Gay rights
activist Cleve Jones and Milk screenwriter
Dustin Lance Black have published a manifesto in one of
California's most influential newspapers calling for LGBT
civil disobedience and government intervention
against Proposition 8, the California constitutional
amendment, recently approved by voters, that rescinded
same-sex marriage rights.
In Friday's
edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, Jones
and Black wrote, "It has been thirty years since
Harvey Milk gave his life in our struggle for equality. We
will not wait thirty years more. We demand that the
Federal Government act immediately, decisively and
unequivocally to ensure equal protection under law
throughout the United States of America. We can accept no
compromise."
Jones and Black
urged President-elect Barack Obama, House speaker Nancy
Pelosi, and Senate majority leader Harry Reid to push
legislation that protects LGBT people in areas of hate
crimes, marriage, military service, adoption, Social
Security, taxation, immigration, employment, housing,
and access to health care, social services, and education.
The two men also
called on supporters of gay equality to intensify
protests and civil disobedience beginning November 27
-- the 30th anniversary of Harvey Milk's
assassination -- and climaxing January 20, when
Obama will be inaugurated as president.
Jones and Black
closed their piece with the message, "We can accept no
compromise. We can wait no longer. Now is the time. We are
equal." (Neal Broverman, The Advocate)
