"EL COYOTE' RESTAURANT MANAGER RESIGNS OVER PROP 8 BOYCOTT

Shortly after Prop 8 passed in California, the popular L.A. Mexican restaurant El Coyote came under criticism for a donation to "Yes on 8" by the restaurant's manager Marjorie Christoffersen. After threats of boycotts and protests Christoffersen held a meeting to try to assuage the anger of the gay community but wasn't very successful.

Word comes now from L.A.'s Frontiers magazine that Christoffersen has resigned over the flap:
"Bill Schoeppner, a fellow manager at El Coyote who has been with the restaurant for 26 years, told Frontiers Christoffersen was also resigning as a member of El Coyote's board of directors. 'She no longer works here,' Schoeppner said on Saturday. 'She just told me tonight.'..Schoeppner said Christoffersen tended her resignation to her mother, Grace Salisbury, who is described on the El Coyote Web site as the 'matriarch' of the restaurant. Salisbury's sister-in-law founded El Coyote in 1931. 'Everybody is kind of used to her walking around the restaurant with a water pitcher going from table to table to table,' Schoeppner said of Christofferson. 'I guess that part is no longer going to exist.'"

Chavez Nixes Cyndi Lauper Concert Because She's Pro-Gay

Cyndi Lauper was supposed to conclude her world tour over the weekend with a concert in Caracas, Venezuela -- but the concert was canceled because of her support of gay rights.

According to the posting, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez canceled the concert because he “had fear of political protests.” He also allegedly opposed Lauper’s endorsement of President-elect Barack Obama and her outspoken support of gay rights.

Lauper is expected to comment on the canceled concert in a blog posting on her official website, http://www.cyndilauper.com/. Lauper was touring in support of her latest album, Bring Ya to the Brink.

Vatican trashes first UN declaration of LGBT human rights

International human rights groups are denouncing the Vatican for condemning a proposed United Nations declaration which would - for the first time - call for civil rights for gays, lesbians and the transgendered.

The proposed declaration condemns “discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity” and will be presented at the General Assembly on Dec. 10 by France.

The document has been signed by the member states of the European Union. It was drafted by France, which currently holds the rotating EU Presidency.

Dec. 10th was chosen to present it to the General Assembly because the date marks the 60th anniversary of the UN declaration of human rights.

More than 80 nations have laws denying or limiting LGBT civil rights. Some Moslem countries impose the death penalty on homosexuality while others have lengthy prison sentences.

The Vatican in a statement said the declaration would force countries to legalize same-sex marriage.

Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican’s permanent observer at the UN, said in the statement that the declaration would discriminate against states which support traditional marriage.

“If adopted, they would create new and implacable discriminations … For example, states which do not recognize same-sex unions as ‘matrimony’ will be pilloried and made an object of pressure,” Migliore said.

Franco Grillini, founder of Italian LGBT rights group Arcigay, called the Vatican position “total idiocy and madness.”

“The French resolution, which is supported by all 27 members of the European Union, has nothing to do with gay marriage. It is about stopping jail and the death penalty for homosexuals,” Grillini told the Reuters news service.

The Vatican has long been an opponent of LGBT rights - especially marriage.

It fought hard against same-sex marriage rights in Holland, Belgium, Spain, Canada and South Africa, all of which went on to legalize gay unions. In the U.S., the Catholic Church was heavily involved in the fight against gay marriage in Massachusetts and Connecticut, both of which now allow gay marriage, and was instrumental in the passage of Proposition 8, which overturned the California Supreme Court ruling allowing same-sex marriage in that state.

In October, the Church said it was considering psychological testing for prospective priests to screen out candidates “with strong homosexual tendencies” and heterosexuals “unable to control their sexual urges.”

Mormons Losing Members Over Anti-Gay Campaigns

While the Mormon Church hierarchy was responsible for organizing millions of dollars and thousands of hours of manpower to pass California's Proposition 8 and Arizona's Prop 102, the church's tactics haven't sat so well with some of its members--including families, members with Mormon heritage going back 150 years, and gay members---who began speaking out in July on the website signingforsomething.org.

