Equality California endorses Hillary Clinton for President, but is it Too Soon?

Before anyone is set to run, before anyone says they're running, before we know anything about anything... Equality California gets it in first.

They are completely endorsing Hillary... An interesting move if yo ask me.

Here are their reasons:

The group's executive director Rick Zbur explained that her record on LGBT issues has led to her receiving its support:

“We want Hillary Clinton to run and are ready to mobilize our 800,000 members to help her win. We’re enthusiastic about her candidacy because she has the best record of accomplishment on LGBT issues of any potential candidate. Equality California is ready for Hillary!”

As Secretary of State, Clinton has championed LGBT rights on numerous occasions, including an historic speech on International Human Rights Day 2011 in which she declared that “Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.” As a senator, she was also a co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, has supported HIV/Aids prevention and treatment and voted to add sexual orientation to the definition of hate crimes.

Zbur explained that this early endorsement is intended to express EQCA’s “unequivocal” support of Clinton’s presidency and that the group is already readying its members to support her:

“Although she has yet to formally announce her candidacy, we unequivocally believe that she is not only the most qualified candidate, but also the best candidate to advance LGBT rights. With this unequivocal support of her presidential bid, EQCA decided to take the unusual step to extend an early endorsement of Sec. Clinton to urge her to enter the presidential race. Along with our endorsement, we’re gearing up to fully support her candidacy for president by activating our members to mobilize around her campaign.”

Real talk, it's too soon to be throwing this kind of support to Hillary. Remember, we all thought it would be Hillary before and Obama came in like a thief in the night and snatched her wig quick. By the time the game really begins, someone could do it again. Not everyone is on the Hillary Bus to Freedom, so to support her this early is a bit strange. What do you think?

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Roland Palencia stepping down as Equality California Executive Director

This comes as a big shock for some in Cali's LGBT world. Roland Palencia is stepping down from his leadership role in EQCA.

Here's a piece from the Press Release:

EQCA Executive Director Roland Palencia to Step Down From Post Friday, October 14
(San Francisco) Equality California (EQCA) announced today that Executive Director Roland Palencia will step down as of Friday, October 14. Palencia was selected to succeed long-time Executive Director Geoff Kors in May of this year.

“Equality California serves a critical role in the movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality in the state of California,” said Palencia. “Over the next year, the movement in California faces a unique set of challenges that demands leadership uniquely positioned to take those challenges head-on, strengthen the organization and bring together the diverse parts of our movement into a powerful force for change. It’s been my privilege to serve as the Executive Director of Equality California and I will continue to be an avid and involved supporter of EQCA and its work for equality.”

Equality California will release a transition plan by the end of this week.

I work very close to this organization, so it was out there that this was coming. It's sad really, I had such high hopes for Roland.

Equality California will NOT Repeal Prop 8 in 2012

EQCA has decided not to put gay marriage on the 2012 ballot. This is not a surprise for those of us who work closely with this group. In fact, most LGBT orgs in Cali-Cal felt this way.

Here's a piece from EQCA's announcement:

In 2009, we anticipated that 2012 would  provide our best opportunity in the near term to overturn Prop 8 at the ballot, but after engaging in this comprehensive decision making process, we have opted not to lead a campaign to repeal Prop 8 in 2012.  

As we considered whether to go back to the ballot, we examined a number of factors, including input from supporters and movement leaders, the current political climate, other potential ballot measures that could impact a marriage campaign, if a campaign in California can secure the kind of funding we need to win, the capacity of the movement to execute a campaign, current public support for marriage in California, the risks and impact of a potential ballot measure loss, the Perry v. Brown legal challenge to Prop 8 and many more factors. 

Since 2009, public opinion in the state of California has changed, but not as much as we had hoped—support continues to hover near 50 percent. But the political landscape has changed dramatically. The struggling economy and complicated 2012 political climate have created an environment that is considerably less favorable to a campaign to overturn Prop 8 and significantly increases the risk of loss. 

More to come

VIDEO: Equality California ties Tony Perkins and his Hate Group to the KKK

This is an aggressive strike from EQCA, as they point out the lies and connections of Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council

From EQCA

(San Francisco) Last week the Family Research Council, a virulent anti-LGBT organization with ties to the Ku Klux Klan and recognized as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, joined the effort to overturn the FAIR Education Act in California and released a video message to fundamentalist churches on behalf of the campaign. In it, the group’s executive director, Tony Perkins, blatantly lied about and grossly misrepresented the FAIR Education Act, which requires California schools to include factual, age-appropriate information about the contributions, social movements and current events of, people with disabilities, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT), and Pacific Islander people in already existing social studies lessons.

