The Collective Wisdom of the LGBT Grassroots

by Michael Jones · 2009-01-06 21:36:00 UTC
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Marriage Equality USAAbolitionist Wendell Phillips once said, "What is defeat? Nothing but education, nothing but the first step to something better." In the wake of Proposition 8 and the defeat faced by marriage equality advocates after the vote in California, all thoughts have turned toward education and how LGBT rights supporters can learn from the failings of the No on 8 campaign to better prepare for the next round in the struggle for equal rights.

This month, Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA) will be issuing three ground-breaking reports that address the fallout from Prop 8, and the opportunities that lie ahead for supporters of same-sex marriage. Their first report, "We Will Never Go Back - Grassroots Input on California's No on Proposition 8 Campaign," was released this past Monday, and offers a thorough assessment of the successes and shortcomings of the No on 8 campaign in the Golden State. The report is based on several community forums held across the state as well as an online survey, and was motivated by concerns that "California’s No on Prop 8 campaign didn’t utilize the grassroots community to its potential." So the report is a little bit of tough love, but the purpose isn't to cast blame; rather, it's to make sure that during upcoming fights for marriage equality, that the same mistakes aren't repeated, that there's accountability to the grassroots, and that the 'collective wisdom' of grassroots activists is captured.

"We believe the California Supreme Court should overturn Prop 8 because no community should ever have their fundamental rights eliminated by a popular vote," the report says. "But if we have to fight an initiative again and if our LGBTI community members face the same struggles in other states, we believe this book of wisdom will help insure we do the right thing and don’t repeat the same mistakes."

Among the concerns and opportunities uncovered in We Will Never Go Back, MEUSA found the following:

  • Clergy leaders were underutilized by the No on 8 campaign;

  • Better efforts need to be made to make marriage rights organizations more inclusive and accountable to People of Color;

  • Many No on 8 advertisements excluded same-sex couples and families from their content;

  • The official No on 8 field plan lacked visibility and ignored potential volunteers;

  • Empowering grassroots communities will help advance the national marriage equality movement.

Check out We Will Never Go Back, and watch for the two additional reports coming from MEUSA. Their next report will be released on January 12 and will look at stories of discrimination and harm that resulted from California's Prop 8 campaign, and mirror similar experiences of theour LGBTI community and straight allies who have faced similar ballot initiative campaigns throughout the states. A third and final report will map out a plan for the future that looks at how to effectively run and win campaigns for marriage equality.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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