The Brethren [the top echelon of Mormon leadership] have felt that the best way to organize and pass the Proposition is to have an Ecclesiastical arm and a Grassroots arm to the organization ... The senior folks who run the grassroots are LDS at the coalition and are headed by Glen Greener and Gary Lawrence.
Here's Gary, back in August, firing up his Mormon brigades ...
If same-sex marriage advocates [win], the whole structure collapses - the family, the nation, and in time civilization itself. The time has come for those of us who believe that God, not man, created marriage ... to take a stand and defend it.
(Gary's astounding post-victory TV interview after the break)
Matthew Lawrence, 28, of Santa Ana, California is just one of approximately 500 people who have contacted Signing for Something ( http://www.signingforsomething... )in the last few days to announce his resignation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because of the Mormon Church's handling of and involvement in the gay marriage issue. Matthew is gay and is the son of Gary Lawrence, 67, who is the "State LDS Grassroots Director" for the state of California. (See http://yesonprop8.blogspot.com... ).
Matthew Lawrence, in an e-mail interview with this diarist, said that although he is "extremely upset and frustrated" with his family and that he has "cut off communication with them," that "at the end of the day, I do love them." The elder Lawrence was also the Mormon Church's point man for the Prop 22 campaign in 2000. Matt says, "I love my family so much, but it's hard to not take this personally. We had a brief falling-out over Prop. 22, but that got mended. But two anti-gay initiatives in eight years, it's impossible not to feel attacked."
The numerous issues inside the No on 8 campaign, and their disappointing mismanagement, has finally bubbled up into the traditional media (we were talking about it a week ago). The SacBee writes about the trouble at the top:
Key staff members - including the campaign manager - were replaced in the final weeks as polls turned dramatically against the No side. Their replacements say they found an effort that was too timid, slow to react, without a radio campaign or a strategy to reach out to African Americans, a group that ultimately supported the measure by more than 2 to 1.
Gay marriage supporters are looking to the courts to overturn the decision. But if another political campaign is waged, said Dennis Mangers, co-chairman of the No on 8 Northern California Committee, "we'll have to do better."
No on 8 campaign manager Steve Smith was shoved aside three weeks before Election Day, after he was slow to counter TV ads in which the measure's supporters claimed that same-sex marriage would be promoted in schools if the measure failed.
And Smith was replaced by a committee - half the consultant class in Sacramento went through the revolving door of that campaign. And they set about to answer unchallenged ads from the Yes campaign and get on radio. But the message remained somewhat timid, and the campaign didn't put much effort into minority outreach or field operations. Late volunteers were told to go out on a street corner and wave signs.
What's remarkable is that the best activism and creativity I've seen from the LGBT community in years has come in the immediate AFTERMATH of this vote. The talent was out there, but wasn't channeled during the campaign. Activists are using wiki-based technology to set up a national day of action on November 15 called The Impact. A comedy troup in LA used the Yes campaign's own words to "advocate" for prohibiting divorce. And Utah lawmakers are turning the tables on the Mormon church by using their alleged tolerance to make major advances for gay rights in the Beehive State:
Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have said they do not object to rights for same-sex couples, as long as those rights do not infringe on the integrity of the traditional family.
Now, gay-rights activists and at least five Utah legislators are asking the Church to demonstrate its conviction.
The group Equality Utah says the Church made the invitation, and they're accepting it. "The LDS Church says it does not oppose same-sex couples receiving such rights as hospitalization and medical care, fair housing rights or probate rights," said Mike Thompson, executive director of Equality Utah.
These actions are useful to the future of marriage equality nationwide, and could be the backbone of a smarter, more grassroots movement. Why were they not tapped at all for the No on 8 campaign?
Yesterday, Connecticut granted marriage equality to all its citizens, offering a glimmer of hope. I am convinced that justice will eventually prevail. But you have to treat the campaign like a campaign, and use the assets at your disposal.
(Unsurprisingly, it's the LDS leadership that is uniformly anti-justice. Individual members may have different views, and are willing to act on them. This should be applauded - promoted by jsw)
Mormons continued to register their resignations with, and post resignation letters to Signing for Something this week, citing "hatred" and "discrimination" among their chief reasons for quitting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These resignations come among the continuing backlash against the Mormon Church's involvement in passing California's Proposition 8 last week to take away the right of civil marriage for gays and lesbians.
