(To start: My sources are my friends and customers whose trust I will not betray [barbers are kind’a like priests,‘cept when there’s sex, it’s always consensual]. Thus I do not repeat what is told to me, or, if given permission to do so, I do not attach a name. Nothing here is probably new or earth-shattering. I just have to say it)
LGBT leaders gathered last weekend in San Bernardino, CA to attend the California Marriage Equality Leadership Summit and vote on whether to move forward on Prop 8 in 2010 or 2012. The elephant in the room: Equality California (EQCA). The group that lead the disastrous “No on 8” campaign last year, which Chris Cillizza referred to on MSNBCs Hardball as “the worst run campaign in the history of the initiative politics.”
To say that EQCAs leadership is irrelevant today, one just has to look at their 2008 campaign. Besides some of their well known inept strategies: not engaging the community or their allies; canvassing the local gay neighborhood corners with young people and clip boards — basically preaching to the choir about No on 8; collecting and wasting more money then the “Yes on 8” enemy, with disastrous results (e.g., going with a top taking dollar gay advertising agency, who put out those pathetic faceless commercials, rather than going with a smaller, unknown [even straight] agencies, who would have worked for less money — if not free); and, Executive Director, Geoff Kors taking a 2 week vacation during the height of the campaign (we’ve since heard it was a “forced” vacation — yeah. Right!). But there is more info that shows their megalomaniacal attitude; info that deals with them having passed up two of the greatest chances at political grass-roots help offered any gay rights campaign.
In 2008 Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, approached EQCA and asked, “How can I be of any help?” EQCA’s response: “We don’t need your help.” To pass up on the the Latino voting block is one of the greatest political blunders. Sure it would have been an uphill battle, but if Ms. Huerta was willing to go the distance, who was EQCA to snub her?
An aide to Los Angeles’ Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa approached EQCA, and speaking for the mayor’s office, offered his help. He was told, “We don’t need your help. We don’t want to make this political.” Not political? What the FUCK?!?!?! Since when is anything gay not political? If this type of irresponsible, self-centered, delusional ideas of grandeur is not enough to have EQCA pushed into the background of simply manning phone lines (if that)…
But those at EQCA want us to believe that things have changed. How? They say they are attempting a more grass-roots activism approach. They say they want to actively listen to their constituents and get their input. Have they started to listen? Have they started to work with other organizations? With the community? Well not really.
When polled in May, sixty-nine percent of EQCAs membership was in favor of going back to the ballot in 2010. Yet a July BAR article, Consultants Prefer 2012 Prop 8 Repeal has Equality California painted as “not yet take[ing] a formal stance on whether to repeal Prop 8 in 2010 or 2012.” Really? So, they listen to their membership only until it no longer serves Kors and his ilk. “Surprised” it continued, to hear so many professionals say that “2010 was not the right answer.” But wasn’t it at this past January’s Equality Summit that Kors stated that one of their biggest problems was dealing too much with professionals (i.e., political operatives). The only change I can see (and it’s a superficial one) is bringing in Marc Solomon and pushing Kors to the background. I say superficial because Geoff is still in charge. The reason for his taking a “back seat” is simple. If the big money contributors hear that he has anything to do with No on 8, their wallets will slam shut completely!
And, when a number of other gay rights organizations felt it was best to wait –”Prepare to Prevail” (<yawn> more like “prepare to wait”), EQCAs began to backtrack:
“We initially said we believe 2010 was the right time to go back to the ballot [but] we will only move forward if we have a clear road map to victory.”
A clear road map to victory, huh? We will probably never have a clear road. Not with the conservatives and the christians out there. So why go against the will of their membership now? Because a collation of their “partners” feel it’s best to wait? Because all of a sudden this “we know what is right” elitist group has started listening to others? I don’t think so. EQCA probably means they will only move forward when they are sure that the road to victory will be lead by EQCA and no one else.
But today this is not to be the case. There is s group that appears to be willing to listen to and work with others, and is already one step ahead of the rest: Yes! on Equality. Yes! on Equality has the ballot language and is ready to go in 2010. In their own words:
“Yes! on Equality is … created to repeal Proposition 8. The California Marriage Equality Act of 2010 is authored by Yes! on Equality and is the only same-sex marriage ballot initiative registered with the Attorney General’s office. [Our] purpose is to bring together supporters for a more effective outcome. Simply repeating the previous campaign will not achieve victory. [We] will ensure…minority and faith outreach, expanded grassroots activism, and an inclusive structure that recognizes the value of both large and small organizations.”
