Meeting again next week! See you then.
Still room for Camp Courage, Santa Barbara!
January 25th, 2010 · Educational events
Inspired by the “Camp Obama” trainings that powered neighbor-to-neighbor organizing across America in 2008, Camp Courage is an intensive two-day training designed to teach the principles and skills of community organizing to activists working to restore marriage equality to California.
Camp Courage is designed primarily for new activists or those who have never engaged with the broader community about marriage equality as well as veteran LGBT activists and allies. A background in community organizing or an organizational affiliation is not a requirement to attend Camp Courage. The only requirements are energy, commitment, and a desire to broaden your leadership abilities.
Drawing on techniques honed for decades by progressive social movements, Camp Courage teaches basic community and political organizing skills, including:
- Finding your voice by telling your “story of self”
- Leadership development
- Principles of successful organizing
- Developing collaboration and building effective teams
- Techniques of voter persuasion
- Organizing a phonebank
- Canvassing
- Tabling
- Throwing house parties
- Online organizing
When
January 30-31, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Where
Santa Barbara (location provided once registration is confirmed)
Register now!
Simply head to the Camp Courage website and sign-up!
Nice to meet you, CityLabs volunteers!
January 23rd, 2010 · Voter outreach
For everyone who stopped by our booth at CityLabs – thank you! We were so excited to meet people who support the cause of full equality!
Be sure to:
- Sign up for e-mail updates
- Sign the petition demanding full federal equal rights!
- And donate to your local grassroots LGBT group, Equality Network!
Meetings are very Wednesday night at 7pm. If you’re interested in joining us, be sure to check this website regularly.
Weekly meeting, Wed. the 20th
January 20th, 2010 · Meetings
Our weekly meeting is today: Wednesday, January 13th, starting at 7pm (sharp!).
Location is Crescent Heights United Methodist Church at 1296 North Fairfax Avenue in West Hollywood (map). Parking is free on Fountain after 7pm, but be sure you’re not in a permit zone on the streets off Fountain! Public parking lot ($3 fee) located on Orange Grove Ave – 1 block east of Fairfax and just north of Santa Monica Blvd.
Agenda topics include:
- National Equality Action Campaign
- Los Angeles Diaper Bank
- 2010 Census & LGBT people
- Letter to Notre Dame regarding offensive comic in their paper
Everyone is welcome – please join us!
Los Angeles Diaper Bank website now online!
January 18th, 2010 · Philanthropy
The website for the Los Angeles Diaper Bank (LADB) has launched, and can be found at ladiaperbank.org
The LADB is the first program of the Equality Network Foundation, our charitable non-profit arm. The mission of the program is providing free diapers to low-income families. Utilizing a network of existing service providers, whose trusted relationship with the communities they serve can facilitate getting diapers to those who need them most, the LADB seeks to efficiently aide as many babies as possible in Los Angeles County!
For more information about the program, please visit the website. We’ve established relationship with a number of community partners already, but we’re looking for other partners both in the East Los Angeles region, and South Los Angeles.
We’re also in need of many drop locations, where diapers can be donated. There’s step-by-step information on how you can help with this, on the LADB website.
View the Diaper Bank brochure: [Read more →]
Donate today to the Haiti relief fund
January 14th, 2010 · Philanthropy
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Caribbean island nation of Haiti on Tuesday, January 12 near the capital city, Port-au-Prince, causing wide spread damage. Many building have collapsed and hundreds of dead are lying in the streets. Currently there is no official death toll, thousand have been injured and many remain unaccounted for. Water and power services are out due to the severe damage to the already fragile infrastructure. Ten’s of thousands are now homeless.
You can make a difference! Please donate today to the Rainbow World Fund, a platform for LGBT compassion and concern to be seen and heard throughout the world. Since 2004, Rainbow World Fund has supported ongoing projects in Haiti focusing on improving nutrition and developing safe drinking water access. 100% of your donation will go to these life saving services. Every donation no matter how small will help.
Donate online at: http://www.rainbowfund.org/donate specify “Haiti”
Donate by check at: Rainbow World Fund, 4111 – 18th Street, Suite 5, San Francisco, CA 94114.
UPDATE: So check this out, from BoingBoing
Pat Robertson thinks that Haiti is poverty stricken (and earthquake-stricken) because the country made a deal with Satan to help them overthrow the French.