Excepts of a few recent letters are posted here, with links to the full letters.
I am a gay man who, after serving a [Mormon] mission to the Netherlands, left the mormon church (although not officially) as they have no place for me. I've always felt that I didn't need to upset my family or make waves by requesting that my name be removed from the records. After all, I didn't recognize the church's authority anymore so what was the point?
The website Signing for Something http://www.signingforsomething... is registering resignations of Mormons who are quitting the church over Prop 8. Many are also posting their letters of resignation for the world to read. There is much anger within the Mormon Church directed at the hierarchy of the church for its generations of lying and misleading its own members. For many, Prop 8 was the last straw.
Utah's growing tourism industry and the star-studded Sundance Film Festival are being targeted for a boycott by bloggers, gay rights activists and others seeking to punish the Mormon church for its aggressive promotion of California's ban on gay marriage.
It could be a heavy price to pay. Tourism brings in $6 billion a year to Utah, with world-class skiing, a spectacular red rock country and the film festival founded by Robert Redford, among other popular tourist draws.
"At a fundamental level, the Utah Mormons crossed the line on this one," said gay rights activist John Aravosis, an influential blogger in Washington, D.C.
"They just took marriage away from 20,000 couples and made their children bastards," he said. "You don't do that and get away with it."
[...]
The backlash against the church - and by extension Utah - has been immediate. Protests erupted outside Mormon temples, Facebook groups formed telling people to boycott Utah, and Web sites such as mormonsstoleourrights.com began popping up, calling for an end to the church's tax-exempt status.
In my mind, John Aravosis and AmericaBlog are far more effective than the Human Rights Campaign. John Aravosis has more scalps on his lodgepole than most people have nails. Americablog doesn't just blog, it gets stuff done. And an A.P. story is just the beginning, if history is any indication. Because Avarosis is known for fighting on something until he wins -- and he isn't known for losing.
Yes, he went there at an official Sacramento Yes on 8 rally yesterday. This is Brad Dacus, an official Prop 8 spokesperson speaking. He is the President of the Pacific Justice Institute, a religious-right lawyers 501c3 organization.
Here is the transcript:
"There was another time in history when people, when the bell tolled. And the question was whether or not they were going to hear it. The time was during Nazi Germany with Adolf Hitler. You see he brought crowds of clergy together to assure them that he was going to look after the church.
And one of the members, bold and courageous, Reverend Niemand (sp?) made his way to the front and (inaudible) said "Hitler, we are not concerned about the church. Jesus Christ will take care of the church.
We are concerned about the soul of Germany." Embarrassed and chagrined, his peers quickly shuffled him to the back.
And as they did Adolf Hitler said, "The soul of Germany, you can leave that to me." And they did, and because they did bombs did not only fall upon the nation of Germany, but also upon the church and their testimony to this very day.
Let us not make that mistake folks. Let us hear the bell! Vote on Proposition 8!"
Dacus is the guy who was the chief architect of the movement to get an opt-out law for parents to take their child out of any school activity that violates their religious or moral beliefs. Like say if a charter school asks the parents if they want to take their kids on a field trip to celebrate their teacher getting married. You know, the one they are conveniently forgetting about and then lying in their ads about education and teh children.
The best way you can answer back to Dacus is to get out this weekend and election day and volunteer for the No on 8 campaign. There is a special netroots volunteer sign-up form. Fill it out and tell them you came from Calitics.
Seriously, this is the biggest race in California and members of the Mormon Church are responsible for at least 40% of the cash into the Prop 8 campaign and who knows how many volunteers. Quite honestly, the California papers have been following the lead of the Salt Lake Tribune, but the LA Times is nowhere to be found.
Yesterday, the SLT reported on the strife within the Mormon Church about their unprecedented level of involvement. Here is the lede:
The thought of going to church in her southern California LDS ward makes Carol Oldham cry. She can't face one more sermon against same-sex marriage. She can't tolerate the glares at the rainbow pin on her lapel.
Oldham, a lifelong Mormon, is troubled by her church's zeal in supporting a California ballot initiative that would define marriage as between one man and one woman. She feels the church is bringing politics into her sanctuary.
