As you may know, California’s constitutional right to marriage is under attack by the usual suspects in the form of a ballot initiative (called Proposition 8).  You may – like I did, until recently – think that it was a stunt that faced little chance of success.  That, unfortunately, isn’t true. Big money has come from religious organizations (Mormon church, Knights of Columbus, etc.) and the latest polls have opinion standing 47-42 in favor of banning marriage equality in California.
California ballot initiatives are largely advertising campaign contests, which require an enormous amount of money in those media markets. The money gap between both sides is substantial (perhaps because so many of us took Prop 8’s defeat for granted). According to a recent email from MassEquality, “the anti-gay right has raised $25.4 million – that’s 10 million dollars more than our side.” This has never been – and will not be – a place where I regularly promote donations. But I’m hoping you’ll consider supporting the Vote No On Prop 8 efforts with a contribution of as little as $5 or with your time phone banking (you can do that from your own home – no need to be in California). You can learn more about the campaign here.
So many campaigns that we already pour our time and money into can often feel as if they won’t make a much of a difference. But this is important. It’s an essential step to preserving one of the biggest steps forward in the pursuit of a more just and decent society.  Please help.