Most of us are now aware of the legal battles and disputes that have occurred and continue to flame the differences between the Gay and Heterosexual Communities since the birth of Prop 8. The religious, secular, and political, communities have voiced their opinions and the legal outcome is yet to be determined by a higher court. California, The United States, and the World awaits the outcome of this legal battle which in many respects has set a precedent and perhaps shined light on some very outdated, prejudiced, bigoted beliefs. With that
said, within the complexity of the issues, lies a blatantly obvious misnomer that has been adopted to define the Gay Community’s fight for marriage equality.

The Gay Community’s stance and feverish fight to have equal legal rights under the definition of “marriage” has been mislabeled “Same Sex Marriage.” This title is being used   Read More »

11 of our amazing Deputy Field Organizers and Equality Team members have come out to Maine, as part of the Volunteer Vacation program to work insane campaign ours until the polls close. They arrived over the weekend and have been put to work for No on 1 all over the greater Portland area.

Mitchell is helping "cut turf" for all of the canvassing over the weekend. Jasmine has been out on the University of Southern Maine campus encouraging students to vote early and volunteer. Laura is fielding phone calls from Maine voters calling the office with questions. Derrick buried in spreadsheets, helping organize staging locations for election day.



The office here has been a buzz of activity, crammed with staff, volunteers and on occasion TV camera crews. The Rachel Maddow show was here yesterday interviewing Governor Baldacci, who previously opposed marriage equality and is now one of its biggest backers. NBC News was also here filming a spot for Sunday.

Yesterday some local TV stations came by to film shots of some No on 1 signs that appear to have been shot up by a paintball gun. The Yes on 1 campaign has been trying to make themselves a victim since some of their signs have been defaced and stolen. These types of shenanigans are typical during a heated election, and usually it's just a couple of numbskulls messing with signs instead of doing something productive like talking to voters.



Here is a few of our Courage Campaign DFOs, Equality Team members and staff holed up in a small windowless room making calls.



Much more to come over the next few days.

No matter where you are you can help bring home a victory to Maine. Sign up now to be a virtual phone banker and we will get you trained and on the phones.

So here's the deal. I created an art piece that uses Yes On 8 propaganda, mixed with pages torn from the Bible and Book of Mormon....and it is now headed to the California State Public Employees convention in Los Angeles to be shown by the Human Rights committee. Every now and then I hear that I am so going to hell for making this piece, but you know, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Some activists walk the neighborhood collecting signatures, others use bumper stickers to express which side of the debate they are on, but I do art. Don't ask why. There are just some things that, when you feel the urge, you gotta do them. Details of the piece and pics can be viewed at http://www.scottterryprojects.com/Prop8.html

In response to the dialogue and actions regarding same sex marriage, I posed the question 'is gay marriage different" to friends that celebrated their first anniversary in August ....Here's their response:

"Nothing - except the partnership and love between two men or two women who have endured the ignorance of society for too long. When we were married here in Canada last August on the 30th anniversary of our meeting, forming our arts/theatre company, and what would have been the 101st anniversary of my dad's birth, some one asked if we felt any different, i could only say, "We walk a little taller'. it gave us the right and responsibility to be whole, to be ourselves openly, to be acknowledged as part of the human race with equal footing, to be legally recognized, to share the same rights of dignity, self-respect that have been so generously established for heterosexual couples for centuries who have just as often and just as long abused their own flesh and blood for being different."

Think carefully. Isn't that what our humanity should be about?

Why do some feel threatened by same-sex marriage? And why chose to live by biblical rules thousands of years old and outdated by customs of an evolving world community? The Bible isn't the only path, yet you are finding isolated quotes that you feel give divine authority to justify your belief. Perhaps you should consider Jesus' request to just love one another....... How do you even think you have the right to deny someone else's happiness, security, and human rights to be just who they are? Why do you choose mean-spirited responses and then say it's the word of God?

When a society prohibits something - voting rights, integration, alcohol - it becomes more of a problem than less so. This has been proved time and time again. To deny love and caring and responsible commitment of others is to deny yourself -- and to set examples that are neither right nor helpful to the development of the community as a whole. There are examples on both sides that are despicable and there are examples that are truly remarkably wonderful. Everything in nature is in balance - only ignorant attitudes have unbalanced our world - morally, educationally, physically, spiritually - ethically.

When there is an opportunity to right a wrong, it always amazes me that people take so long to adjust what they consider to be the status quo for fear of changing something they recognize and with which they feel comfortable - even if it means someone else dies or is brutalized by their injustice. and, oddly enough, change is the only thing that is unchangeable and happens even when we resist it.

Throughout history, homosexual and lesbian life-styles have not only been tolerated in some and destroyed in others, but throughout it all, they have bettered our world with inventions, ideas, art forms, even military solutions. The majority have truly nothing to fear but their own fears which need to be explored and exposed to the harsh light of re-education.

Accepting human nature, human experiences, and human awareness is the true basis of tolerant and even compassionate understanding among peoples and cultures.

So, what makes 'gay' marriage different? Nothing, but the attitudes that surround it, condemn it, defy it, demean it or would never let it be. In a world that is faced with the effects of intense hatred, stupidity, greed, corruption, arrogance, small-mindedness - all in the name of preserving social norms and religious beliefs and political/economic power - why and how can anyone deny anyone the right to love, be loved and share love?

Explain to me how that destroys any form of real marriage, of any kind of true commitment or how that destroys our world, our nation, our society, our cultures.

We affirm our humanity when we acknowledge that of others.....