"It has tainted everything for me," Oldham said, choking up during a telephone interview/. "I am afraid to go there and hear people say mean things about gay people. I am in mourning. I don't know how long I can last."
Christine Alonso's body trembled and her lips quivered as she walked up and spoke to a few of the 50 protesters in front of the Mormon Temple in Oakland on Sunday.
"Don't think they're all against you," said Alonso, 27, explaining that she was Mormon and that despite her religious leaders' support of a ballot measure banning same-sex marriage, she was actively opposed.
As she walked away, she said, "I'm afraid that a gay or lesbian friend might hear that I'm Mormon and think that I want to tear their marriage apart."
Oldam and Alonso are not alone in being extremely troubled and distressed about their Church's overwhelming involvement in the Prop 8 campaign. You don't have to look much further than right here on Calitics for the same anguish. Chino Blanco wrote earlier today:
The "Yes on 8" campaign has directed more than $10 million dollars (so far) from Mormon donors to a narrow political campaign. Much of this money was raised after the Church reviewed its tithing records and identified wealthy Mormons to recruit even larger donations from, using special conference calls with Church elders. Why are tithing records being utilized this way? What does this reveal about the way the wealth of individual members has played a growing role in church leadership decisions? How many lives could this money save through the Church's Humanitarian General Fund? How many educations could this money pay for through the Church's Perpetual Education Fund? Why does our concept of morality focus so zealously on gender and sexuality at the cost of efforts to end death by disease or starvation, proclaim peace, relieve the debtor, or show stewardship for God's creation?
The whole thing really is worth a read. This path that the proponents of Prop 8 have taken is tearing people apart, inside and out.
The LAT is the biggest paper on record here in California, one of the largest in the country and they are missing this wrenching story. How about we suggest some story lines here in the comments.
I will go first: dig into the enemy of my enemy is my friend story to look into how well the evangelicals, who are no fans of the Mormon Church are working with Mormons within the campaign.
(full disclosure: I work for the Courage Campaign)
Estimates of donations by Mormons to Prop 8 are now up to $10 million, funding all of those lies and distortions on our airwaves. They have been fueling their volunteer base from here in California and across the country, using their church organizing networks to turn out volunteers to phone bank and knock doors. And Mark Jansson, a "Yes on 8" Executive Committee member and self-described LDS member, was one of four signers to the blackmail letter sent to Equality California donors. The Mormon Church is heart of the Prop 8 campaign, but for a long time the scope of their involvement was not known.
Well, now that it is out in the open and attention is being paid to it, the Mormon Church is squirming and at least in one case, backing down. They are simply not enjoying this attention. From today's SacBee:
The Mormon church, whose members have emerged as the leading backers of a ballot measure to end same-sex marriage in California, is scaling back its Utah campaign operation but will continue to support the initiative.
Church members will no longer be making phone calls from Utah to California voters, Kim Farah, a spokeswoman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said in a prepared statement Friday.
Good. They shouldn't be doing it in the first place. Pressure on the Mormon Church to cease their funding of the lying, blackmailing Prop 8 campaign is working.
The Courage Campaign has been keeping the heat on with our petition to LDS President-Prophet Thomas Monson demanding that his church cease funding the Prop 8 campaign and all forms of advocacy for the ballot measure, which was referenced in the SacBee article. Flip it:
(oh and full disclosure: if you didn't know it already, I work for the Courage Campaign)
(full disclosure: I work for the Courage Campaign)
Yes, you read that headline correct. I told ya that the Mormons and others were flooding the Yes on 8 campaign's coffers with donations. We may have beaten them up on the air, but they have more cash to spend on their buy. The two recent polls taken after the ads have hit the airwaves show that we are losing ground. So, Brian is right to say "complacency is our worst enemy".
So here is what we have to do folks, there is something every one of you can do. It will take all of us to win this thing.
Contribute to the campaign using the Calitics ActBlue page. If you have the cash to give big give big. If you only have $5 or $10, give what you can. Yes, your money will be spent on TV ads, but unfortunately that is the way we win elections here in California.
