Box Turtle Bulletin

No Longer Silent: Arizona Clergy Against Prop 102

A large coalition of Phoenix-area clergy called No Longer Silent has released this video urging Christians to vote against Proposition 102, Arizona’s so-called “marriage amendment.”

Bilingual East-LA Newsgroup Encourages a “No” Vote on Proposition 8

Eastern Group Publications is a media outlet that is likely unfamiliar to most Californians. But this newsgroup prints ten local newspapers that reach a demographic that may not see itself represented by the Los Angeles Times or the Daily News. These bilingual weeklies targeted at a mostly Hispanic readership have a combined distribution of well over 100,000:

• Bell Gardens Sun
• City Terrace Comet
• Commerce Comet
• East Los Angeles Brooklyn-Belvedere Comet
• Eastside Sun (Boyle Heights, East LA)
• Mexican American Sun
• Montebello Comet
• Monterey Park Comet
• Northeast Sun (Highland Park, Cypress Park, Glassell Park, Eagle Rock, El Sereno, Lincoln Heights)
• Wyvernwood Chronicle

And while this may not be exactly the editorial I would have crafted, nonetheless I welcome EGP’s position:

Prop 8—Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry. Why is this Proposition on the ballot? Government cannot legislate morality. We believe marriage should mean a man and a woman becoming wedded, but if gays believe they are morally entitled to legally wed, we don’t believe there is anything that will change their minds. The courts have already affirmed this right, so should we.
Vote No

This pragmatic “Who Cares?” approach may well resonate with their readers.

Newspapers Opposing Proposition 8

SD Union-Tribune’s Second Prop 8 Editorial

The San Diego Union-Tribune is not pleased about the content of the Yes on 8 advertisements.

The “Yes on 8” forces have recently waged an offensive but terribly effective war on the airwaves to convince voters that, if they don’t draw the line at gay marriage, before they know it their children will learn about same-sex unions in public school.

How shameful. That is not what this debate is about. Parents have the right to be notified if such a thing is discussed in class, and to remove their children if necessary. The ads don’t mention that.
…
Enough with these petty political games. This is serious business. Let’s shelve the theatrics, and think about what would be best for all Californians. The answer begins with equal rights for everyone and a No vote on Proposition 8.

This is their second editorial opposing the proposition.

Bakersfield Californian says No to Prop 8

Bakersfield, though only a two hour drive from Los Angeles, is worlds apart when it comes to equality and support for members of gay community. In June, Kern Co. Clerk Ann K. Barnett cancelled the performance of all civil marriages rather than allow gay people to avail themselves of the services of the county.

So it is especially sweet that the Bakersfield Californian has come out in strong opposition to Proposition 8:

The bottom line is the California Constitution and ultimately the U.S. Constitution. Both guarantee all people equal protection and equal rights under the law. We must not support any constitutional amendment that would serve to take away fundamental rights. It’s as simple as that.

Californians need to move beyond the divisiveness that Prop. 8 has engendered and embrace tolerance and reconciliation. Live and let live.

We recommend a NO vote on Prop. 8.

Newspapers Opposing Prop 8

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You !!!

We reported to you on October 7 that the No on 8 campaign was worried because they were being outspent, and without our message being heard we were facing frightening poll results.

At that time the Yes on 8 supporters were out-contributing us by 3 to 2.

It seems that our supporters have heard the plea. And the fundraising deficit is beginning to diminish. The Mercury News reports:

After sounding the alarm last week about its $10 million fundraising deficit, Equality California, the lead organization for the No on 8 campaign, has raised more than $3 million within California since Oct. 6.

The No on 8 campaign has also received commitments for an additional $4 million in donations that have not been received, said Kate Kendell, a member of the campaign’s executive committee. “That has been extraordinary, and has certainly we think helped us close the gap on the $10 million they had out-raised us, but we are not the least bit sanguine about this.”

Recent significant pledges and contributions include (Advocate and CA Sec. of State):

• $1,000,000 – California Teachers Association (total $1,250,000)
• $500,000 – Steve Bing
• $120,000 – Tom Bombardier and John Fowler
• $100,000 – T.R. Knight
• $10,000 – Suze Orman
• $10,000 – Larry Basile and Jonathan Crutchley
• $5,000 – Eric McCormack (Will and Grace)
• $5,000 – Dana Delany (Desperate Housewives)

Other contributors have given generously with five and six figure contributions (including a $650,000 contribution that seems to have caught no press). As they have not been publicized, they may be seeking a low profile so I won’t draw attention to their names. But these contributions come from various walks of life, many are heterosexual, many are not extravagantly wealthy. Business have contributed, as have trade groups, political associations, and religious groups.

Thank you to all who have contributed.

All is appreciated and more is needed. Please continue to contribute what you can, not only to No on Proposition 8 but also to efforts to fight against Proposition 102 in Arizona and Amendment 2 in Florida.

In the same time period,

Since Oct. 6, large contributions to ProtectMarriage.com, the lead group supporting Proposition 8, have totaled just $405,969.

