INSIDE THIS

ISSUE:
V O L U M E
The “M” Word
I I I I S S U E I J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 8
Resolutions for the
New Year

Election 2008

Let California Ring

Resolutions for the New Year
Dream of Equality
Legislative Briefs
New Study-Marriage
Promotion Industry
Merchandise Online
So the new year has started and
Pursuit of Equality
if you’re like everyone else
you’ve probably created a list of
Couples Corner
resolutions and already broken
half of them! Well, here’s a list
of 10 resolutions for 2008 that
you can work on throughout the
year to bring about a positive
change in the marriage equality
movement!
1. Tell Your Story Tell
everyone you know, friends,
family, coworkers- why marriage
equality matters to you.
2. Register to Vote Make a
difference in this important
election year by voting and
having your voice heard at the
polls!
3. Get Engaged Say “I Do” to
getting engaged-educate your
friends, family and clergy about
marriage equality.
4. Volunteer –Get involved
with your local chapter of
Marriage Equality USA.
5. Become A Member Join
Marriage Equality USA as a
member and become part of a
positive force creating change.
6. Start a Chapter Become the
first to start a chapter of
Marriage Equality USA in your
local region.
7. Sign the Marriage
Declaration It’s available to sign
online at our website:
www.marriageequality.org
8.Write Your Electeds Make
your opinions known and write
to your elected officials. They
want to know your perspective.
9. Make a Donation Make a
financial contribution to Marriage
Equality USA to show your
support!
10. Get Others Involved Get
your friends and family to join
you and us as we go forward in
our fight for the freedom to
marry!
Here’s to a
great 2008!

Election 2008
The 2008 Election Campaigns
are in full swing spreading across
the United States in this season
of Primaries. One of the most
important things you can do is to
register to vote and then to
actually vote! Make this year the
year that your voice is heard at
the polls.
Participate in the election
process and help shape the
future of the presidency.
Marriage Equality USA has
received a lot of questions from
people asking who to vote for in
the various races. Marriage
Equality USA does not endorse
any political candidates, we only
provide educational materials
and resources to help you form
your own decisions.
The National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force has put together an
excellent resource for voters
entitled “The 2008
Presidential Candidates’
Positions on Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgender
Issues”. You can download the
35 page document from here
http://www.thetaskforce.org/
downloads/reports/reports/
final_candidates_positions.pdf
Make a difference– go VOTE!!!

Let California Ring

Dear Love Warriors,
The first time I saw it, I was
moved.
And it's moving people
everywhere to do more.
Not long ago, the Let
California Ring campaign sent
their video to thousands of
Californians. Today, I'm
excited to share it with you. In
the video, gay and lesbian
couples, their families, friends
and supporters share personal
stories, heartfelt reflections,
and inspiring perspectives on
the freedom to marry.
If every Californian could see
this video, well, we think the
freedom to marry would have
many more supporters.
Have you seen it? Even more,
have you shared it? Click here:
http://www.kintera.org/site/
lookup.asp?
c=ltJTJ6MQIuE&b=3439859
Let California Ring needs the
help of supporters like you to
change hearts and minds in
California. There are millions
of Californians who support
the LGBT community, but
who STILL don't stand up for
the freedom of gay and lesbian
couples to marry - simply
because they haven't heard
from the people behind our
fight.
So let them hear from you:
*Sign the pledge to say "Yes, I
support the freedom to
marry"
http://www.kintera.org/site/
lookup.asp?
c=ltJTJ6MQIuE&b=3439859
*Get our ring of support and
wear it until the day that
everyone has the freedom to
marry the person they love
http://
www.letcaliforniaring.org/site/
lookup.asp?
c=ltJTJ6MQIuE&b=3584945
*Then pass along the Let
California Ring video to friends
and family to start
conversations about why you
support the freedom to marry
Today, more people than ever
know and love someone who
is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or
transgender. We must take
advantage of this momentum
by not being silent. Reach out
and start a conversation with
the people you know about
the freedom to marry. You'll
be surprised at how easy it is
to change someone's mind
when they hear how this issue
affects YOU. And when words
are hard to find, use your ring
of support or the Let
California Ring video as
powerful tools to show the
ways in which we're all
affected, when some of us
don't have the freedom to
marry the person we love.
Don't wait for someone else
to be the change. Please join
me and be a voice for the
freedom to marry today.
Sincerely,
David Janis-Kitzmiller
President, Board of Directors
Marriage Equality USA

Dream of Equality
As we celebrate Dr. Martin that not having the freedom to homophobic attitudes and
Luther King Jr. Day, let us be
marry bring to light. policies were unjust and
reminded of the dream of
equality that we all share. unworthy of a free society
Quoting a passage from her and must be opposed by all
late husband's writing, Coretta Americans who believe in
“I have a dream that one
Scott King reaffirmed her democracy." She said the civil
day this nation will rise up
stance on gay and lesbian rights movement "thrives on
and live out the true
rights at a luncheon unity and inclusion, not
meaning of its creed: "We
celebrating the 25 anniversary division and exclusion." Her
hold these truths to be self-
of the Lambda Legal Defense husband's struggle parallels
evident, that all men are
and Education Fund, "We are that of the gay rights
created equal."
all tied together in a single movement, she said. - Chicago
Those words spoken by Dr. garment of destiny . . . I can Sun Times, April 1, 1998, p.18.
King still hold true today as never be what I ought to be
until you are allowed to be Let’s work together to realize
same-sex couples and their
what you ought to be," she the dream of civil marriage
families face the social
said, quoting her husband. equality for all. Together we
injustices and discrimination
"I've always felt that can make a difference!