Many have public resigned from the church, citing reasons like these:
*I think the church has no right to assume the inner thinkings of its members and take such an open stand of any political issue.
*The Church's involvement in the effort to rescind a basic Constitutional right from California citizens is shameful and misguided.
*The position the church took on this particular issue went against everything I learned from the church. Not only was the church's position discriminatory, but it was also hateful.
*The leadership fights for bigotry and hate. The God I grew up with was perfect in His Love and Justice. Shame on the men who act so disgracefully in His name.

Since July almost six hundred LDS Church members have expressed their disapproval and/or resigned. In October a copy of the site's petition and emails were delivered to the Mormon Church headquarters, but the site is still accepting signatures and letters, since this is an issue that won't go away.

California Lawmakers to Introduce Resolutions to Repeal Prop 8

A press conference is being held at this hour to announce the introduction of resolutions to repeal Proposition 8 in the California legislature.

From Equality California:
"On the second day of the new 2009-10 legislative session, lawmakers in both the Senate and Assembly will introduce resolutions that support the repeal of Proposition 8. Senator Mark Leno, D-San Francisco and Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, will introduce measures specify that Prop 8 is an improper revision of the California Constitution. Significant revisions to the Constitution mandate distinct procedures and require a two-thirds vote of each house of the Legislature before going to voters. Both resolutions are sponsored by Equality California and were drafted by EQCA and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, plaintiff and lead counsel, respectively, in the marriage case brought before the California Supreme Court.... Leno’s Senate Resolution 7 and Ammiano’s Assembly Resolution (number to be assigned) specify that significant revisions to the Constitution mandate distinct procedures and require a two-thirds vote of each house of the Legislature before going to voters. The resolutions are co-authored by Sen. Christine Kehoe and Assemblymember John A. Perez, both members of the LGBT Legislative Caucus, and Senate Pro Tem Speaker Darrell Steinberg."

Rosie Live DOA

Liza Minnelli ending the opening number seated in host Rosie O’Donnell’s lap and a much talked-about striptease from 30 Rock star Jane Krakowski couldn’t help the one-off Rosie Live limp across the finish line. The out lesbian’s much-publicized variety show landed with a thud Wednesday night to dismal ratings.

Just 5 million people watched Rosie sing and interact with a slew of stars, including Clay Aiken, Ne-Yo, Gloria Estefan, and Alec Baldwin. NBC tested the show the night before Thanksgiving to see if fans of the outspoken O’Donnell were interested in the variety show format.

They weren’t. After dismal reviews and lackluster ratings, O’Donnell announced herself in a blog that there wouldn’t be a second show. She wrote: "there will be no more no ratings bad reviews yet still - a thrill 4 me."

[Don’t give money to No on 8 – I don’t care if your show makes it or not. I wasn’t going to watch it.]

"We will rewrite the record book on length for this recession."

ALLEN SINAI, an economic analyst

World AIDS Day

AIDS Vaccine?

'There could be an AIDS vaccine in four years,' says Nobel Prize winner... Professor Luc Montagnier believes a 'therapeutic' cure is in sight.

A French scientist awarded the Nobel Prize for discovering the Aids virus has predicted there would be a 'therapeutic vaccine' for the disease within four years.

Luc Montagnier and his team discovered HIV at the French Pasteur Institute in Paris 25 years ago, and have been awarded the prestigious prize along with other scientists who worked on discovering the root of the virus.

Montagnier, 76, said a treatment could be possible in the future with a 'therapeutic' rather than preventive vaccine for which results might be published in three or four years if financial backing is forthcoming.

'I think it will be possible with a therapeutic vaccine rather than preventative vaccinations. We would give it to people who are already infected.

A therapeutic vaccine prevents disease from flourishing after it has taken hold.

