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TO: GLBT Community, Activists, Friends and
Allies
FROM: Sid Voorrakkara, Interim Campaign Manager
RE: California Equality For All Campaign
DATE: July 25, 2005
I am the Equality For All interim campaign manager working
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 deny marriage
protections to same-sex couples and repeal the existing rights,
protections and responsibilities currently available to legally
recognized domestic partners in California. The impact of
this amendment would be devastating for all California families
and strip same-sex couples of the protections currently available
through one of the most comprehensive domestic partnership
laws in the nation.
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! Californians believe discrimination
is wrong. The proponents of this measure are out of touch
with California values and our campaign will make that clear.
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, Lambda Legal, 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 manager 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.
Over 50,000 supporters of marriage equality have been already
been identified and 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 recognized
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 www.equalityforallca.org. This
website will be live, Tuesday, July 26, 2005.
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
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