A Man Arrested for a Hate Crime in Santa Ana, CA.

Last October, there was a noose hanging at a Equality California office in Santa Ana, California. Now an arrest has been finally made.

Watch the clip


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Equality California wants Gay Marriage Back on the Ballot

Equality California wants to know if gay marriage should be back on the ballot. Here's their press release:

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that they will not permit same-sex couples to marry while we wait for the California Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals to hear and consider the case. This announcement has sparked conversations about whether or not our state should wait for the courts to restore the freedom to marry for same-sex couples, or if we should overturn Prop. 8 at the ballot box.


Equality California is seeking input from the community and about the wisdom of moving forward with a ballot initiative. This survey is a first step in a process that will include research, conversations with coalition partners, town halls and further chances for input. 

Interesting, I will have more info of this once we meet with other Cali-Ca groups

Equality California Volunteer found a Noose on their office door and a Cop says: "Sometimes you just have to live with being a victim."

EQCA volunteer, Mel Distel found a noose hanging from their office door. Pretty shaken, Mel called the police, however that experience didn't make things any better.

Here's her take on what happened:

I couldn't get the image out of my head. I smoked a cigarette outside the office and my thoughts were spinning. I felt jumpy, and was startled when any person or car crossed my line of vision. This was a message of hate, and I felt unsafe. Inside the office, our phone bankers were shocked and hurting. They continued on with their phone bank calls (vote for Melissa Fox) and worked to stay focused on the task at hand.


I could not focus. I could barely make calls. I waited for the police to arrive, believing that when they did I would feel safe and affirmed.


When the police arrived, two officers spoke to Daniel and myself outside. The male officer dominated the conversation. There was nothing they could do, of course, there was no suspect and no crime had been committed. The officer said "what it is, is a string on a door." My vision got blurry, I was embarrased and felt stupid for making the call. I took a deep breath and said "Do you see any correlation between the fact that this is a gay office and there was a noose left on our door in the wake of all of these teen suicides?" The officer said, "Sometimes you just have to live with being a victim," and proceeded to mention that his car had been broken into before. As if that's the same. As if having your stereo stolen is anything like the message "You should kill yourself." As if random theft is anything like an act meant to convey hate and stir up fear in the heart of a minority group.


I want to thank Karla for having a long discussion with the sargeant about the situation. No, it was not legally a hate crime, because there was no crime (just hate). And the officer likely did not intend to come off the way he did.


But I'm still in shock. I pray that no officer ever tells a bullied teen that, "sometimes you just have to live with being a victim." The officer made me feel foolish for being shocked and afraid. I feel stupid and unjustified. Our volunteers felt hurt, angered and confused.

Why would a cop say something like that? Ridic! That officer needs to be held accountable for that.

California State Senate approved a joint resolution to quickly repeal DOMA

Equality California puts out a press release about the latest developments in the DOMA case.

Today, the California State Senate approved a joint resolution, AJR 19, calling on the U.S. Congress and President Obama to immediately repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which explicitly forbids the federal government or any federal agency from recognizing state-sanctioned marriages between same-sex couples. Introduced by Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D - Santa Monica) and sponsored by Equality California, the joint resolution was passed by a bipartisan vote of 22-12.

“The Defense of Marriage Act prevents the federal government from recognizing the relationships of loving same-sex couples, even when the states where they live recognize their relationships,” said Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors. “We’re proud of the California legislature for making the state’s opposition to DOMA official state policy. Now we must overturn this discriminatory federal law and pave the way for the marriages of same-sex couples to be recognized at the federal level.”

Under DOMA, which passed in 1996, married same-sex couples are refused the same federal rights and responsibilities as their heterosexual counterparts, resulting in inequitable and unfair implementation of federal laws governing a range of issues such as housing, immigration, tax and inheritance. A repeal of DOMA would result in the federal government recognizing legal marriages of same-sex couples, just as it currently recognizes legal marriages of heterosexual couples.

“President Obama has called this law abhorrent in the way it denies more than 1,000 federal rights to same-sex couples,” Assemblymember Brownley said. “Congress must act now to overturn DOMA, which is rooted in irrational and unfounded prejudice. Married same-sex couples deserve equal access to these benefits.”

