No Time for Complacency -An Open Letter to the Community

Last week, the California State Assembly came remarkably close to passing a bill that would have granted same-sex couples the right to a civil marriage. Of those who voted, more legislators than not supported Marriage Equality. We came within inches of winning and the vote was historic. To come so close to winning and to give up would be waste of an incredible opportunity. It is with this in mind that we respectfully suggest to our community that we need to keep this issue alive, and not back down in the face of a minor setback on the road to full civil rights. We acknowledge that every civil rights battle has been an enormous challenge, riddled with devastating loses before victories. But we know that our community is up for the task.



Our momentum has been building because we are a movement. A movement made up of everyday citizens whose rights are being denied, and who will no longer wait to be heard. Somewhere between last November's elections and last Thursday, the conventional wisdom on political support for marriage equality shifted. At the State Democratic Party convention, the State Democratic Party made marriage equality a top priority for this year.



We will prevail and we believe we can prevail this year. Next year is not an option. With a governor's race happening, no one will move this issue. Waiting until 2007 is unacceptable. Although AB 19 fell just short of passing the Assembly, this same bill can now move forward in the Senate and come back to the Assembly in September. With three lesbians in the Senate, and Carole Migden at the helm of the powerful Appropriations Committee, we can win in the Senate as we continue to work with Assemblymember Mark Leno, our steadfast leader, on wavering Assembly members, and launch a vigorous education campaign across the state.

We must not hesitate in our struggle for equal rights. We can't let this temporary set-back stop us. We must redouble our efforts and quickly, to gain the support of straight Democratic legislators who did not vote for marriage equality. One of the reasons for the success of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960's is that African-American activists succeeded in persuading White liberals and moderates that equal rights for Black people was a moral issue that demanded their active support. We are at a cross-roads and we must be clear with our Straight allies that their active support for our civil rights is a moral issue that demands they stand with us in our time of need.

When San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer struck down the state's one man-one woman marriage law, he wrote, "It appears that no rational purpose exists for limiting marriage in this state to opposite-sex partners." Kramer also said that the state's current marriage law violates the civil rights of gays and lesbians because it takes away "the basic human right to marry a person of one's choice." Soon the State Supreme Court will hear the appeal. If we don't rise up and move this issue, it sends a signal to them that they can mow us down.



Last week, the San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board said, "It's Time." That statement is still true one week later. Join us in demanding the best of ourselves and our legislature.

Equality California

National Center for Lesbian Rights

Transgender Law Center

Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club

Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club

City Treasurer Jose Cisneros

Supervisor Tom Ammiano

Supervisor Bevan Dufty

School Board Member Mark Sanchez

Police Commissioner Theresa Sparks

David Campos, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee

Michael Goldstein, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee

Robert Haaland, SF Democratic County Central Committee

Sally Buchman, Pride at Work , AFL-CIO

Richard Brooks Alba, Pride at Work, AFL-CIO

Joey Cain, President, San Francisco Pride Committee

Paul Hogan, Co-Chair, LGBT Caucus, State Democratic Party

Thomas Lynch, Executive Director of the LGBT Center

Rafael Mandelman, President, Noe Valley Democratic Club

Greg Shaw, President, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club

Saskia Traill, Vice-President, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club

Jerry Threet, Former President, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club

Laura Spanjian, Co-Chair, Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club

Scott Wiener, Co-Chair, Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club

Owen Stephens, President of the San Francisco Young Democrats

Howard Wallace, Vice-President, SF Labor Council, Pride at Work, AFL-CIO

Debra Walker, Vice Chair, State Democratic Party, LGBT Caucus

Lisa Williams, Co-chair of Lesbians and Gays of African Descent for Democratic Action (LAGADDA)

Maya Harris, Associate Director, ACLU of Northern California

Andy Wong, Asian Equality

Zwazzi Sowo, LGBT Black Rap

Naomi Prochovnick, Courage To Love Institute

Gary Virginia, LGBT Community Fund Raiser

Jane Kim, Youth Organizer

Esperanza Macias, Former Vice-President, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club

Seth Ubogy, Former Executive Board Member, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club

Jim Rivaldo, founder, Harvey Milk Club

Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club Board Members

Miguel Bustos

Julian Chang

Luke Klipp

John E. Lazar

Jim Maloney

John Newsome

Michelle Ortiz

Jay Shaeffer

Bill Wilson