On the evening of November 4, 2009, members of civil and same-sex marriage rights organizations will stage a rally at the California State Capitol to protest the passing of Prop 8 exactly one year ago. Roughly three thousand miles away in the state of Maine, Question One will have been answered for citizens hoping their state is the next state to legalize same-sex marriage. Maine is the latest battleground for supporters of same-sex marriage. On November 3, they will be the first in any state with the chance to repeal or uphold a law passed by their state Legislature and signed by their governor, legalizing such marriages. The ballot measure, Question One, results from Maine’s provision

A year ago on November 4, 2008, Proposition 8, a California ballot proposition passed in the November general election. The measure added a new section (7.5) to Article I of the California Constitution. The section reads: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” The proposition overturned the California Supreme Court’s ruling saying that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right, by restricting the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples. California’s State Constitution put the measure into immediate effect the day after the election. On November 4, 2009, Equality Action Now, along with members of the Sacramento LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Tr

Lisa Gorden and JDD Doran-Jammer, both blind, trailed behind the crowd of people marching around the Capitol, echoing their chants “Hey hey, ho ho, discrimination has got to go.” Although they are not gay and said marching with crowds is difficult given their physical disposition, the two friends joined in Tuesday’s rally against the California Supreme Court’s upholding of Proposition 8. “I’m just real sad and mad about the Prop. 8 decision. It just seemed important to come out in the heat and support this,” Gorden said. “We have plenty of noise to follow.” Gorden and Doran-Jammer were two of an estimated 2,000 who appeared at Tuesday’s rally, organized by Equality Action NOW, which ref

 There was a strange combination of emotions in Headhunters Video Lounge and Grill around 10 a.m. when the California Supreme Court decided to uphold Proposition 8, the state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages. Perhaps it was the nature of the initial announcement, which was shouted by an on scene KOVR 13 reporter while hearing the breaking news through a cellphone. Several people cried, but most didn't have time to react, because stations like KXTV 10, KOVR 13, and KTXL 40 were already on the scene videotaping and interviewing people about their initial reactions outside of Headhunters. After the crowd of nearly 100 calmed down a bit, Laurie McBride and Paul Curtis of the

Monday, May 25 12-1 p.m. Elk Grove Civil War Round Table will be holding a Civil War Memorial walk and rally near the fish pond. Fifty people are expected to participate. 1-2 p.m. A 21-gun salute will be held in memorial of the Mexican-American War near the Mexican-American Veterans Memorial just north of the traffic circle on 10th Street and Capitol Avenue. Seventy-five people are expected to attend. Tuesday, May 26 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Happy Tails, a no-kill facility dedicated to protecting and improving the lives of homeless and abused animals, according to their website, will be holding a bake sale on the north and south entrances of the Capitol. 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Caravan for Justice wi

Sacramento-based Equality Action NOW is coordinating with several other organizations to hold several community events around the imminent Supreme Court decision on Proposition 8, the recently passed measure that banned gay marriage in California. Those other organizations include the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center, Sacramento Regional Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Intersex Leadership Coalition, Marriage Equality USA and Yes On Equality. The court will announce the decision on whether or to uphold Prop. 8 on either Thursday, May 21, Tuesday, May 26, Thursday, May 28, or Monday, June 1, but no matter what the outcome of the decision, the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center will

Wednesday, May 20 8 a.m.-4 p.m. California Hunger Action Coalition will be holding a Hunger Action Day on the north steps of the Capitol. "Each May, hundreds of anti-hunger advocates from all over the state meet in Sacramento to educate their legislators about hunger and support anti-hunger legislation. Low-income advocates, soup kitchen volunteers, nutritionists, food bank supporters and others concerned about the 3.1 million Californians experiencing hunger travel by bus, car and airplane once each year to participate in this important event," says the event's webpage. 350 people are expected. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. American Heart Association will be holding an educational California Lobby Day

Hundreds of gays, lesbians and supporters lined the south steps of the State Capitol to recommit to the cause of fighting for equality Wednesday at around 5 p.m. Organized by the nonprofit Equality Action NOW (which also helped organized the larger March 16 rally at the State Capitol), the people were there to tell the world that they want equality, and they want it now. On the eve of the California Supreme Court hearing arguments on the validity of Prop. 8, the state amendment to ban same-sex marriages, the hundreds marched from the State Capitol to the steps of the Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Building. The gathered held signs with slogans such as, “We are never going away,” "God d