The Nobel Assembly of Sweden's Karolinska Institute praised their work, saying: 'The discovery was one prerequisite for the current understanding of the biology of the disease and its antiretroviral treatment.'

The other half of the Nobel prize was awarded for the German scientist's research that 'went against current dogma' by setting forth that oncogenic human papilloma virus (HPV) caused cervical cancer, the second most common cancer among women.

'His discovery has led to characterization of the natural history of HPV infection, an understanding of mechanisms of HPV-induced carcinogenesis and the development of prophylactic vaccines against HPV acquisition,' the Assembly said.

Medicine is traditionally the first of the Nobel prizes awarded each year.

The prizes for achievement in science, literature and peace were first awarded in 1901 in accordance with the will of dynamite inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel.

The economics prize is a later addition, established by the Swedish Riksbank in 1968.

The Nobel laureate for physics will be announced tomorrow, followed by the chemistry Nobel on Wednesday, literature on Thursday and the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in Oslo.

AIDS Breathrough?

Potential AIDS breakthrough following bone marrow transplant in Berlin:

"The startling case of an AIDS patient who underwent a bone marrow transplant to treat leukemia is stirring new hope that gene-therapy strategies on the far edges of AIDS research might someday cure the disease. The patient, a 42-year-old American living in Berlin, is still recovering from his leukemia therapy, but he appears to have won his battle with AIDS. Doctors have not been able to detect the virus in his blood for more than 600 days, despite his having ceased all conventional AIDS medication."

HIV may emerge again from a single cell, new findings suggest

The way AIDS virus brings itself back to life after the use of powerful drugs wasn’t less than a mystery for medical researchers.

But now a new study says that HIV can lie dormant inside some cells (it can be even a single cell) until emerging again to cause destruction.

Huldrych Gunthard, a researcher at University Hospital Zurich, in Switzerland, who is co-author of the study says that their findings are indeed good news, as they suggest that virus doesn’t replicate itself when dormant.

Such drugs are available in the market since the mid-1990s that allow many AIDS patients to decrease the level of the virus in their blood to zero, but the disease remains incurable. Gunthard says that the virus can hide itself in the lymphatic system, bone marrow, brain and in other places in the body.

Usually, Doctors urge HIV patients to have their medication as prescribed, as the virus can dramatically reappear in the body if there aren’t drugs in the body to keep it away.

In their study, Gunthard and colleagues observed the AIDS virus from 20 patients who gone off their medicines for two weeks. The researchers focused on how the virus evolved over time and they noticed that disease could remerge from a small number of cells or even with a single cell.

Lawyer Argues For Gay Blood Donations

Of all the gay-related debates, blood donations remain one of the most contentious and potentially important.

The world's blood banks claim the lavender set represent a health risk. While some gays are content to keep their cells to themselves, Australian national Michael Cain's not taking this shit lying down: he's filed a lawsuit against his nation's Red Cross for discriminating against his plasma.

And, rather than simply playing the gay card, McCain's lawyer's using actual logic:

Mr Cain’s lawyer, Peter Tree SC, told the Tribunal that there are gay men who have a much lower risk of HIV than many heterosexuals and that the blood from these men could save lives if it was accepted.

Mr Tree also accused the Red Cross of exaggerating the HIV risk associated with gay sex to “extreme” levels.

“The Red Cross has assisted in perpetuating the stereotype that gay sex is risky and unhealthy,” he said.

Mr Tree went on to say that the Red Cross has known since 2001 that there is no medical evidence to support a ban on men engaging in a range of sexual activities with other men, including oral sex.

“This alone should compel the Tribunal to find that the Red Cross policy is unjustifiable.”
The Red Cross' lawyers claim gay men could be more "altruistic" by realizing the risk they pose. That's some bloody bullshit.