Back in May, the Times Online provided some slightly better insight into Haiti’s past. Beyond a vague assumption that Imperialism had probably screwed Haiti somehow, I didn’t know much about the country’s history. Reading this story has been nothing short of nauseating.
Summary: Haiti was forced to pay France for its freedom. When they couldn’t afford the ransom, France (and other countries, including the United States) helpfully offered high-interest loans. By 1900, 80% of Haiti’s annual budget went to paying off its “reparation” debt. They didn’t make the last payment until 1947. Just 10 years later, dictator François Duvalier took over the country and promptly bankrupted it, taking out more high-interest loans to pay for his corrupt lifestyle. The Duvalier family, with the blind-eye financial assistance of Western countries, killed 10s of thousands of Haitians, until the Haitian people overthrew them in 1986. Today, Haiti is still paying off the debt of an oppressive dictator no one would help them get rid of for 30 years.
The rest of the world refuses to forgive this debt.
So, in a way, maybe Robertson is right. Haiti is caught in a deal with the devil, and the devil is us.
The U.S. Congress is currently considering a bill called The Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation. Part of what this bill would do is help countries like Haiti get their debt canceled, without making that cancellation conditional on things like closing down free schools or raising the cost of fresh water. Maybe a good time to contact your representatives about about this bi-partisan measure.
Weekly meeting, Wed. the 13th
January 11th, 2010 · Meetings
Our weekly meeting is this Wednesday, January 13th, starting at 7pm (sharp!). Location is Crescent Heights United Methodist Church at 1296 North Fairfax Avenue in West Hollywood. (map)
Agenda topics include:
- National Equality Action Campaign
- 2010 Bylaws wrap-up
- Diaper Bank drop location search
Everyone is welcome – please join us!
Over 140 letters sent to Judge Walker in Prop 8 case!
January 8th, 2010 · Prop 8 Repeal Organizing
On Tuesday, we put a call out to sign a letter to Judge Walker, in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger case, which seeks to over-turn Proposition 8 on the basis of it being unconstitutional. The presiding Judge (Walker) had asked for comment on whether the case should be televised or not, based on high public interest. Although Judge Walker had given until this morning for comments to be submitted, he made a public statement on Wednesday stating that he would allow the case to be recorded for delayed viewing on YouTube. Despite this fact, the comment period remains open until this morning.
We put up a form on our site, allowing people to digitally sign the letter. Over 140 people responded, which is pretty amazing for lil’ ol’ EQN! Yesterday, we mail-merged the respondents information onto physical, printed versions of the letters, and sent them to both Judge Walker, and Judge Hamilton. We are happy to state that both have received their letters! (To verify, head to the FedEx website and input the following two tracking numbers: 870546780077, 870546780066.)
We’ll keep you informed of what the final decision is, when we hear it!
Tell Judge Walker to televise the Prop 8 case!
January 5th, 2010 · Prop 8 Repeal Organizing
On January 11, for the first time in history, a federal judge will hear a challenge to the principle that states can ban the marriage of same-sex couples. The case will argue that any such ban is in violation of the 14th amendment of the United States Constitution.
As the case goes to court, the judge is asking whether it should be televised due to high public interest. Of course, the people who designed and carried-out the passage of Proposition 8 (banning same-sex marriage in California), want no cameras – bigots love to hide – and boy have they turned up the heat! They’re flooding the judge’s offices with requests not to televise! Our lawyers, Theodore Olson and David Boies, are rightfully arguing that the proceeding should be transparent to the public.
Answer Judge Walker’s call for public comment by simply clicking the link below to pop-up a form. Enter your info, and we’ll deliver a letter, with your information, to Judge Walker and Hon. Phyllis Hamilton! BUT ACT NOW, because we need you fill-out the form by Thursday afternoon! (DEADLINE: Thursday, January 7th, 4pm Pacific.)
The text of the letters available, after the jump: [Read more →]
Save the Date: NVCD training w/Ruckus Society
January 2nd, 2010 · Educational events
On January 31st, from 10am to 5pm, at Plummer Park (map), we’re going to be holding a Non-Violent Civil Disobedience training in preparation for upcoming actions. Please mark your calendar – more information coming soon!