Talk to your friends and family about Prop. 8. Lot's of people are still confused that supporting marriage equality means voting No. To that end, the Courage Campaign has created what the Politiker is calling"the most humorous TV ad of the fall election season". They like it, we think it's pretty funny, but watch it for yourself.
It is aimed at straight people, using a privacy, "get the government out of my pants" argument. The undecided electorate is quirky. Some of your friends will be swayed by talk about fundamental rights being taken away. Others with a more libertarian streak may like the video. Tailor your discussion to your friends.
Oh and keep an eye out for a new ad from the No on 8 campaign that should hit the airwaves shortly.
We can win this historic fight, but we gotta buckle down and do the hard work and contribute what we can.
Check the flip for an email I got from a Yes on 8 person who for some reason thinks I know where the lost in China lawns signs are.
It's hard to get a handle on the efforts of the Yes on 8 people because they're so haphazard. They vow to produce a million yard signs but then get delayed because the signs are "in route" from China. They try to make their campaign seem to be about ordinary couples who want their traditional aw-shucks marriage, and then the virulence of their intolerance is revealed, over...
I am a Mormon High Priest. My bishop is a long-time family friend, and he has come to see me a couple of times recently, but each time he has come by assignment of his church supervisor. On the first visit, my bishop offered me a chance to resign my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When I declined, he told me a church disciplinary council would be held. On the second visit, just a couple of days ago, he brought me a letter informing me that I am charged with conduct unbecoming a member of the Mormon Church, and being "in apostasy."
Turns out the aptly-named "Church of the Divide" in faraway Placerville had sent a group of hate-mongering protesters to the church where (Sacramento mayoral candidate Kevin Johnson) and his family worships, complete with signs blaring "SODOMY" (and worse), to protest Kevin's decision to oppose Prop 8. They also flew in Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson from Los Angeles as their Rent-A-Hack.
What has become cleear is this: the Yes on 8 movement is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the fundamentalist right, an alliance of various religious sects who are coming together to try and impose their will on the people of California. They've certainly been successful financially, outraising the no side to this point. To be sure, there are liberal religious leaders coming out against this measure, like the California Faith for Equality coalition. But the level of participation by many groups, particularly the Church of Latter-Day Saints, is profoundly unsettling:
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have contributed more than a third of the approximately $15.4 million raised since June 1 to support Proposition 8. The ballot initiative, if passed, would reverse the current right of same-sex couples to marry [...]
The top leadership of the Mormon Church, known as the First Presidency, issued a letter in June calling on Mormons to "do all you can" to support Proposition 8.
Mormon donors said they weren't coerced. "Nobody twisted my arm," said Richard Piquet, a Southern California accountant who gave $25,000 in support of Proposition 8. He said Mormon Church leaders called donating "a matter of personal conscience." Some Mormons who declined to donate said their local church leaders had made highly charged appeals, such as saying that their souls would be in jeopardy if they didn't give. Church spokesmen said any such incident wouldn't reflect Mormon Church policy [...]
The prominence of Mormon donors in the Proposition 8 fight has also led to alliances with evangelical Protestant groups and other Christian religions, some of which have deep theological differences with Mormons.
Jim Garlow, pastor of the evangelical Protestant Skyline Church near San Diego and a leading supporter of Proposition 8, said, "I would not, in all candor, have been meeting them or talking with them had it not been for" the marriage campaign. Rev. Garlow said he had developed a "friendship" with the Mormons he met, although he feels the theological differences remain "unbridgeable."
Certainly there is a broader movement among the religious spectrum beyond just the Mormons; the Family Research Council is heavily invested in the measure, and is spreading lies about the consequences of same-sex marriage to their members (Christians will be jailed!!!). But what is going to be the focus of their efforts to get out the vote and pass the proposition? Apparently, fasting and praying (I don't buy the 100,000 figure below, by the way, it sounds like more bluster):
Hundreds of pastors have called on their congregations to fast and pray for passage of a ballot measure in November that would put an end to gay marriage in California.
The collective act of piety, starting Wednesday and culminating three days before the election in a revival for as many as 100,000 people at the San Diego Chargers' stadium, comes as church leaders across California put people, money and powerful words behind Proposition 8.
Some pastors around the state and nation are encouraging their flocks to forgo solid food for up to 40 days in the biblical tradition.