SCIENTISTS DEVELOP 'KILLER' T-CELL THAT SLAYS HIV WITH EASE

There's a new strategy in the fight against HIV, from researchers in the UK. Scientifically developed "super" T-cells:

"Beginning with a particularly potent T-cell collected from a patient in 1996, Sewell's team sought to redesign the receptor molecule that recognizes [the protein] SL9. This was done by letting one of evolution's guiding principles - survival of the fittest - take hold. In this case, the researchers selected for mutated receptors that grabbed the tightest to SL9. In a Petri dish, the customised T-cells outperformed normal T-cells, slaying virus-infected cells with ease. The pimped up T-cells produced high levels of chemicals, called cytokines, which are indicative of a successful immune response. The engineered cells also recognised variations on SL9 that befuddle normal killer T-cells. Sewell's team is preparing to test the cells in mice that have been engineered to produce human immune cells, capable of becoming infected with HIV. If those tests go well, his team hopes to try the approach in HIV-infected people."

The body's anti-HIV enzyme explained: "APOBEC-3G is present in every human cell. It is capable of stopping HIV at the first step of replication, when the retrovirus transcribes its RNA into viral DNA...If APOBEC-3G works so well, why do people get AIDS? Because the HIV virus has evolved to encode the protein Vif, known as a "virulence factor," that blocks APOBEC-3G."

233,000 Americans May Unknowingly Have HIV

An estimated 233,000 Americans are unaware that they are infected with HIV, a forum on HIV research said on Thursday. Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's call to routinely test everyone between the ages of 13 and 64, more than 20% of the approximately 1.1 million Americans with the virus are unaware of their status.

People who are unaware that they are HIV-positive may be responsible for up to 70% of new sexually transmitted infections, the Baltimore Sun reports.

Experts said that routine testing is hampered by stigma associated with the virus as well as inadequate health insurance coverage for such tests. Out-of-pocket costs for the blood and saliva tests that screen for HIV can run between $80 and $120.

According to The Washington Post, only 5% of those who present with serious symptoms of the disease in hospital emergency rooms are being tested for HIV. The Forum for Collaborative HIV Research, based at the George Washington University School of Public Health, made the announcement at the forum.

Los Angeles Film Festival Director Resigns Over Prop. 8

Film Independent announced Tuesday that it had accepted Richard Raddon's resignation as director of the Los Angeles Film Festival, a title he has held since 2000. On November 14, blogger David Poland reported on his Hot Blog, hosted by Movie City News, that Raddon had personally donated $1,500 to the Yes on 8 campaign, which sparked some controversy.

According to Poland, Raddon actually submitted his resignation that day, but Film Independent's board chose not to accept it. Instead, board members met as a group to decide what to do next.
Raddon issued the following statement today:

“I feel honored to have worked with such a wonderful group of people at the Los Angeles Film Festival over the last nine years. I am proud of our accomplishments. And I am proud to have worked at Film Independent, an organization whose principles and values of diversity and artistic integrity I cherish. I have always held the belief that all people, no matter race, religion, or sexual orientation, are entitled to equal rights. As many know, I consider myself a devout and faithful Mormon. I prefer to keep the details around my contribution through my church a private matter. But I am profoundly sorry for the negative attention that my actions have drawn to Film Independent and for the hurt and pain that is being experienced in the GLBT community.”

The board of Film Independent countered with a statement of its own.

“With great reluctance, Film Independent has accepted Richard Raddon's resignation as Director of the Los Angeles Film Festival. Rich’s service to the independent film community and to Film Independent has been nothing less than extraordinary. He has always shown complete commitment to our core principles of equality and diversity during his long tenure. It was through his leadership that the Los Angeles Film Festival has grown into a formidable and exciting showcase for talented artists and diverse voices. We are sorry to see him go.”

The Los Angeles Film Festival is one of the many divisions of Film Independent, a nonprofit film organization that also hosts the Independent Spirit Awards

Raddon has always been open about being a devoted member of the Mormon Church and is the producer of a number of independent films, including the Lili Taylor-Guy Pearce movie A Slipping-Down Life.

