If justice from the Court is not swift in coming, maybe we need to stop the abuse of the citizen's initative process.  One way which has been suggested is to make it unlawful to pay people to circulate petitions for signatures.  A No Pay for Petitions law would keep many frivolous ideas off the ballot entirely, and would gut the ability of rich individuals and fat out-of-state organizations from buying people's votes. Is it time to start a petition drive to bring campaign finance reform to the petition process?  Money pollutes the process.  And evil follows the money.

Coming Events!! (Most recent at the top) 

D-DAY:  Tuesday, May 26, 2009, 7:00 p.m.  community rally at Crescent Heights and Santa Monica Blvds. in reponse to the Supreme Court decision released at 10:00 a.m.  You can download the decision from the court web site here.

Saturday, May 16, 2009, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.  OUT/West summit of organizations.  At Hollywood Lutheran Church, 1733 N. New Hampshire Avenue, Los Angeles.  For details, see www.unitethefight.org.

Events in Hollywood!!

Saturday, December 20 at 5:00 p.m.  Light Up the Night for Equality

Bring a candle for a quiet demonstration; bring canned food to donate to faith-based food pantry; wear a "2nd Class Citizen" T-shirt .  Pre-vigil check-in and food drop-off at Hollywood United Methodist Church, at the corner of Franklin and Highland Avenues.  More information:http://wakingupnow.com/blog/be-the-light-in-the-night

After the 3:45 showing of Milk at the Vista Theater we will begin the procession. Anyone who cannot make the movie, please meet us at 5:45 pm in front of the theater. The address is 4473 Sunset Dr Los Angeles, CA 90027. That's the corner of Sunset Blvd and Hollywood Blvd. We will light our candlesand then walk silently up Hollywood Blvd, then north on Vermont, cross Vermont at Russell, walk back down Vermont to Hollywood Blvd and return to the Vista. And of course, please invite others to show up at 6pm. I realize a lot of people have already seen the show, but they might like to participate in the procession.

Sunday, December 7, 1:30 p.m.Mariage Equality meeting: at WeHo Park (San Vicente Blvd. between Melrose and Santa Monica) community building

Thursday, December 11, 7:30 p.m. Unite the Fight.Org

Other public marches and demonstrations are still going on.  Here are the next big events we know of:

December 10: "Day Without a Gay" - information coming!

Now, you have a new and meaningful opportunity to stand up for LGBT rights -- for marriage equality.

On Saturday in the Los Angeles area, will "you, and you, and you" attend a Courage Campaign screening of "MILK" and then participate in a "Light Up the Night" candlelight vigil, organized by our friends at Join the Impact?

We're calling this special event "MILK plus LOVE" and we want you -- and your friends, family and neighbors -- to be there. Courage Campaign members just like you are organizing these screenings on Saturday at 40 movie theaters in communities across California. All you need to do is RSVP now so they know how many people are coming (and then buy your movie tickets at the theater before the event):

http://www.couragecampaign.org/MILKplusLOVElosangeles

At the Courage Campaign, we believe that the only way we are going to be able to repeal Prop 8 in California is by having frank, honest discussions with our friends, our colleagues, and, yes, our families. We need to talk about the meaning of marriage and emphasize the core argument that, in America, separate is NOT equal.

That's why we want you to invite your "us's" -- your friends, family and neighbors -- to this special event. Not just the friends that agree with you, but the friends who may not have fully considered why marriage equality is a fundamental civil right.

Forty screenings of "MILK" have been organized across California by Courage Campaign members just like you on Saturday afternoon. In many of these communities, participants will watch "MILK" and then walk or drive to "Light Up the Night," the nationwide candlelight vigils organized by the Join the Impact to draw attention to the 18,000 same-sex couples who were married in California before Prop 8 passed in November.

You can "give them hope" on Saturday. Even if you've already seen "MILK," will you support these volunteer organizers by coming to "MILK plus LOVE" and inviting your "us's" -- especially those who might not otherwise see "MILK" unless you invite them? All it costs is the price of a movie ticket. Click here to RSVP now for Saturday's screening and candlelight vigil:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/MILKplusLOVElosangeles

Restoring marriage equality to California is about much more than just LGBT rights. And the LGBT rights movement is part of a much broader progressive movement to change America.

As Harvey Milk's "Hope speech" -- and his commitment to social justice -- exemplified, the future of California and the country depends on all of our communities coming together in common cause.

On Saturday, please come together with your community and attend a screening of "MILK" and a candlelight vigil to "Light Up the Night" for equality.

Thank you for everything you are doing to make Harvey Milk's vision for America a reality.

Robert Cruickshank
Public Policy Director

Saturday, January 10, 2009  National Day of Protest.No further information as yet; see Equal Roots Coalition, www.EqualRoots.com or watch this space.  From Robert Cruickshank of the Courage Campaign:

"Without hope, not only gays, but those who are blacks, the Asians, the disabled, the seniors -- the 'us's' -- without hope the 'us's' give up. I know that you can't live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living. And you, and you, and you have got to give them hope." - Harvey Milk, "Hope Speech," 1978 On a chilly night last February, my wife and I joined thousands of other San Franciscans on Market Street to celebrate Harvey Milk's life and legacy. We were extras in the film "MILK" and we were recreating the march, and candlelight vigil of over 30,000 people, that took place the night Milk was assassinated 30 years ago. That night, we felt the hope that Milk talked about all his life. And, as straight activists, we felt empowered to stand up for gay rights -- for equality.