February 16th, 2009 State Capitol No on 8 Rally Reactions to Marriage Equality March and Rally on the Capitol Steps After going to many Prop 8 rallies, this one truly resonated with me. The rain and cold made the event even more powerful; seeing people from San Jose to San Francisco and beyond while braving the forces of Mother Nature. Yes, Margaret Cho and Wanda Sykes were among the celebrities to give speeches; Wanda's by far was one of the more humorous. Monday's rally still gave me a different outlook at the future of our movement. And when I say our, I mean everyone who is fighting for equality. Proposition 8 sometimes seems like a decade ago, but rallies like this remind me that

Hundreds of supporters of equal rights for all Americans gathered this afternoon on the state Capitol's west steps, waving flags and cheering on gay and lesbian couples who have claimed the right to marry, as spelled out by the California Supreme Court.  Political stars such as Senate President pro Tem Darryl Steinberg and Senator Mark Leno joined entertainers Margaret Cho, Wanda Sykes and Star Trek's George Takei and his husband Brad Altman in celebration of equal marriage rights and in anticipation of the upcoming decision by the Supreme Court regarding Proposition 8. The court, located just across the street from the Capitol, will decide the constitutionality of Prop. 8 on March 5. Pr

The court battle over access to the records of who gave how much money to the Prop. 8 campaign against gay rights is over, and the principle of open government won. Today, the Secretary of State's office released a list of 56,000 names of people who gave as much as $1.2 million to either support or oppose the proposition, which would strip gay couples of the right to marry in California. There are a number of surprises in the list, not least of which is that the top 5 donations came from people who opposed the proposition. Read the full list here. But there were other propositions on the ballot, all of which were funded by private individuals. For a list of who gave money to the other p

After Proposition 8 passed last week there was an immediate response. I walked out of a late lunch in midtown into a large rally for No on 8. That rally had a very serious tone of anger and disappointment. Yesterday afternoon there was another No on 8 protest. This one was much bigger with thousands of people marching on the Capitol. The tone was already more hopeful and defiant. Protesters carried signs instead of the candles of last week's rally. The Sacramento Police and California Highway Patrol presence was strong. They followed protesters down the Capitol mall and L street to Lavender Heights on the corner of 20th and K streets. After yesterday's rally I got a chance to speak with

You could hear the chants to the front door of The Waterboy. You could see the glow of the candlelight from The Embassy. The intensity could be felt for miles around. While most were swimming in the honeymoon of an Obama ratification, many were feeling left out of the party. But hundreds of those still fighting for equality decided to exercise their constitutional rights by staging a rally in front of the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center at 20th & L streets. Hoisting signs that read, "America = Equality 4 Some" and "Marriage is a human right, not a heterosexual priviledge (sic)," these protesters swore to continue the fight. Their beef is with the passing of Proposition 8; a contemptible

DEAR CALIFORNIA: BREAKING NEWS - PROP 8 HAS PASSED!!   On November 4th I spent another full day protesting on the corners of Greenback and Sunrise. Screaming, honking, neon signs, carpol tunnel, and all that good stuff. Though as the polls closed at 8pm, I had to find something else to do with my evening. I heard an announcement on the radio about a Prop 8 party being held at the Hyatt Hotel on L street. Obviously - I was inclined to visit it. The event had a very classy set up, with exotic cheeses and camera crews. The people who attended were overwhelmingly enthusiatic, while watching one of the four giant TVs they had set up in the corners of the room which read the suspenseful poll

On November 3, 2008 I found myself on Greenback and Sunrise joining a crowd of people advertising their beliefs... There were tons of wild people, thousands of signs with different hilarious and descriminating slogans (from both parties), cars decked out in their signs, and cops rolling their eyes. Sure - I bet a lot of them didn't even know what prop 8 was, they just wanted something to do, but regardless, it was quite the experience.   Check it out! As the night rolled in, so did the people. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-qKvS12-HY Know what you're supporting - one way or another :) www.protectmarriage.com   - (YES on 8) www.noonprop8.com  - (NO on 8)