Pro-Prop 8 Chinese Ad Equates Same-Sex Marriage to Pedophilia

… and incest and polygamy.

These people running this campaign have no shame whatsoever.

Chico Enterprise-Record Says “No”

You may recall that the Yes on 8 campaign has the endorsement of a sole newspaper, the Paradise Post. And you may know that Paradise is a small neighbor of Chico.

Well, the Chico Enterprise-Record has released their voter recommendations and it seems that the attitude in Butte County is not universally in favor of discrimination.

Proposition 8 would overturn the right of same-sex couples to marry, getting around the pesky little constitutional requirement of equal treatment for all by amending the constitution.

We still fail to understand why this is the government’s business, and the proponents’ arguments just don’t catch much traction with us. How can preventing some people from marrying protect marriage? Wouldn’t banning divorce be better?

The arguments against same-sex marriages seem close to arguments against mixed-race marriages you’d hear back in the ’60s. Hopefully we’ll get beyond all that some day. Vote no on Proposition 8.

Newspapers Opposing Proposition 8

Asian Americans Plan to Vote No on Prop 8

A poll of Asian Americans reveals that they do not favor amending the constitution to enshrine discrimination against gays. (SJ Mercury-News)

The poll found that 57 percent of Asian-Americans likely to vote in the Nov. 4 election oppose Proposition 8, which would reverse last spring’s California Supreme Court ruling that gave gays and lesbians the right to marry. Only 32 percent planned to vote for the measure. Eleven percent were undecided.

The poll (pdf) found the proposed amendment to be out of favor with all subsets of this population.

Across all national origin groups in the survey, more opposed than favored the changing the Constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. An outright majority opposed the measure among Chinese, Filipinos, Koreans, and Vietnamese, and a near majority of Japanese Americans (46%) and Asian Indians (47%) did so as well.

Steve Bing Gives Half a Million

Steve Bing, a producer of such movies as Beowulf and Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, has pledged $500,000 to the campaign to fight against Proposition 8.

Bing is what one might call “notoriously heterosexual”. Let’s hope his giving sets an example for those in the entertainment industry who are gay or who have benefited greatly from gay support.

An Open Letter to Madonna

Dear Madonna,

You are coming to Los Angeles next month as part of your Sticky and Sweet Tour. Several of my friends are going and they’ve asked me to get a ticket as well.

In fact, among some of my friends, being one of your fans is almost an expectation. More than one were teen-age members of your fan club (they’re in their 30’s now) and while only one actively collects memorabilia anymore, the idea of missing a concert of yours is unthinkable.

I’m sure you’ve figured by now that these friends are gay men. After all, Madonna, gay men make up a huge majority of your loyal fans, those who buy every album and keep your name and music relevant.

And I do enjoy your music. I own several CD’s and caught your last concert in Las Vegas. It was a great show and I hear the new one is as well.

But I will not be going.

You see, Madonna, when you make a career out of appealing to a gay audience, when you cultivate your Gay Icon status, and when you make hundreds of millions of dollars in the process, you owe something back. You owe the loyalty to the gay community that they have given you.

And you are not fulfilling that obligation. You have given NOTHING to the fight in California, Arizona, and Florida to protect the rights of the gay citizens of those states. I guess you think that you have better things to do with your money.

So if you are looking for me to drop down a couple hundred bucks to watch you lip-sync, it isn’t going to happen. I too have better things to do with my money. For one thing, I’ll need to pick up the new Fall Out Boy album.

Sincerely,

Timothy Kincaid

p.s. Feel free to pass this message on to Barbara Streisand, Bette Midler, and Cher, all of whom have also given nothing to the cause.

New Editorials Opposing Proposition 8

We have a few additional newspapers who’ve added their editorial voice in opposition to Proposition 8

The Los Angeles Daily News is LA’s smaller and slightly more conservative paper and bases its readership in The Valley and other suburban areas.

The supporters of the ban, which include several faith-based organizations and churches, see this as a movement toward societal acceptance of a group that they don’t think ought to exist. Under the U.S. Constitution, they have a right to think that. But it doesn’t allow them to deny equal rights to anyone.

The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat

It’s time to put this issue to rest.

The court ruled that the state constitution does not tolerate a distinction between unions of opposite-sex couples and those of same-sex couples. And we don’t believe that voters should, as a matter of equity, fairness and decency, go out of their way to rewrite the constitution to create such a distinction.

The Stockton Record

To approve Proposition 8 is to codify discrimination. Californians cannot let that happen.

Newspapers Opposing Proposition 8
Newspaper Endorsing Proposition 8

Conservative Press-Enterprise Opposes Prop 8

The Press-Enterprise is the leading newspaper for the Inland Empire, that section of Southern California which is East of the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. This area is conservative and the Editorial page of the PE often reflects that political slant.

The PE has just released a recap of their voter recommendations and, not surprisingly, their endorsements for Congressional, Assembly, and State Senate seats consist of ten Republicans and one Democrat.