We will see how this goes.

The Best Approach?

So how can you semi-attack someone and then demand them to support you?

Check out, Equality California's "request"

The failure of President Obama and other elected leaders to actively support efforts to defeat ballot measures designed to take away our rights must end. Our community must stand together and stop endorsing and funding candidates who don't support our equality 100%. We should only stand with those who do.

Sign our petition to President Obama and his administration. Urge him to join the federal legal challenge to Prop 8. Then, ask everyone you know to do the same.

I get their point, but the delivery is not cute. If you want him to help, perhaps you should try to butter him up? I know if it was me they were demanding something from, I would say "You're kidding, right?"

Maybe next time, kill them or Obama with kindness first?

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2012 is the Year for Marriage Equality

This is from an email I got today

Dear Viktor,

For the first time in our state’s history, our community has the ability to determine when voters get to vote on our rights. We get to choose the timing of an election on our equality instead of merely reacting to attacks orchestrated by the right wing on a timetable which suits their interests. Some in our community want to go back to the ballot at the soonest possible moment; others want to wait until we are absolutely certain we can win.

Equality California is committed to taking this issue back to the voters at the earliest time that gives us the strongest chance to win back our rights – permanently. It is clear that those who support moving forward in 2010, those who support moving forward in 2012 and those who support waiting until we are confident we are going to win are all passionate about winning marriage back and are dedicated to achieving equality. And we are committed to working with every organization and person, regardless of their view.

After reviewing all the information, research and feedback from our coalition partners and the community-at-large and in view of our aggressive determination and dedication to win marriage back as soon as possible, we support committing our energy, resources and leadership to helping the community win a ballot initiative to restore marriage at the November 2012 election.

Now, some folks are upset and some are pretty pissed off. However, this may be for the best. We need to gather the forces, get our ducks in a row and come out swinging.

No mess, that's best.

WTF? What's REALLY going on with repeal of Prop 8

Great Hera!

The quest for Marriage Equality in Cali is... all over the place.

Should we wait 2 years? Should we do it now? It's not cute to be honest, and today just makes me completely lost on the issue.

Courage Campaign asks:

2010: Are you ready to commit?

To put marriage equality on the ballot next year, help us raise $100,000 by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, August 13

The only way we can get an initiative on the ballot to repeal Prop 8 in 2010 is if the marriage equality movement raises $200,000 as soon as possible.

That's how much money it will take to determine -- through research, polling and focus groups -- the most effective initiative language and messages that will move voters to support marriage equality.

We don't have much time. To meet the late September deadline recommended by the Secretary of State for filing an initiative for 2010, we have to raise it now. Or else we'll have to wait until 2012 at the earliest.

We are ready to do our part but we can't do it alone. That's why we are asking the Courage Campaign community to raise $100,000 by August 13. And we are challenging our partners in the marriage equality movement to raise the remaining $100,000 as soon as possible.

The power is in your hands. If you support going to the ballot in 2010, please contribute before Thursday at 11:59 p.m.:

That's a lot of money on a short notice. I need more details on this, because this rush sounds like Jimmy Swaggart begging for money to save him from Satan.

This just seems a little disorganized. Are we ready for a 2010 fight or do we need to gather a strong force on this for 2012?

Goddess, this is not cute at all!

Trying to Get it Right in California

This is good. Equality California (EQCA) and Jordan / Rustin Coalition (JRC) are reaching out to the Black communities of L.A. There will be efforts made by both groups, like this TV commercial featuring a Black couple.


JRC board president and blogger, Ron Buckmire said:

"Jordan / Rustin Coalition is happy to partner with Equality California as we do the work to open the hearts and minds of all Californians, including those in the Black community, on the question of marriage for same-sex couples. Our partnership includes a multi-media campaign, outreach and public education and even the nuts and bolts of staffing and supplies. I am confident that together we will see the day when full LGBT equality is restored to our state."

EQCA Marriage Director Marc Solomon included:

"As we celebrate this one-year-anniversary of marriages in California, we are proud to be working with Jordan / Rustin Coalition to have conversations with African-Americans about marriage for same-sex couples. As people really get to know our families, they will see they have the same hopes, dreams and concerns as any other family and simply want the protections and dignity that marriage affords."

This is a great step in bringing everyone to the table as well as opening minds.

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New Ad from Equality California