10 Steps to Overturn Prop 8
| By User from Elmwood Park, IL - Dec 29th, 2008 at 6:55 pm PST |
Let me preface this by saying that I'm a straight male who was born in Texas and raised in Indiana. While normally I wouldn't define myself by my sexuality or my residency I think it has to be done to give credence to the plan that I hope to outline.
Overturning Prop 8 won't be easy, we are kidding ourselves if we think we can simply walk to the polls in 2010 and have enough voters to overturn it. This is uncharted territory not just for California, or just the United States but it is uncharted for the entire free world. The world is watching. Here are my proposed steps:
1. Let the lawyers do their job. This nation is ripe with intelligent lawyers who see the injustice behind Prop 8. We need to rally and unite them under a common belief and clear goals.
2. Get every member of the GLBT Community involved. No matter how we frame this, the truth is Prop 8 will have the most dire effects on them. This, as with all these steps, needs to go beyond just California.
3. Understand that Step 2 is not enough. The GLBT Community will be the roots but the tree will be formed by Americans at large.
4. Start the conversation. This is a task that even the most fair weather supporter can partake in. In much of America, even the mention of the word "gay" is uncomfortable. There is no way build a structure without the right tools; in this case the structure is the movement against Prop 8 and the right tools will be the correct vocabulary. Simply pushing people to leave their comfort zone on daily conversation will have great results.
5. Put a face to the GLBT Community. During the Civil Rights Movement, Rosa Parks was this face. While her act of defiance by itself may be unremarkable; she created a scenario for every man, woman and child (regardless of race) to step into. I think Courage Campaign is doing a great job of this right now. We need to push it beyond the confines of the website however and bring it into the mainstream media.
6. Begin recruiting centrist to the movement. Right now, there is an army of people who used the internet to help elect Barack Obama to the presidency. These people found online organizing to be fun, rewarding and effective. They are now an army without a war and before we get too far into this we need to get them involved.
7. Donations. The idea of money is often thought of as dirty but it's important for two reasons. First off, movements such as this require real money. While the internet is free, smart minds are not. Secondly, if you contribute to a campaign then you have a vested interest in the outcome. You aren't going to give up as easy and you will stay up-to-date on the issues.
8. Create a massive influence in California without being aggressive. Gay Pride Parades don't generate voters; sadly, it may even lose us votes. We need to eliminate homophobia and if we can relate to each other as humans rather than sexual taboos then we can become transformational.
9. Fight the small fights...and win. When America abolished slavery we attacked at the fringes first. We prohibited the slave trade in Washington DC, while the city itself was small and the active slave trade was even smaller, it was a moral victory. It rallies the base and creates more centrists.
10. Vote. If we don't get every possible voter to the polls then we fail. Every supporter within 100 miles of California needs to drive to California and shuttle voters to the polls. We need to call every household in California (this includes cell phones). We need to send emails to everyone in the US (these are free).
If this was easy, it wouldn't be worthwhile. Lets get out there and do this as Americans, as humans.
Overturning Prop 8 won't be easy, we are kidding ourselves if we think we can simply walk to the polls in 2010 and have enough voters to overturn it. This is uncharted territory not just for California, or just the United States but it is uncharted for the entire free world. The world is watching. Here are my proposed steps:
1. Let the lawyers do their job. This nation is ripe with intelligent lawyers who see the injustice behind Prop 8. We need to rally and unite them under a common belief and clear goals.
2. Get every member of the GLBT Community involved. No matter how we frame this, the truth is Prop 8 will have the most dire effects on them. This, as with all these steps, needs to go beyond just California.
3. Understand that Step 2 is not enough. The GLBT Community will be the roots but the tree will be formed by Americans at large.
4. Start the conversation. This is a task that even the most fair weather supporter can partake in. In much of America, even the mention of the word "gay" is uncomfortable. There is no way build a structure without the right tools; in this case the structure is the movement against Prop 8 and the right tools will be the correct vocabulary. Simply pushing people to leave their comfort zone on daily conversation will have great results.
5. Put a face to the GLBT Community. During the Civil Rights Movement, Rosa Parks was this face. While her act of defiance by itself may be unremarkable; she created a scenario for every man, woman and child (regardless of race) to step into. I think Courage Campaign is doing a great job of this right now. We need to push it beyond the confines of the website however and bring it into the mainstream media.
6. Begin recruiting centrist to the movement. Right now, there is an army of people who used the internet to help elect Barack Obama to the presidency. These people found online organizing to be fun, rewarding and effective. They are now an army without a war and before we get too far into this we need to get them involved.
7. Donations. The idea of money is often thought of as dirty but it's important for two reasons. First off, movements such as this require real money. While the internet is free, smart minds are not. Secondly, if you contribute to a campaign then you have a vested interest in the outcome. You aren't going to give up as easy and you will stay up-to-date on the issues.
8. Create a massive influence in California without being aggressive. Gay Pride Parades don't generate voters; sadly, it may even lose us votes. We need to eliminate homophobia and if we can relate to each other as humans rather than sexual taboos then we can become transformational.
9. Fight the small fights...and win. When America abolished slavery we attacked at the fringes first. We prohibited the slave trade in Washington DC, while the city itself was small and the active slave trade was even smaller, it was a moral victory. It rallies the base and creates more centrists.
10. Vote. If we don't get every possible voter to the polls then we fail. Every supporter within 100 miles of California needs to drive to California and shuttle voters to the polls. We need to call every household in California (this includes cell phones). We need to send emails to everyone in the US (these are free).
If this was easy, it wouldn't be worthwhile. Lets get out there and do this as Americans, as humans.
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