EVENT ADVISORY FOR DECEMBER 4, 2008
CONTACT: Paula Pilecki, Executive Director, 415-457-1115 ext. 209
MARIN COUNTY MARRIAGE EQUALITY FORUM ON PROP 8 CAMPAIGN
Community meetings statewide focus on how to win back marriage equality
MARIN COUNTY—San Anselmo-based Spectrum LGBT Center is hosting a post-election community briefing focused on the Proposition 8 campaign. The community is invited to attend this interactive session, which is part of a statewide forum series organized by Marriage
Equality USA.
The event will focus on giving community members an opportunity to debrief about the election results, what worked and didn't work about the campaign, and what can be done (and is being done) to win marriage equality back in California.
"The passage of Proposition 8 in California was a wake-up call for many people" said Paula Pilecki, Executive Director of Spectrum, the North Bay community center which promotes acceptance, understanding, and full inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. "This forum provides an opportunity for all of us to re-focus our efforts on winning back a fundamental right that was taken away by a simple majority vote."
Since May 15th, when the California State Supreme Court overturned the same-sex marriage ban in California, nearly fourteen thousand same-sex couples have legally tied the knot. Proposition 8, which passed with only a five-point spread on November 4th, put an immediate halt to the marriages and stunned those who thought it could not succeed.
In the aftermath of Prop 8's passage, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets in a wave of grassroots uprising. In Marin County, over 500 people attended a rally against Proposition 8 on November 15th, which was part of a nationwide chain of rallies that drew an estimated 1.5 million people (see www.jointheimpact.com for more information on those rallies).
The California State Supreme Court agreed to decide several issues arising out of the passage of Proposition 8, including whether or not the initiative is invalid because it constitutes a revision of, rather than an amendment to, the California Constitution, and whether or not it should affect the marriages of same-sex couples performed prior to November 4th. These deliberations will take several months.
EVENT DETAILS
WHAT: Marin County Marriage Equality Forum on Proposition 8
WHERE: The Acqua Hotel, 555 Redwood Highway, Mill Valley
WHEN: Thursday, December 4, 6:30 8:30 PM
WHO: Guests include Deb Kinney, Board member of Equality California and Luana Horstkotte, Alameda County poll monitor.
COST: Free; donations welcome at the door
MORE INFO: www.spectrumLGBTcenter.org; 415-457-1115 ext. 209
SPONSORS: ACLU of Northern California, Marin Chapter; Community Church of Mill Valley; Marin AIDS Project; Marin Peace and Justice Coalition; Marriage Equality USA, Marin Chapter; Spectrum LGBT Center.
ABOUT SPECTRUM: Founded in 1982, Spectrum LGBT Center of the North Bay provides community leadership in promoting acceptance, understanding, and full inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. For more information, visit www.spectrumLGBTcenter.org.
