Courage Campaign Sponsors Statewide Gathering to "Meet in the Middle for Equality"
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2009
Courage Campaign Sponsors Statewide Gathering to “Meet in the Middle for Equality”
Anticipating Supreme Court Ruling on Prop 8, Grassroots Activists Plan Statewide Event in Fresno
Event Endorsed by Several Groups and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
LOS ANGELES — As the religious right hires actors to carry its message of fear, the Courage Campaign today announced it will team up with real people in Fresno to officially sponsor “Meet in the Middle for Equality” — a day of dignity planned for the first Saturday after the California Supreme Court rules on the legal challenges to Proposition 8, regardless of the outcome.
“Meet in the Middle is an opportunity to help break down the closet doors that confine too many of our LGBT brothers and sisters across the state,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a longtime supporter of marriage equality. “We are sending a message that civil rights have no borders, that equality is not confined to Los Angeles and San Francisco, and that every Californian — whether you live in Fresno or the Castro — deserves the freedom to marry.”
The goal of Meet in the Middle for Equality is to support the communities of “middle America” in the struggle for marriage and LGBT equality. The Courage Campaign and White Knot for Equality have committed to cover the cost of buses to bring activists and progressive allies from San Diego, Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Francisco to the middle of California, Fresno specifically, for the event. The Courage Campaign is also spearheading a fund drive to challenge other individuals and organizations to tangibly support the value and presence of every voice by providing financial contributions for additional buses.
“No matter how the Court rules, the fight for marriage equality will be won or lost in places like the Central Valley,” said Rick Jacobs, founder and chair of the Courage Campaign, a California-focused online organizing network with more than 700,000 members. “While the right wing sews fear of love and family, we’ll work door to door, neighbor to neighbor, to tell our stories that will change hearts and unite families and communities. That’s how Obama won. That’s how we’ll win. That’s how California will win.”
On March 5, the state’s highest court heard oral arguments on three lawsuits challenging Proposition 8. By June 5, the court will issue its ruling on whether Prop 8 was enacted improperly as a constitutional revision to revoke the right of same-sex couples to marry. The court also will determine if 18,000 same-sex marriages conducted between June and November of 2008 will remain valid.
“We are Californians living, working, loving and raising families in Central California,” said Robin McGehee, lead organizer of Meet in the Middle for Equality and a Fresno-based mother who was forced out of her position as PTO president after speaking out against Proposition 8. “Our purpose for the event is to unite all equality-loving people in California on one day to celebrate the dignity and value of every human being.”
To show their commitment to “Meet in the Middle for Equality” and support the work that has to be done in middle-American areas like the Central Valley, the Courage Campaign and White Knot for Equality announced their support to make this statewide gathering successful.
“Our hope is this commitment will inspire others to step up and help this state and others see that there are progressive leaders, everyday citizens and equality activist that will gather in Fresno during this historic display of support for equality,” added Frank Voci, president and founder of White Knot for Equality, a non-profit organization founded to educate people on the importance of marriage equality. “Millions of Californians have rallied behind our cause, acknowledging their belief that every American should have the right to tie the knot. We challenge all of the LGBT community and our allies from Modoc to San Diego to stand together on this decisive civil rights issue and bring their friends and family to Meet In The Middle.”
According to the Secretary of State’s breakdown of the 2008 general election vote by county, Proposition 8 was defeated in San Francisco by a 3 to 1 margin. However, voters in Fresno County and the rest of the Central Valley approved the measure by nearly the same 3 to 1 margin.
“Communities like Fresno are more reflective of national attitudes toward gay and lesbian issues,” added McGehee, noting the differences between progressive communities on California’s coast and the conservatives of the Central Valley. “Until we put down roots in the Valley and learn to engage the people of our own home towns, we will not gain full equality and conservatives will continue ballot-bashing against us.”
Earlier in March, the Courage Campaign held the second in a series of skills-building training events called “Camp Courage” in Fresno. The intensive two-day training gives grassroots activists the practical, hands-on skills to organize in their communities to restore marriage equality for same-sex couples, should the court fail to overturn Prop 8. “Camp Courage” is a major step toward repealing Proposition 8 and building a permanent progressive majority in California. The Fresno-based Camp Courage fueled the local momentum of “Meet in the Middle,” the brainchild of Fresno activist Robin McGehee. “Our community came together to attend Camp Courage. We learned and exchanged ideas. Everyone instantly “got” the need to Meet in the Middle as the only way to change minds and win equal rights here in California and across the country. If we we win in Fresno, we win everywhere.”
“This is our way of showing equality is about respecting everyone all over this state and country,” continued Jacobs. “Events like Meet in the Middle and Camp Courage are designed to bring communities together through grassroots organizing and one-on-one conversations. Only until we begin to value each voice, do we begin to lay a stronger foundation for a more stable California.”
Meet in the Middle for Equality has been endorsed by several groups including the Human Rights Campaign, White Knot for Equality, HONOR PAC, the Barbara Jordan/Bayard Rustin Coalition and California Common Cause.
More information about Meet in the Middle for Equality can found at:
http://www.meetinthemiddle4equality.com
More information about Camp Courage, including video, pictures and news coverage of the event, can be found at:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/CampCourage
More information about White Knot for Equality, including video, pictures and news coverage of the project, can be found at: