Equality for All Denounces Mean-Spirited Ballot Initiative to Enshrine Discrimination

Today, the California Attorney General's Office released the title and summary for the first of three ballot measured intended to eliminate domestic partnership rights and prevent same-sex couples from being able to marry in California. The initiative supporters can now begin collecting signatures to have this placed on the 2006 ballot. (Click Here to Read the Title and Summary)
Equality California, and our more than 40 chapters across California, have been working for more than 2 years in anticipation of this type of assault by educating their communities and identifying voters who support equality. We have identified hundreds of thousands of Californians who support equality and have built a statewide coalition of LGBT and non-LGBT organizations who are standing together to fight this attack on our rights.

Below is a message from the Interim Campaign Manager to the community and a copy of the press release sent today about the title and summary language.

Thank you,
Steve Hansen

Dear Community,

Many of you don’t know me, but I have been hired by the Equality For All campaign to manage on an interim basis the campaign to defeat a constitutional amendment banning marriage for same-sex couples in California. Earlier today the California Attorney General approved the petition language that anti-gay groups can now circulate for gathering the nearly 1 million signatures they need to qualify such an amendment for the ballot in 2006.

This constitutional amendment would permanently ban marriage for same-sex couples and repeal the existing rights, protections and responsibilities currently available to legally recognize domestic partners in California. The impact of this amendment would be devastating for all California families.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that our campaign to defeat this measure is off to a strong start and is better organized than many other campaigns I have been a part of this far from Election Day!

Just to give you a couple of highlights:

* The Campaign Committee consists of representatives from an unprecedented number of state and national organizations, including Equality California, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center San Francisco LGBT Community Center, San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, the ACLU, Bienestar, National Center for Lesbian Rights, the Human Rights Campaign, the Task Force, Log Cabin Republicans, Stonewall Democrats, the Black AIDS Institute and PFLAG, to name a few.
* The campaign committee is on target to hire a permanent campaign consultant and manger by the end of August.
* The finance committee is already raising money and the Human Rights Campaign and the Task Force kicked off the fundraising effort by contributing $100,000 each. That kind of early money is essential to getting the campaign off to a good start.

The campaign committee will include a cross-section of LGBT and allied organizations representing California’s ethnic, racial, faith-based and geographical diversity. The committee already includes individuals and organizations with decades of campaign expertise. These individuals are leading subcommittees of the campaign committee who are immersed everyday in field, research, messaging and fundraising work.

Our field committee is in place to coordinate the ongoing field and grassroots activity currently being carried out across the state. Over 50,000 supporters of marriage equality have been identified through these ongoing efforts. In addition, the campaign has access to a list of 500,000+ members of LGBT and allied organizations that are likely supporters of our campaign.

Before even one signature has been collected by the other side, our campaign has as solid a foundation to defeat any of the ballot measures that would permanently ban marriage for same-sex couples and repeal the existing rights, protections and responsibilities currently available to legally recognize domestic partners in California.

But we need your help to defeat the anti-gay crusaders who are once again attacking us in California. Our campaign website is currently being built, but it is set up to receive contributions and volunteers. We need your time and money to win. Please make a contribution or sign up to volunteer at the temporary Equality For All Website . Within the next 24 hours, the permanent website http://www.equalityforallca.org will be up and running.

In the weeks and months ahead you will be hearing a great deal from us. We will share new developments and ask for your help. Stay tuned.

With Best Wishes,

Sid Voorakkara
Interim Campaign Manager
Equality For All Campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 25, 2005

EQUALITY CALIFORNIA AND EQUALITY FOR ALL DENOUNCE MEAN-SPIRITED BALLOT INITIATIVE TO ENSHRINE DISCRIMINATION IN THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION

Measure Would Repeal and Permanently Ban Existing Safety Net for Legally Recognized Domestic Partners

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – An unprecedented coalition of diverse organizations today denounced a proposed constitutional amendment that would repeal the existing safety net for legally recognized domestic partners and permanently ban marriage protections for same-sex couples. The announcement comes in response to the California Attorney General’s authorization for sponsors of the measure to begin collecting signatures to qualify it for the ballot it for 2006. (Click Here to Read the Title and Summary)

"This extreme measure is nothing short of a nuclear weapon being launched at lesbian and gay Californians," said Geoffrey Kors, Executive Director of Equality California, California's LGBT Advocacy Organization. "It would totally wipe out all existing legal protections for legally recognized domestic partners and their children, leaving families vulnerable and placing children at risk. Equality California has been the lead organization working to obtain these legal protections for California, and we will continue working with our coalition partners to make sure that these rights, supported by both Democratic and Republican Governors, are not repealed," Kors added.

Equality California, and our more than 40 chapters across California, have been working for more than 2 years in anticipation of this type of assault by educating their communities and identifying voters who support equality. We have identified hundreds of thousands of Californians who support equality and have built a statewide coalition of LGBT and non-LGBT organizations who are standing together to fight this attack on our rights.

“The impact of this amendment would be devastating to hundreds of thousands of California families by taking away nearly all the responsibilities and protections currently afforded to legally recognized domestic partners,” said Sid Voorakkara, interim campaign manager, Equality for All. “Californians have a long history of rejecting discrimination and we are confident they will reject this attempt to single out one group of Californians for permanent second class status.”

Later this week, the Attorney General is expected to announce that two other measures with similar language may be placed in circulation for signature gathering. Any one of the measures, if passed, would deny California couples the ability to make medical, financial, and funeral decisions for themselves and their families. All three amendments would require a tax increase on property jointly owned by unmarried same-sex and senior citizen couples, upon the death of either partner.

In Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, and Utah, which passed similar constitutional amendments last November, the amendments have already been used as justification for denying domestic partner benefits, weakening domestic violence laws as they apply to unmarried couples and revoking custody agreements between same-sex couples.

“We have seen the effects of similar amendments passed in other states last year and their impact is real and immediate, not only to same-sex couples, but to thousands of other unmarried couples, ” continued Voorakkara. “The organizations behind this initiative have a long history of pushing an anti-gay agenda and they will run a campaign of lies and deceit to win.”

The Equality for All campaign launched in May 2005 to defeat any proposed ballot initiative that would amend California’s constitution to permanently deny marriage protections for same-sex couples and eliminate the rights, protections and responsibilities afforded to legally recognized domestic partners.