Well, not quite. In a remarkable catch by skippy, this 40-day fasting period, scheduled to begin today, would be somewhat unusual.
the gathering, called the call, will conclude a 40-day fasting period for california that begins sept. 24. christians are being asked to fast in some way, either the entire 40 days or perhaps by using team relays to cover the entire 40 days. running parallel to the 40-day fast is a 100-day prayer effort, which was scheduled to start july 28.
Um... team relays?
Let me get this straight. If I last from lunch to dinner without a morsel, then tag off to my partner in prayer, I can go ahead and eat dinner then? Is that really a fast, or is it, I don't know... just not snacking?
Well, the religious right can't be the only ones to get in on this fun. That's why, starting today, I am calling on every liberal and progressive to take part in a counter-fast for equality. The goal is to get enough people involved that we only have to chip in about 15 minutes or so of fasting apiece. I'm blocking out September 29, 4:30-4:45. I'm not eating a thing. We're talking commitment!!!
More on this tomorrow. For now, sign up in the comments with your fasting interval. Together, we can show these guys what a fasting relay team is all about!
This past weekend the Yes on 8 campaign had talked up passing out ONE MILLION lawn signs. It was going to be their big splash event, something big and bold to get a bunch of earned media.
To counter that push, the No on 8, Equality for All campaign organized a bunch of visibility events for the media and to raise the public face/profile of the campaign. Then shuttled the the volunteers back inside to do the work that will bring this election home: calling undecided voters.
But a funny thing happened.... There were no lawn signs, no big events from the Yes side.
I started hearing rumors that they had trouble with their vendor. It turns out they were stuck in China. Yes, China. Here is an email from a one Gena Downey, producer of the cult hit Mormon film (I'm joking about the cult and hit thing) God's Army.
The YES on Prop 8 yard signs have been delayed in route from China. We expect to distribute them within the next two weeks. I will email you as soon as they arrive so we can make sure you have one immediately. In the interim, please continue to take note of any friends or family who would like one as well.
So, the Yes campaign, rather than purchasing some good old fashioned union made in America lawn signs, they went to some cut rate producer in China who blew the delivery date by at least three weeks. What, they couldn't afford traditional American signs?
That seems to have worked out well. Why does the Yes on 8 campaign hate America?
Donate via the Calitics ActBlue page, so we can make up ground on the Yes campaign, which is beating us, the $100k from Speilberg to the No on 8 notwithstanding.
Meanwhile a friend emailed Gina to inquire about the signs and she responded back excitedly. I guess she hasn't figured it out that her email has been forwarded around.
The signs are not in yet. They are coming in from China and have been delayed but as soon as they arrive I will have them at my place in Burbank. That's great news and I can get them up to you as soon as they land. Wow, so good to hear this!
The newest major donor to the No on Prop 8: Equality for All campaign is one Brad Pitt. It comes at a key time in fundraising over the initiative that would take away the right for gays and lesbians to get married. The Yes side is seeing a major surge in donations, flooding into their coffers. In fact, they are out raising us right now, Brad Pitt's donation included.
The Mormon church is getting heavily involved in the campaign. It looks like about 35% of contributions to the other side have come in from Mormons, or at least that is what they are claiming over at this Mormons for 8 website. A high percentage of the large checks are coming from Utah.
Here is the question: is a religious institution trying to buy this election and change the California Constitution?
They aren't just donating. They are fueling their GOTV activites. Mormons have been invading neighborhoods en mass. They are not using walk lists, but rather descend in large groups to knock doors and try and pass out the million yard signs they think is going to win them this election. It's flat out creepy. It freaks out entire communities and usually the No on 8 campaign hears within a few minutes where the Mormons have decided to invade on any given day.
Look, I don't have anything specific against Mormons. It's just that when a specific religious institution decides to play a large role in a political battle, it weirds me out. Separation of chuch and state....
I know many of you have seen the polls and think we are going to win the battle over fundamental rights here in California. But I have news from you. The other side is winning the fundraising battle. They are energized with volunteers and are counting on a sort of Bradley effect to put them over the top. This is from an email from Dale Bankhead, the campaign manager for No on 8 (flip it):