Ann Coulter's Jaw Wired Shut?

Ann Coulter may be completely silenced, at least for a while.

If the New York Post's Page Six report is true, Coulter broke her jaw and her mouth is wired shut: WE HEAR...THAT although we didn't think it would be possible to silence Ann Coulter, the leggy reactionary broke her jaw and the mouth that roared has been wired shut.

Bush Pardons 14, Commutes 2 Prison Sentences

President George W. Bush has granted pardons to 14 individuals and commuted the prison sentences of two others convicted of misdeeds including drug offenses, tax evasion, wildlife violations and bank embezzlement.

The new round of White House pardons announced Monday are Bush's first since March and come less than two months before he will end his presidency. The crimes committed by those on the list also include offenses involving hazardous waste, food stamps, and the theft of government property.

Bush has been stingy during his time in office about granting clemency, but more grants are expected.

Including these actions, he has granted a total of 171 pardons and eight commutations. That's less than half as many as Presidents Clinton or Reagan issued during their time in office. Both were two-term presidents, like Bush.

On the latest pardon list were:
-Leslie Owen Collier of Charleston, Mo., who pleaded guilty in 1995 to unlawfully killing three bald eagles in southeast Missouri. He improperly used pesticide in hamburger meat to kill coyotes, but ended up killing many other animals, including the bald eagles. Collier, who was convicted for unauthorized use of a pesticide and violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, was sentenced Feb. 2, 1996 in the Eastern District of Missouri.

-Milton Kirk Cordes of Rapid City, S.D. Cordes was convicted of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, which prohibits importation into the country of wildlife taken in violation of conservation laws.

-Richard Micheal Culpepper of Mahomet, Ill., who was convicted of making false statements to the federal government.

-Brenda Jean Dolenz-Helmer of Fort Worth, Texas, convicted of concealing knowledge of a crime. Dolenz-Helmer, the daughter of a Dallas doctor accused of medical insurance fraud, was convicted in connection with the doctor's case. She was sentenced Dec. 31, 1998 in the Northern District of Texas to four year's probation with the special condition of 600 hours of community service and a $10,000 fine.

-Andrew Foster Harley of Falls Church, Va. Harley was convicted of wrongful use and distribution of marijuana and cocaine during a general court martial at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

-Obie Gene Helton of Rossville, Ga., whose offense was unauthorized acquisition of food stamps.

-Carey C. Hice Sr. of Travelers Rest, S.C., who was convicted of income tax evasion.

-Geneva Yvonne Hogg of Jacksonville, Fla., convicted of bank embezzlement.

-William Hoyle McCright Jr. of Midland, Texas, who was convicted of bank fraud.

-Paul Julian McCurdy of Sulphur, Okla., who was sentenced for misapplication of bank funds.

-Robert Earl Mohon Jr. of Grant, Ala., who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

-Ronald Alan Mohrhoff of Los Angeles, who was convicted for unlawful use of a telephone in a narcotics felony.

-Daniel Figh Pue III of Conroe, Texas, convicted of illegal treatment, storage and disposal of a hazardous waste without a permit.

-Orion Lynn Vick of White Hall, Ark., who was convicted of aiding and abetting the theft of government property.

Bush also commuted the prison sentences of John Edward Forte of North Brunswick, N.J., and James Russell Harris of Detroit, Mich. Both were convicted of cocaine offenses.

Under the Constitution, the president's power to issue pardons is absolute and cannot be overruled.

Some high-profile individuals, such as Michael Milken, are seeking a pardon on securities fraud charges. Two politicians convicted of public corruption - former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif., and four-term Democratic Louisiana Gov. Edwin W. Edwards - are asking Bush to shorten their prison terms.

One hot topic of discussion related to pardons is whether Bush might decide to issue pre-emptive pardons before he leaves office to government employees who authorized or engaged in harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Some constitutional scholars and human rights groups want the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama to investigate possible war crimes.

