Yesterday I posted a story about a family in San Jose who donated $30,000 — correction, over $60,000 total — to support Yes on Proposition 8. I hesitate to make this a daily Mormon rant, but here goes.

Fred Kager, who runs the Californians Against Hate website which provides a detailed (and publicly available) list of contributers who support Proposition 8, revealed today that Mormons have donated a staggering 18.6 million to deny same-sex couples the right to marry. That’s 77% of all total documented donations. Mormons also account for 88% of all individual money raised.

Mormons, instructed by their leaders in Salt Lake City Utah, are leading the charge to take away the rights of same-sex couples, both here in California and Arizona.

How do we fight this? How do we shed light on this, without looking religiously intolerant? At this point, do I really f*@cking care?

It also astounds me that the campaign to defeat Proposition 8 only has only amassed 30,000 donors out of an estimated 1 million LGBT Californians. And many of them are our straight allies.

Is marriage just not that important to our community? Don’t they realize that if we let them strip away this one right, it gives them license to strip away all the rights we’ve worked so hard for and now enjoy? (at least here in California)

I’m angry with the Mormon church for muscling their way into California politics in an attempt to steal away our rights and invalidate my marriage to my partner of 8 years. And I am angry with the members of my community, who won’t stand up to them.

Everyone needs to donate time, or donate money today. Put down the cosmopolitan. Skip the gym at least for a day. Reschedule that facial (lord knows I’ve done all of these things). And please make a difference.

Getting married may not matter to you now my LGBT friends, but trust me, it will.

A San Jose family placed a large “Yes on 8” banner on the front of their house, after their “Yes on 8” yard signs were recently stolen.

To counter the sign, supporters of marriage equality parked an SUV in front of the house with the words “Bigots Live Here” emblazoned on the rear window, with an arrow pointing toward the house.

The Sundstroms are Mormon. At the behest of their leaders in Utah, Mormons here and throughout the country are working hard to pass Proposition 8, donating nearly 10 million so far. Many going as far as taking a second mortgage out on their homes or withdrawing their savings to fund their cause.

And the Sundstroms donated $30,000 to Yes on Prop 8. Yesterday.

These are unintended consequences and we are hurting ourselves.

Not good for us.

As many of you know, Gen. Colin Powell (R) endorsed Barack Obama on Meet the Press on Sunday. It is something that many progressives have been hoping and waiting for for some time. While it would be easy to dig into the partisan mud, the moment that struck me most was how the photograph of a Muslim soldier factored into Powell’s endorsement.

“I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son’s grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards–Purple Heart, Bronze Star–showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn’t have a Christian cross, it didn’t have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life. Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourself in this way. And John McCain is as nondiscriminatory as anyone I know. But I’m troubled about the fact that, within the party, we have these kinds of expressions.”

The photo actually appeared in the New Yorker back in September. It wasn’t difficult to find.

It’s a stark, moving image. And speaks more truth than any political rally or campaign stop, Democrat or Republican. And then I noticed the date of his birth.

It’s a notable day. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12. As was Charles Darwin.

But as I write this it gets harder and harder for me to look at the image. Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan was born 20 years to the day after I was born. I share my birthday was this hero, who has given more in his 20 years than I will give in an entire lifetime.

I ask, how many more need to die?

Today, October 20, is the last day people can register to vote in California. I’m not going to go and on about civic duty, but this may be the most important election of our lifetime, and it’s so important to participate in that. We also have a tremendous opportunity here in California… not only to elect a president who has the vision to move us forward into the 21st century (8 years late I might add), but to extend and maintain equal rights to ALL the citizens of California. I am course referring to Proposition 8, which will strip away civil rights to same-sex couples, denying them the right to marry the person they love.

There’s so much at stake in November. So please be sure sure to register. Today. And make sure all your friends and family are registered. Today.

To register or verify your registration to vote, visit any of the following sites:

• Just Vote
• Vote for Change
• Rock the Vote

For more on Proposition 8, visit NoOnProp8.com

I’ll leave you with a couple of clips to chew on…

Gavin Newsom on Energy 92.7 speaking on the importance of Proposition 8.

Sarah Palin voices her support for a Federal Marriage Amendment.