100,308 sign "Repeal Prop 8" pledge to build new Marriage Equality Movement
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2008
Courage Campaign Issues Committee and CREDO Mobile Lead Massive Pledge Campaign to Repeal Prop 8
100,308 sign “Repeal Prop 8” pledge to build new Marriage Equality Movement
LOS ANGELES, CA – The Courage Campaign Issues Committee and CREDO Mobile today announced that, together, both organizations had gathered over 100,000 pledges from people committed to repealing Proposition 8 and restoring marriage equality to California.
“The birth of a new Marriage Equality Movement – the civil rights movement of the 21st Century – is unfolding before our eyes,” said Rick Jacobs, found and chair of the Courage Campaign, an online organizing network with more than 150,000 members. “What we are witnessing on the streets and online is a community of people who have come together to say: ‘These are our lives. This is our time. This is unacceptable.’”
Since its passage on November 4, several spontaneous, peaceful protest marches have taken place throughout California and the country. Many of these protests were organized from the bottom-up by Californians who have never been involved in politics before, using online tools. Zach Shepard and Geoffrey Murry helped spark Wednesday and Thursday night’s marches in Los Angeles, activating their social networks via email and Facebook. These two young lawyers had never led a protest in their lives, but they decided to take matters into their own hands, along with thousands of other concerned citizens shocked at the passage of Proposition 8.
“This people-powered phenomenon is growing exponentially, online and offline. For our efforts to be effective, we must be organized,” added Jacobs. “This is our moment to stand strong together – gay and straight – and say we refuse to accept a California where discrimination is enshrined in our state constitution.”
As of Wednesday, November 12, at 9:42 a.m., 100,308 people had signed the pledge to repeal Prop 8. The pledge — and the frequently updated total number of signers — can be found on the following page:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/RepealProp8
The Courage Campaign Issues Committee has taken a lead role in the fight against Proposition 8. Before the election, the group delivered a petition signed by 17,345 Californians urging Church of Latter-day Saints President Thomas Monson to cease funding the campaign for Proposition 8.
The Courage Campaign Issues Committee also released a hard-hitting ad that aired on Election Day that directly challenged the role of the Mormon Church on Proposition 8 and resulted in the Church issuing a public statement for the first time on its role in raising over $20 million to support the “Yes on 8” campaign.
The controversial ad — “No on Prop 8: Home Invasion” — can be viewed here along with video of the Courage Campaign’s petition delivery to the Church of Latter-day Saints headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/NoOn8videos
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