If Bush were to pardon anyone involved, it would provide protection against criminal charges, particularly for people who were following orders or trying to protect the nation with their actions. But it would also be highly controversial.

At the same time, Obama advisers say there is little -if any - chance that his administration would bring criminal charges.

Happy Thanksgiving

California to investigate Mormon Prop 8 donations

California officials have begun an investigation into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to see if it broke the law during the campaign for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

The California Fair Political Practices Commission said it wants to determine if the Church accurately described its role in the battle over Proposition 8.

The Commission’s executive director, Roman Porter, said the investigation follows a complaint by Californians Against Hate which accuses the Mormon Church of failing to report the value of work it did to support Proposition 8.

Porter said that while the complaint merits further inquiry, it does not mean any wrongdoing by the Church has been determined.

The Salt Lake City-based Mormon Church was heavily involved in the campaign to pass Prop. 8. It encouraged its members to work to pass California’s Proposition 8 by volunteering their time and money for the campaign. Thousands of Mormons from across the country worked as grassroots volunteers.

The Church put an estimated $25 million into the battle to end gay marriage in California.
If the Commission finds the Church broke state election laws, it could be fined up to $5,000 per violation. The Commission also could file an additional civil lawsuit. Porter said, seeking remedies up to three times the amount that was misrepresented or misreported.

Dianne Feinstein Does About-Face on Same-Sex Marriage

Though California senator Dianne Feinstein has long been a supporter of gay rights, she’s stopped short of supporting full marriage equality. But an interview for NBC Nightly News with Maureen Dowd suggests she may well have done an about-face.

In the interview, Feinstein discusses finding the body of Harvey Milk and her involvement in Focus Features’ forthcoming biopic. She also talks about her decision to speak out against Prop. 8 in California and her evolving views on same-sex marriage.

"I think as more and more people have gay friends, gay associations, see gay heroism, that their views change,” Feinstein said in the interview. “I think people are beginning to look at it differently, I know it’s happened for me.

“I started out not supporting it. The longer I’ve lived, the more I’ve seen the happiness of people, the stability that these commitments bring to a life. Many adopted children who would have ended up in foster care now have good solid homes and are brought up learning the difference between right and wrong. It’s a very positive thing."

Feinstein had previously said that while she would not endorse a statewide ban on same-sex marriage, she supported civil unions over “redefining” marriage.

San Diego Christian Church Apologizes for Prop. 8 Via Giant Billboard

"Mission Gathering Christian Church is sorry for the narrow-minded, judgmental, deceptive, manipulative actions of those who took away the rights and equality of so many in the name of God."

Prop 8: What went wrong

GLBT Americans awoke Nov. 5 to the news they had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
While right-wing candidates and causes were largely voted down at ballot boxes the day before, state proposals to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage in California, Florida and Arizona nonetheless prevailed, as did a law prohibiting gays and lesbians from adopting or serving as foster parents in Arkansas.

Of those defeats, none stung worse than Proposition 8.

Approved by 52 percent of California voters, Proposition 8 overrode a May ruling by the state’s supreme court legalizing same-sex marriage. In addition to banning gay and lesbian couples in the state from future marriages, the ballot initiative left about18,000 existing same-sex California marriages in legal limbo.

What went wrong?

Proposition 8 seemed to have more going against it than for it. California voters are among the nation’s most liberal, and they turned out on Nov. 4 to support Democrat Barack Obama by a whopping margin of 61-37 percent.

Popular Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger campaigned against Proposition 8.

And while same-sex marriage supporters are often outspent in ballot fights, the No on 8 campaign amassed a war chest of $38 million. That was not only the most money ever raised to defeat such a measure, but it was as much as—or more than—the amount raised by gay opponents on the Christian right.

The story from the polls
In the wreckage following this defeat, GLBT activists and supporters groped for an explanation. The first place they turned their attention was to exit polls, which indicated that several demographic factors played a role.