In closing they state, ‘[we believe] that no single organization should own the next marriage equality campaign — every…organization can and will need to contribute to the success of marriage equality.”
And last weekend EQCA knew for sure they were really no longer top dog. Many attending the marriage summit meeting were a little disgusted with the attitudes of the elder leadership (and I don’t mean just EQCA). EQCA knows Yes! on Equality has the upper hand, because of the ballot language, and that folk will be pushing for 2010. And EQCA are not happy. And when one is not happy, they can do some pretty fucked up things.
Now I’m not sayin’ EQCA had anything to do with this — there’s no proof, but something can be gained by lettin’ the air outta the tires before the van can build up speed (something like gainign control for 2012). All I know is the subterfuge tactics would make a Republican proud.
(the following is from an email by a concerned member who attended the CA Marriage Equality Leadership Summit and is willing to point fingers):
“Equality California is out there spreading misinformation in the NY Times, the SF Chronicle and on gay blogs that no decision was made Saturday in San Bernardino about when to move forward with a marriage equality initiative.
In fact, a decision WAS made. Fifty LGBT organizations — called the ”Coalition of the Willing” — have agreed to move forward in 2010 with a ballot initiative. An announcement will be made on or around August 9 on how to move forward.
What this means is we have 15 months to put together a campaign — three times longer than last year.
Equality California was completely outmaneuvered and voted down on Saturday.
No one is sure why they are putting out misinformation but the Coalition intends to set the record straight.
So, if you hear or read that no decision was made, that is not accurate.”
Believe me, EQCA were not the only ones unhappy with the Leadership Summit Meeting. You can go anywhere on the net and find disgruntled individuals. Still, from what I’ve heard, besides true colors being shown, some good things were accomplished. 2010 it is!!!
In closing, let this last paragraph be an open letter (albeit a short one) to Equality California:
Dear EQCA
If you really want to help us get same sex marriage back in the state of California, how about lending your vast knowledge and experiences in this field to those that are now taking the reigns. Help them rather than sit in the corner pouting, waiting to see if they fail so you can say, “we told you so.” Learn from your past mistakes and teach others to tread lightly where you blundered. Put out your hand in assistance to those that can use it, but under no circumstance think that you are in charge. That ship has sailed.
P.S. And Geoff. It’s time to step down as executive director.
Yours truly — the Communtiy
You’ve written passionately here and before about the need to press forward for 2010, so I thought you would like to know about 
“You can’t put a civil rights issue on the ballot and let the people decide. You have to have elected officials to who have courage to make the right decision. If you left it up to the people, we’d have slavery, depending on how you worded it.” – Former Minnesota governor and pro wrestler Jesse “the Body” Ventura, responding to Maine’s vote on CNN last night.
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Nosferatu (1922) The first ever on-screen depiction of a 
Dracula (1931) Sure it scared me as a kid, but 
Zombie (1980) (aka/ Zombi 2) “We Are Going to Eat You” The underwater scene where the zombie takes a 
Marathon Man (1976) I can’t include Audition without mentioning this piece from the torture genre. Those three little words, “
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) “What Happened Was True.” The granddaddy of all splatter films was a particularly bloodless yet incredibly violent movie that after the initial “shock” introduction of 
Pitch Black (2000) “It’s getting dark” Monsters, darkness, a distant planet, a junkie and 
The Eye — Gin Gwai (2002) (aka/ Seeing Ghosts) “Some things are better left unseen” Along the lines of 
[REC]/Quarantine (2007/8) “Just one witness…a video camera” Good ol’ fashion jump outta your chair scares (without the gore) at an incredibly fast pace. It also answers the question, “Why don’t they just leave?” Once it got started, [Rec] (Spain) had the husband and me on edge and didn’t let go. Had I not seen [REC], the American remake, Quarantine, would have held a better place in my heart of horror, but alas, what we have with the remake is a pale version that copies the original down to the tiniest detail (with some unnecessary additions), but lacks the original’s heart. Now don’t get me wrong. As a stand alone film, Quarantine is a nail-biter, but [REC] is just leaner, delivering more with less, given the directors are horror buffs making a 
