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September 5, 2007 Our Calls, Emails, Letters and Presence Do MatterI sat in San Diego City Council Chambers on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 and watched as City Councilmembers voted on a motion to sign a friend-of-the-court brief in the marriage equality case currently before the California Supreme Court. I was one of the San Diego taxpayers who had come to speak in favor of the motion. The motion failed in a 4-4 tie vote. Councilmembers Scott Peters (District 1), Toni Atkins (District 3), Jim Madaffer (District 7), and Ben Hueso (District 8) voted “Yes.” Councilmembers Kevin Faulconer (District 2), Tony Young (District 4), Brian Maienschein (District 5), and Donna Frye (District 6) all voted “No.” Councilmember Frye prefaced her “No” vote with a lengthy explanation that included a statement that only five of her constituents had contacted her office about “this controversial matter” (that’s right; the notion of “equality for all” is so “controversial”). Councilmember Frye went on to say that she wanted the opposition to have more time to voice their concerns. Through her actions and comments, Councilmember Frye unwittingly re-affirmed the importance of each and every Lambda Letters Project card, letter, email, and phone call to elected leaders about legislation that impacts the quality of life of people LLP serves. We cannot rely on our elected leaders to protect the rights of citizens simply because it’s the right thing to do, legally and morally. Sometimes we need to instill some moral courage in them by “showing up” and making our voices heard, over and over again. On Tuesday, September 18, the San Diego City Council will again vote on whether or not to sign a friend-of-the-court brief in the marriage equality case. We will have another opportunity to plead with our elected leaders to promote justice and end discrimination. And we need your help because this will probably be another close vote. Lambda Letters Project members and allies in the San Diego area are urged to help in any way you can. Please call, write, and/or email your Councilmember before September 18, 2007. Now that the Councilmembers and others have been given ample time to “process” this matter of civil rights and basic human decency, please urge those who voted “No” to vote in support of San Diego City Council’s signing a friend of the court brief in the marriage equality case. Thank Councilmembers Atkins, Madaffer, Hueso and Peters for voting “yes” on September 4th and urge them to vote yes again on Sept. 18th. Contact information is provided below. Please: Contact your district representative and urge her or him to support marriage equality. Each councilmember will be counting her or his constituents' responses, so your call or email matters! Attend the council meeting if you can on Tuesday, September 18 and sign a card of support. You can choose to speak on the matter or simply have your support noted for the record. We know that gay and lesbian taxpayers help pay for the legal rights and privileges that heterosexual married couples enjoy every day. It’s time to stop discriminating against lesbian and gay Americans by forcing us to subsidize marital rights for heterosexuals that we cannot enjoy ourselves. Let’s remind elected leaders like Councilmember Frye that it is morally reprehensible to play a numbers game when it comes to legal, civil and constitutional rights and privileges that all American citizens are entitled to. To ask for time to “process” whether or not equal rights should be extended to gays and lesbians is to tacitly support discrimination against gays and lesbians, period. Please take one or more of the suggested actions so that together, we can help provide equal rights and protections for everyone who wants to make a legally sanctioned life-long commitment to marriage. Sincerely, Pat Washington, Chair, Lambda Letters Project Those who voted for SD Signing on to Marriage Equality Friend of the Court Brief :
District One – Scott Peters Those who voted against SD Signing on to Marriage Equality Friend of the Court:
District Two – Kevin Faulconer |