The Courage Campaign has released a moving new video called “Fidelity”, asking the California Supreme Court not to divorce the 18,000 same-sex couples who were married before the passage of Proposition 8. Leading the effort to invalidate those marriages is Pepperdine University’s Ken Starr. Yes, the same Ken Starr whose investigation eventually led to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.
Visit the Courage Campaign and send a message to the California Supreme Court asking them to invalidate Prop 8 and reject Ken Starr’s case.
Mormon church officials have now disclosed $190,000 in contributions to the Yes on Prop 8 campaign… this is up from $30K reported earlier in the week.
The church had previously denied any financial support for the campaign beyond a $2000 expense for a visiting Elder of the church.
The report, filed with the secretary of state’s office, listed a variety of California travel expenses for high-ranking members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and included $20,575 for use of facilities and equipment at the church’s Salt Lake City headquarters and a $96,849 charge for “compensated staff time” for church employees who worked on matters pertaining to Prop. 8.
“This is exactly what we were talking about when we filed the suit,” said Fred Karger of Californians Against Hate, which opposed the same-sex marriage ban. “They spent money on the campaign and were supposed to report it.”
GayAtheist revealed a document this morning providing proof that the Church of Latter Day Saints donated $30,354.85 to ProtectMarriage.com on 11/3/2008, the day prior to the election. The Late Contribution Report was not filed until January 15, 2009.
They cannot hide behind the lies any longer. This is probably one of the main reasons why ProtectMarriage.com filed a lawsuit asking that late Prop 8 donors not be disclosed publicly, which was thrown out yesterday. It also adds even more credibility to the charges leveled by Fred Karger of Californians Against Hate and the investigation by the CFFP.
While there’s plenty of buzz in the LGBT community about the slighting of Bishop Gene Robinson at yesterday’s inaugural festivities, let’s not forget how important this day is.
When we focus on the injustices, (which seems almost daily), we often forget all the positive steps forward the LGBT community has made as a whole, and on this of all days, we need be cognizant of that. Otherwise there really is is no hope.
It would serve our community well to remember some of Dr. King’s wise words…
Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.
Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.
Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies – or else? The chain reaction of evil – hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars – must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.
Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.
And of course…
“And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
Every step forward, no matter how small, brings us closer to Martin Luther King’s dream. Let us not forget that.
