Will Arizona Be Abandoned?
Barbara McCullough-Jones
July 29th, 2008
This is a question I am asked nearly everyday from folks in Arizona and from folks around the country. They ask questions like how much support came from outside Arizona in 2006? Will anyone outside of Arizona give money this time to defeat Prop 102? Will anyone inside Arizona give money? How do you feel about so much money going to California? What about Florida? Can Arizona win this one too? Do you feel abandoned by those supporting California especially but also Florida since Arizona is the only state in the nation to defeat an anti-marriage amendment?
There is no easy answer to any of those questions. Frankly, I’m not sure there is value in even trying to come up with an answer. I do believe however, the real value lies in the fact that we are even having this discussion. Internal and external to Arizona.
In an odd way it shows people care. They care enough about Arizona’s contribution to the movement to worry whether we might be slighted financially in this campaign season. They care enough about our statewide LGBT infrastructure to be concerned we are not damaged in the process – at least hopeful that we might escape long term or irreparable damage.
Instead of answering those questions with only the “what’s in front of us” view, I prefer to answer from a 30,000 foot perspective. That means we have to look at our work as a marathon and not a sprint. It means we cannot be angry or feel slighted by donors who, from their own perspective, believe their need and desire to participate in the movement, to make a difference, is best served by giving to a campaign that in their opinion would provide the greatest impact to achieving equality – to meeting their personal political goals. Because we all come from different backgrounds, different economies, different cultural experiences, no one has any right to pass judgment on another for the decisions we make in political giving. Sometimes those decisions are very personal, sometimes they are just hard core strategic moves and sometimes they are the simplicity of altruism.
The higher ground at 30,000 feet allows us to let wash beneath our feet the hardness created by politics – in a way it is cleansing. Don’t think for a minute though that coming down from the high ground to do the work is easy. But we have to have a place to land. Something you can touch, hear and believe in. For me that place is community – it is the work. It is the very place where we interact with one another on a very human and hopefully humanitarian level. It is that place that sometimes stinks, sometimes is so loud with opposing voices you can’t hear yourself think and on occasion calls into question our belief in that very humanity we seek to be a part of.
Over the past several weeks in particular we have been fighting a battle that stems from the worst display of disintegration of democracy I have ever witnessed. We are fighting with every tool at our disposal to call out those who would seek to limit the fullness of our lives in order to advance their own.
Amidst our ongoing Senate debacle we have organized and are executing our 2008 elections strategy; we have organized a Statewide Coordinated Campaign to defeat Prop 102; and we continue to build the capacity of Equality Arizona – design and deliver programs that change hearts and minds while also managing a hard-hitting public affairs agenda to change public policy.
We need a win in California. We need a win in Florida. We need a win in Arizona. That very trifecta has the potential to change the face of American politics. Just for clarification, “trifecta” as a slang term is used to describe any successful or favorable phenomenon or characteristic that comes in threes (according to Wikipedia). That’s what our national agenda should be about.
There is often much angst about coastal states dictating what happens to the rest of the country but today, we need to support our coasts! And yes, tucked into the Southwest – in a place in mid-August where you’re sure you’re already doing time in purgatory – we WILL continue to do our part to advance equality – to contribute to the greater good of our great state and our nation.
Do we want and need your contributions? Yes! Not at the exclusion of California or Florida but in addition too. Just do it. Don’t hesitate, don’t even blink. Just write the checks…address one to California, one to Florida and one to Arizona and sign them simply…from one who cares.
Barbara McCullough-Jones is the Executive Director of Equality Arizona. You can support Arizona’s efforts at the Vote No On Prop 102 website.
For related information, see Advocacy, Marriage
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News, analysis and fact-checking of anti-gay rhetoric


The FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.
Eric
July 29th, 2008 | LINK
I’m unsure; what is the best organization to donate to if I want to know that my money is going to go to the marriage issue in Florida, Arizona, and California?
Timothy Kincaid
July 29th, 2008 | LINK
Eric,
To be certain, I’d donate to each of
Equality California
Equality Arizona
Florida – Fairness for all Families
Jason Cianciotto
July 29th, 2008 | LINK
Eric,
If you want to support the campaign in Arizona, you can donate online at http://www.votenoprop102.com
Eric
July 29th, 2008 | LINK
Danke schone, all. =)
larry
July 30th, 2008 | LINK
I will donate to help in AZ.
Ephilei
July 30th, 2008 | LINK
to Ms Mcullough-Jones
I fully support legalizing same-sex marriage and I want to inform you why I won’t support Equality AZ in this regard:
* I don’t live in AZ and am uncomfortable that a state decision is influenced by out of state forces. In my home state of IL, I am working for civil unions and eventually same-sex marriage and will direct my funds there.
* I don’t understand the difference between AZ same-sex marriages being outlawed in its legislature vs its constitution. I hear one is harder to change, but I’m unsure about that and CA didn’t seem to deal with an amendment just fine. I could be wrong here, so I’m open to hearing more information.
Ephilei
July 30th, 2008 | LINK
oops, I meant “CA did seem to deal”
Timothy Kincaid
July 30th, 2008 | LINK
Ephilei,
You appear to be mistaken in your facts. California did not “deal with an amendment” just fine.
I believe you are thinking of Proposition 22, a revision to California civil code that banned the state from recognizing same-sex marriages. Prop 22 did not amend the Constitution, just the code.
And it was because of this that the state Supreme Court found that Prop 22 – and other current civil code restrictions that disallowed marriage equality – were in violation of the equal protections clauses of the state constitution.
In California, anti-gays are seeking to change the constitution via Proposition 8. This would reverse the “dealing with” of the court.
A legislative ban on marriage is QUITE different from a constitutional ban. A constitutional ban can only be reversed by a vote of the citizens via referrendum. A legislative ban can be reveresed at any time by a vote of legislators or by a determination of the court that a state constitution requires equal treatment under the law.
Protect Marriage Equality » Will Arizona Be Abandoned?
July 31st, 2008 | LINK
[...] the entire essay by Barbara McCullough-Jones at Box Turtle Bulletin. posted by Equality Blogger at 12:55 am filed under Campaigns, Initiatives & Elections, [...]
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