might just "fire up some of the more extreme members of our state." If the ballot initiative wins, the consequences will be grave. To have the right to marry and then have it taken away, said Jean, "could stall efforts for equality for generations."

To donate, visit equalityforall.com. (William Henderson, The Advocate) 

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

  • Name: Ron K
    Date posted: 2008-05-20 9:18 AM
    Hometown: Clifton, NJ

    Comment:

    I disagree with Brian from Chicago because, as Rabbi Michael Lerner said a long time ago, [NY Daily News, June 8th, 2006] ‘…marriage ought to be taken out of the state's hands entirely. Let people be wed in the private realm with no official legal sanction. Then, religious communities that oppose gay marriage will not sanction them, and those like mine that sanction the practice will conduct it. Rather than issuing marriage certificates or divorces, the state would simply enforce civil unions as contracts between consenting adults and enforce laws imposing obligations on people who bring children into the world.’ As long as we continue to seek 'marriage' rights, state constitutional amendments making marriage unions between only men and women will continue to stand good chances of succeeding because you are encroaching on peoples religious beliefs. This should be a matter of law - especially the tax laws - not religion.


  • Name: j
    Date posted: 2008-05-19 11:47 AM
    Hometown: Boston

    Comment:

    I hope the LGBT community in California is ready for a hard campaign. We fought off similar measures in Massachusetts, but it's not easy. It takes not only money, but extensive voter contact and education. In a high turnout election which is likely in November, you need to make sure that pro-equality people remember to vote against this initiative. Many people tend to skip ballot initiatives when they vote for president, so focusing your efforts on voter identification and education should be enough to defeat this initiative. Good luck California!


  • Name: Brian Summers
    Date posted: 2008-05-16 6:25 PM
    Hometown: Chicago

    Comment:

    Here's something to consider that I'm sure a whole lot of you will agree on. The anti-gay right is only upset over yesterday's favorable ruling because their "right" to oppress and discriminate against other people has been justifiably taken away from them. They don't have a credible leg to stand on anymore, they know this plain as day, and they're bitter! Too bad, I say. Society ALWAYS progresses.


  • Name: Frank Erdman
    Date posted: 2008-05-16 5:49 PM
    Hometown: Austin, Texas

    Comment:

    Gov. Schwarzenegger told the Log Cabin Republicans regarding this latest initiative of ignorance: "I will always be there to fight against that." So if the Terminator be for us, who can be against us? :-) (and no, that's not being sarcastic, I really feel the Governor's opposition to this "waste of time" amendment will end any chance it ever had, a proof I think of the value of bi-partisan cooperation)


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