However, they also recommend a “No” vote on Proposition 8.

As the Press Enterprise editorial on September 27 stated,

The court ruling merely made marriage legally available to couples who until now did not have that option. The decision to marry is those couples’ business, and no one else’s. There is no compelling public policy reason to reverse that arrangement, and voters should say no to Prop. 8.

It’s nice to see the message get out that those who favor Republican representatives can also join in this principled stand against an unnecessary and discriminatory effort.

Newspapers

Governor Rell Guessed Wrong

In the wake of the Connecticut Supreme Court’s ruling allowing same-sex couples the same access to marriage as opposite-sex couples, Governor Jodi Rell expressed her disagreement with the ruling. She felt that the state’s Civil Unions legislation was both admirable and adequate.

I disagree with today’s State Supreme Court ruling but as governor, I will uphold it. I continue to believe that marriage is the union of a man and a woman.

I also believe that the historic civil union law that I proudly signed in 2005 is equitable and just. We were the first state to enact such a law through legislative action and not a court mandate.

The Supreme Court has spoken. I do not believe their voice reflects the majority of the people of Connecticut. However, I am also firmly convinced that attempts to reverse this decision – either legislatively or by amending the state Constitution – will not meet with success. I will therefore abide by the ruling.

Well, the first poll has come it and it seems that Governor Rell misjudged the majority of the people of Connecticut. (Hartford Courant)

Fifty-three percent of Connecticut residents support Friday’s historic ruling by the state Supreme Court that legalizes gay marriage, while 42 percent of residents polled said they do not.

Pepperdine Statement on “Yes On 8” Television Ads

“George Pepperdine” — I don’t know if that’s his real name or if it’s a pseudonym in honor of Pepperdine University’s founder — left a statement from Pepperdine University in our comments section. This statement by Pepperdine University president Andrew K. Benton addresses the recent controversy over the “Yes on 8” television ads which prominently displays Pepperdine’s name.

M E M O R A N D U M

TO: University Faculty

FROM: Andrew K. Benton

RE: University Neutrality and Academic Freedom

DATE: October 14, 2008

I want to provide an update on an issue that weighs heavily on many of our minds: encouraging academic freedom while refraining from political endorsement by Pepperdine University. As most are aware, Yes on 8 ads airing on television and radio feature one of our professors. The Pepperdine name is prominently displayed in the current round of ads and many vocal supporters and opponents of Prop 8 see the opinions expressed as not only the professor’s, but Pepperdine’s as well.

Many of our professors write op-eds, books and give speeches; and they are appropriately identified with Pepperdine University. My first reaction to this series of television ads was that Pepperdine was too prominent. Many on the faculty disagreed, some agreed strongly. At the faculty conference I learned that a disclaimer would satisfy the professor and others who were involved. We offered language that was simple and clear, and while we knew the firestorm would continue in some quarters, we felt a straightforward disclaimer would allow the professor his right to speak and our right to remain outside any role of endorsement in the political fray. The next day, I learned that the professor and those promoting Proposition 8 preferred to withdraw Pepperdine’s name completely. We agreed. It was a change from a position announced just the day before, but it seemed a stronger measure and appropriate.

Just prior to running a second ad, the campaign announced to us that in their opinion it would be more effective if Pepperdine’s name was back in. They added a disclaimer, albeit so small and bare, that most do not see it. It was not the language which we had suggested. They did not ask us; they told us what they were going to do, and they did it.

Without any involvement in the campaign, Pepperdine has been lionized and vilified. We have been given credit where it is not due and blamed beyond anyone’s wildest imaginings. I, and perhaps many of you, continue to receive words of praise and condemnation from people who are either thanking us, or sharply criticizing us. Whether the writers are for or against Prop 8, I take no comfort from either position as it puts us where we don’t belong — in partisan politics.

This is a very challenging situation. We believe that the right to freedom of expression must be balanced with the fact that universities cannot endorse political candidates and propositions. We can host debates, we can educate, but we can’t endorse.

We regret when anyone supposes that we are inappropriately involved in a political issue when we are not. We will take whatever measures we deem appropriate to correct the misunderstanding. I will be writing to alumni and donors to explain the delicate nature of the balance we strike. We must not chill the right to free expression, but we must also avoid the appearance (intended or not) of political partisanship.

You can be of service to our institution by helping us clear up this confusion with those who may ask. I appreciate your understanding, your assistance and your patience.

Villaraigosa Supports Marriage

PolitickerCA is reporting that LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is increasing his effort to oppose anti-marriage initiative Proposition 8.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa jumped fully into the Prop. 8 fray Monday, sending out a statewide message via the Courage Campaign, a grass- and netroots activist organization, urging people to defeat the measure.

The popular Democratic mayor, who is thought to be actively considering a run for governor in 2010, also announced he was personally donating $25,000 to the effort directed at getting voters to reject the initiative that would permanently codify marriage in the California Constitution as being strictly between a man and a woman.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor for representing me and my fellow Angelinos in our efforts to retain our equality.