We did good
Apr. 24th, 2004 02:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quesarahThis morning, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wafflelips and I participated in a monthly voter canvassing on behalf of Equality California and the San Diego LGBT Center. For two shy, introverted people the idea of knocking on doors and asking strangers how they feel about queers was intimidating. But both of us are so angry at the anti-equality legislation being debated around the country that it's getting to be unhealthy for us. To save ourselves from becoming embittered and cynical (okay, even more embittered and cynical), we decided to take our anger and do something positive with it.
I won't kid you, it was hard for me. By the second hour, I'd warmed up enough to speak to the voters but I still wasn't knocking on any doors. That said, I feel like we accomplished something today. We identified a bunch of voters -- some Democrats, some Republicans, some not affiliated with a party -- who think that same sex families deserve the same rights and protections as opposite sex couples have, and are willing to go vote. If we can keep this up, we'll have a big list of voters to mobilize. That's pretty awesome. :)
Props go to the woman who told us, "Of course I support equal marriage rights. I'm sane, aren't I?"
wafflelips and I participated in a monthly voter canvassing on behalf of Equality California and the San Diego LGBT Center. For two shy, introverted people the idea of knocking on doors and asking strangers how they feel about queers was intimidating. But both of us are so angry at the anti-equality legislation being debated around the country that it's getting to be unhealthy for us. To save ourselves from becoming embittered and cynical (okay, even more embittered and cynical), we decided to take our anger and do something positive with it. I won't kid you, it was hard for me. By the second hour, I'd warmed up enough to speak to the voters but I still wasn't knocking on any doors. That said, I feel like we accomplished something today. We identified a bunch of voters -- some Democrats, some Republicans, some not affiliated with a party -- who think that same sex families deserve the same rights and protections as opposite sex couples have, and are willing to go vote. If we can keep this up, we'll have a big list of voters to mobilize. That's pretty awesome. :)
Props go to the woman who told us, "Of course I support equal marriage rights. I'm sane, aren't I?"
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no subject
Date: 2004-04-25 07:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-25 10:17 am (UTC)There's a bill in the California state legislature that proposes to change the definition of civil marriage from "the union of a man and a woman" to "the union of two persons." Depending on what happens, the right wing could put a ballot on the books as early as 2006 to amend the state constitution to prevent same-sex marriage. Equality California is identifying as many voters who are in favor of equal marriage rights, so that we can notify them and say "you really need to get to the polls, this is important." The sooner they get at it, the more voters they can find. I think that's smart strategy.
It was really encouraging to see so many heterosexual couples who are in favor of equal marriage rights. That was nice. :)