The first of those factors—and the one that initially received all the attention—was race and ethnicity. While white and Asian voters narrowly opposed Proposition 8, African-American voters supported it by 70 percent and Latinos by 53 percent.

The polls found the greatest demographic divide on the issue was generational. Six in 10 voters under 30 opposed Proposition 8, while an equal number of voters 65 and over favored it. Voters 30 to 64, who made up most of the electorate, backed the measure by a small majority.

Another big difference could be seen along religious lines. Two-thirds of the seven in 10 voters who described themselves as Christian favored the initiative. Strong support also came from married voters and voters with children, while unmarried voters opposed it.

The picture that emerged from the polls showed that the vast majority of voters who were inclined to support Proposition 8 did just that. So what effect did the tens of millions of dollars poured into this race have on convincing people to change their hearts and their minds?‘Missed opportunity’

With this question hanging in the air, the finger-pointing began. Most of the criticism has focused on the organizers of the No on 8 campaign, which included representatives from more than 70 member organizations.

Critics say their campaign wrongly focused on intangible concepts such as discrimination and justice without offering a positive alternative argument for the morality of same-sex marriage.

“It seemed like there was a missed opportunity here for education in general,” says Cathy Renna. After more than a decade with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Renna is now managing partner of Renna Communications, based in Washington, D.C.

Renna and other critics say what was fatally missing from the No on 8 campaign’s advertising was the presence of actual gay and lesbian families telling their stories. By holding back on the emotional punch and choosing instead to focus on cold principles, they say the campaign failed to move people on the opposing side.

“I think the whole marriage debate in general has not been framed in a way that takes our relationships and our families out of more than a superficial or abstract context,” Renna says.

“We’ve not dug deep enough and tried to touch people’s hearts. Marriage is, at the end of the day, something that protects the most vulnerable in our community. That is a story that would deeply touch people and would help people understand why we want to get married.”

“I’m all for being polite,” Renna added, “but ‘please treat us equally’ doesn’t always work. It’s a little naïve.”

Comments by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) that appeared in Maureen Dowd’s New York Times column on Nov. 23 seemed to support Renna’s assertion. Feinstein, who formerly opposed same-sex marriage rights, said her mind was changed as she learned about the positive effects that marriage had on the lives of her constituents.

“The longer I’ve lived, the more I’ve seen the happiness of people, the stability that these commitments bring to a life,” Feinstein said. “Many adopted children who would have ended up in foster care now have good solid homes and are brought up learning the difference between right and wrong. It’s a very positive thing.”
Next page: Why we lost

Turning point

Many observers of the Proposition 8 battle feel that a major turning point in favor of the measure came when Yes on 8 aired TV commercials warning that same-sex marriage would lead to kindergarten children being forced to learn about homosexuality.

Although this is a scare tactic that has been employed frequently in other same-sex marriage ballot initiatives, it seemed to take No on 8 campaign by surprise. The campaign responded by condemning the ads as false, but critics characterize the tone of the response as tepid.

Worse, they say the commercials forced No on 8 into a defensive position that might have been avoided if the campaign had run a more forceful, pro-active effort from the beginning.

“The No on 8 campaign began by allowing the Yes on 8 proponents to define the debate and it was never able to recover,” wrote Terry Leftgoff on the Bilerico Project. Leftgoff was formerly the highest ranking openly gay officer of the California Democratic Party. “This violated the first rule of political campaigns, which is to never let your opponent define you first.”

In the same article, Leftgoff also took the No on 8 campaign to task for failing to develop specific messages targeting African Americans, Latinos and Republicans.

“An effective target strategy would have been to send Democratic voters mailers with a picture of Barack Obama and other prominent diverse leaders who oppose Prop 8 and, alternately, to send Republican voters mailers with pictures of Arnold Schwarzenegger and other prominent religious and conservative leaders who oppose Prop 8,” Leftgoff wrote. “This is textbook targeting.”

