There are a number of different groups springing up all over the place and many have slightly different mission statements or methods even though we all obviously have the same ultimate goal…equal rights for everyone!
There is a new and exciting website called Equality Central. This site allows the many groups across the state to post events and information and is going to assist us all in coordinating our efforts as we move toward marriage equality.
NATIONAL AND CALIFORNIA GROUPS
THE COURAGE CAMPAIGN is an online network that empowers grassroots and netroots activists to push for progressive change in California. (Editor’s note: The amazing thing about this group is that they have set up their site to encourage individual participants and grassroots groups to do their own thing. Courage Campaign is there to help with the infrastructure, much like Obama’s campaign did in terms of mobilizing volunteers. Their goal is to work from the ground up, like the campaign that put Obama in office, rather than from the top down, like the campaign that lost the fight against Proposition 8.)
THE WHITE KNOT is the symbol for marriage equality. It takes two traditional symbols of marriage – white and tying the knot – and combines them in a simple way to show support for the rights and gays and lesbians to marry. All loving couples deserve the same legal rights, benefits and respect that civil marriage bestows.
OUT WEST COALITION – OUT (Organizations United Together) West is a coalition of organizations working toward the common goal of equal rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Intersex people through education and through mobilizing communities at the grassroots level. (A full list of the member organizations and links to their sites are available on the site.)
GET TO KNOW US FIRST – In the wake of the passing of California’s Proposition 8, a group of gay and lesbian families are taking to the airwaves with Public Service Announcements. Their purpose is to capture the hearts and minds of people who do not understand why marriage is so important to us. They have also started an amazing educational program designed to reach out to faith communities called Get To Know Us First In Faith.
EQUAL ROOTS – Equal Roots Coalition is a grassroots organization dedicated to reinvigorating the LGBTQ movement but coalescing the efforts of already existing grassroots organizations as well as those yet to be born through a streamlined communication process.
CALIFORNIA FAITH FOR EQUALITY – Clergy and lay leaders from a diversity of religious traditions are uniting in California Faith For Equality, a statewide network of congregations and people of faith committed to equality. The California Faith of Equality coalition helps faith leaders and communities, some of whom may not have the support of their denominational bodies, to become effectively engaged in the struggle for equality, while also helping secular LGBT leadership connect with these faith communities.
POSTCARDS TO THE PRESIDENT – Despite the massive blow the LGBT community suffered on November 4, 2008, they find hope in President Barack Obama. Igniting on Inauguration Day, the country will flood the White House with Postcards to the President asking him to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.
LATINO EQUALITY ALLIANCE – The mission of the Latino Equality Alliance is to promote liberty, equality and justice for the Latino LGBT community. Everyone (LGBT and Straight Allies) are welcome to join their movement for equality.
LIFEWORKS – Lifeworks offers one on one, peer and group mentoring opportunities for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth, ages 14-24. Our goal is to help GLBTQ youth to realize their goals and dreams with a safe space, positive and affirming role models, and workshops & activities that are fun and educational.
FLAG OF EQUAL MARRIAGE – This isn’t so much an organization, but they have created a beautiful representation of marriage rights as they currently exist in the country. Check out the website and some of the things you can buy to display this powerful image. This is the sort of imagery and creative thinking that is going to start to educate everyone who sees it about what we are fundamentally fighting for. It shows the country that same-sex couples effectively live in…a country made up of fifty states but where we are only equal in four of them.
RIGHT TO SAVE – A gay man who has consistently tested negative for HIV and who has had only one protected sexual encounter with another man can never donate blood. However, a heterosexual man who has had intercourse with an HIV-positive individual or engaged in other high-risk activities is only banned for 1 year. It is time for us to work together to change this policy. Right To Save will be organizing blood drives throughout the country to help bring awareness to this form of discrimination. (Editor’s note: After 9/11, when all my friends were going to donate blood because they felt they needed to do something and the need was so potentially great, I was unable to give blood, and so were all of my gay male friends. We can’t serve in the military and we can’t even give blood to save a life. We can, however, work to end this form of homophobia!)
F.A.I.R. – Freedom. Action. Inclusion. Rights. Several young LGBT civil rights activists based in the Los Angeles area came together at the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center to create a new organization. These individuals were determined to go from street to strategy – working to organize a new post-Prop. 8 grassroots movement in Los Angeles and across the state.
THE TREVOR PROJECT is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. The Trevor Project operates the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBTQ youth. If you or a friend are feeling lost or alone, Call The Trevor Helpline. There is hope, there is help. 1-866-4-U-TREVOR (1-866-488-7386)
EQUAL ACTION – Equal Action fights for social justice from an ethnically-diverse LGBTQ perspective by collaborating with those who work to end homophobia and discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation. Through the power of youth engagement and the knowledge that all oppressions are interconnected , we support, participate in, and organize actions in communities commonly overlooked by mainstream media campaigns.
GAY? FINE BY ME… - The Gay? Fine By Me (TM) T-shirt gives Americans a simple but effective way to publicly condemn homophobia and support equal rights while showing support for their friends and loved ones.
SAN DIEGO EQUALITY CAMPAIGN – San Diego Equality Campaign seeks to promote equal rights for persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities, including the right to marry, to be free from discrimination in their workplace, and the right to serve in the armed forces freely and openly, and without prejudice.
NATIONAL BLACK JUSTICE COALITION – The National Black Justice Coalition, www.nbjc.org, is a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Our mission is to end racism and homophobia.
GLAAD – The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. (Additionally, if you are looking for information about how to work with the press, they have a fantastic, educational Media Reference Guide which can be downloaded from this page: click here.)
MARRIAGE EQUALITY USA – Marriage Equality USA is an all-volunteer, national non-profit organization whose mission is to secure legally recognized civil marriage equality for all at the federal and state level, without regard to gender identity or sexual orientation.
HONOR PAC – HONOR PAC is a voluntary, non-partisan committee that supports candidates and ballot propositions that advance progressive policies that directly address the unique needs and interests Latino/a GLBT communities.
FREEDOM TO MARRY – Freedom to Marry is the gay and non-gay partnership working to win marriage equality nationwide
STATE GROUPS OUTSIDE CALIFORNIA
– One Iowa, the state’s largest LGBT advocacy organization, is dedicating to supporting full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals living in Iowa through grassroots education and advocacy.
INTERNATIONAL GROUPS
THE LESBIAN AND GAY FOUNDATION (ENGLAND) – The Lesbian and Gay Foundation provides more direct services and resources to more lesbian, gay and bisexual people than any other charity of its kind in the UK