Paul Hogarth, writing for the California Progress Report, said No on 8 allowed the opposition to mislead black voters into thinking that Obama supported their measure.

“Gay marriage supporters were not happy that Barack Obama said he believes marriage is ‘between a man and a woman,’ but he rarely got credit for going further than any presidential candidate had gone before,” Hogarth wrote.

“He supports fully repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, and—more importantly—he came out against California’s Proposition 8. Knowing that Obama was going to win the state comfortably, No on 8 should have stressed Obama’s opposition from Day One.”

“Polls showing Prop 8 either ahead or behind hinged almost completely on whether African-Americans strongly supported it—or barely supported it,” Hogarth continued. “Aggressive overtures needed to be made to that community, and there was no better messenger in this election for this group of voters than Barack Obama. Instead, No on 8 waited until the other side made their own hit piece that implied an Obama endorsement of Prop 8. By then, we were being reactive.”

Voter complacency

While not directly addressing these criticisms, No on 8 spokespeople have countered that their campaign was hurt mostly by complacency from their supporters stemming from polls that showed the measure losing by wide margins.

“It was difficult raising money because of those polls,” said Geoff Kors, head of Equality California and one of the campaign’s leading organizers, in an article that appeared in The Advocate.

In the same article, Lorrie Jean, another major organizer and head of the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center, also complained of apathy.

“If we could have found a way to energize our community faster, we could have competed with (Yes on 8),” she told The Advocate. “We experienced enormous complacency in our community until we finally put out the word that we were going down.”

Some California activists have acknowledged they might have given Proposition 8 short shrift in their zeal to elect Obama. Hogarth wrote that he should have spent more time campaigning against Proposition 8 after it became clear in early October that Obama was going to sweep his state.

Some bloggers also have noted that the wording of the ballot initiative was confusing and probably cost No on 8 some votes: If they voted “yes,” were voters supporting or opposing same-sex marriage?

Silver linings

Despite losing, GLBT advocates have managed to find a couple of silver-linings to the Proposition 8 debacle.

In 2000, California voters approved Proposition 22, which banned same-sex marriage, by a margin of 61 percent—far more than the 52 percent who voted for the constitutional amendment this year. And the defeat has ignited a new wave of activism that GLBT advocates see as a positive sign.

“This gave people a kick in the ass who were maybe a little complacent before this happened,” Renna said. “This was a reality check. I hope people stay engaged. The question will be how the larger organizations integrate this new wave of activists and energy.”

The California Supreme Court is now considering three lawsuits that challenge Proposition 8 on the grounds that it overstepped voters’ authority in removing a legal right for a vulnerable minority group. Right-wing groups have issued a warning that they will seek to recall any justices who vote to overturn the measure.

The final words on Proposition 8 have yet to be spoken.

Top 10 Sarah Palin Excuses For Turkey Slaughter

David Letterman's "Top 10 List" tonight was Sarah Palin's top ten excusesfor the unfortunate interview that Palin gave right after she pardoned a turkey for Thanksgiving. As Palin answered questions, a worker right behind her was slaughtering turkeys in a turkey grinder. Palin seemed oblivious to the gruesome events as she continued talking for three minutes. Watch Letterman's top ten excuses Palin gave for the turkey massacre.

Sarah Palin’s deadly media appearance

Sarah Palin just won't stop appearing on television and saying nothing. At least this time there is a little action happening the background. Have you ever seen a live turkey get killed in a giant funnel before?

Prop. 8 Protests Are Changing Minds — A Little

A SurveyUSA poll shows that Prop. 8 protests have changed the mind of 8% of respondents, which doesn't sound like much, but "If eight percent of the 52.1 percent who voted for it have changed their minds, that's a 4.2 percent swing in favor of equality. Or, put another way, you're looking at a 52-48 vote in favor of gay marriage [in California based off of the Nov. 4th vote]."