Legislative Briefs
A domestic partner bill that died in
the New Mexico legislature this
spring has been revived at the
prodding of Gov. Bill Richardson.
The legislation would create a
statewide domestic partnership
registry for both same and
opposite-sex couples.
Couples would be guaranteed
access to each other in hospitals
and be able to make medical
decisions for partners who are
unable to make those decisions
themselves, and they would be
granted other state benefits and
rights accorded to partners in
marriages. The measure passed the
House Consumer and Public Affairs
Committee on a 4 - 3 vote along
party lines with Democrats in the
majority. The bill now moves to
the Judiciary Committee. If it is
approved there it would be sent to
the full House for a vote.
Backers of a proposed amendment
to bar same-sex marriage in
Florida are scrambling to find
20,000 signatures to get the
measure on November's ballot
after the Secretary of State
announced Monday that a counting
mistake put them well short of the
required 611,000 signatures
needed. With two weeks until the
deadline for submitting signatures it
is unclear if Florida4Marriage will
be able to make up the 20,000
name shortfall.
Florida4Marriage attempted to
have the measure placed on the
2006 ballot but fell short of the
required signatures. Under Florida
law Florida4Marriage, was allowed
to continue to add names to the
petition in a bid to get it on the
2008 ballot.
The same-sex partners of workers
in the civil service in Nevada
could soon have health and
insurance benefits. The board of
the Nevada Public Employees
Benefits Program has voted to
expand coverage to unmarried
couples and their dependents. The
measure, which includes same-and
opposite-sex couples who live
together, still needs to go through
public hearings and then receive
the approval of the legislature.

New Study on ‘Marriage Promotion Industry’

SIECUS Releases Publication
on the Marriage Promotion
Industry - Programs
Discriminate Against LGBT
Youth and Families
Recently the Sexuality Information
and Education Council of the
United States (SIECUS) released
Legalized Discrimination: The Rise
of the Marriage-Promotion Industry
and How Federally Funded
Programs Discriminate Against
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and
Transgender Youth and Families.
The special report examines the
rise of the federal government's
involvement in promoting
heterosexual marriage as the only
morally acceptable life choice, and
discriminating against individuals
who do not fit into that mold.
"This is an important report that
sheds light on an over-looked,
insidious form of discrimination
against LGBT youth and their
families," said Congresswoman
Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). "I hope
this information is read and
absorbed by policy-makers,
parents, and educators."
With the unwavering support of
the Bush administration, and more
than two billion federal and state
dollars over the past quarter
century, distributed through
programs such as the Healthy
Marriage Initiative, groups
dedicated to promoting marriage
have become more than a
community of individual
organizations with a shared goal.
Well-funded marriage-promotion
and abstinence-only-until-marriage
programs have become a full-
fledged industry that is ostensibly
aimed at preventing teen pregnancy
and reducing poverty, but in reality
promotes idealized notions of
heterosexual marriage as the cure
for all of society's ills in schools,
stigmatizes and demeans LGBT
youth, and leaves all youth
unprepared to make healthy
decisions in their lives.
"On a fundamental level, this
report tells the story of how some
of the most extreme right wing
elements of our country conspired
to subvert taxpayer dollars to
promote one type of family over all
others," said William Smith, vice
president for public policy at
SIECUS. "Marriage-promotion
programs are trying to make
second-class citizens out of LGBT
youth and families. This report
sheds light on how violative these
programs are of basic American
values like tolerance and diversity."
SIECUS' special report outlines the
history of the marriage promotion
industry, the funding streams which
support it, the messages it is giving
to youths, the conservative agenda
that motivates it, and also gives
policy recommendations based on
the findings. The full report and
executive summary can be found at
www.siecus.org. Contact Patrick
Malone at (212) 819-9770 ext. 316
or pmalone@siecus.org with any
questions.

MEUSA Merchandise Available Online

Ever wondered how you can get all
that snazzy Marriage Equality logo
merchandise? Well wonder no
more! You can visit our online
store at www.cafepress.com/meusa
Here you’ll find t-shirts, hats, coffee
mugs, calendars, buttons,
sweatshirts, and just about
everything you can think of with
the Marriage Equality logo!

Pursuit of Equality
BY ISSUING SAME-SEX
MARRIAGE LICENSES, SAN
FRANCISCO MAYOR GAVIN
NEWSOM UPROOTS THE
STATUS QUO, ATTEMPTS
TO CHANGE THE WAY THE
NATION LOOKS AT LIFE,
LOVE, AND MARRIAGE, AND
IGNITES WHAT MAY
BECOME OUR NATION’S
NEXT GREAT CIVIL RIGHTS
ISSUE.
PURSUIT OF EQUALITY is an
emotionally charged film that puts a
face on American citizens who
strive for marriage equality.
From the first frame of the film,
even before the press is aware, this
film crew is with Mayor Gavin
Newsom’s senior staff as the
nation’s first same-sex couple
exchange their vows and ignite the
most controversial civil rights topic
in recent history.
The story continues on the streets,
in the courtrooms, and on the steps
of City Hall, where same-sex
couples clash with church groups
who declare that who they are and
how they love is a sin.
The film focuses on the compelling,
For more information visit
human rights struggles surrounding
same-sex marriage and captures the www.pursuitofequality.com
elation and despair of couples and
families who are fighting for equal
rights.
As the only film crew in the
Mayor's chambers during the most Now
crucial of times, this extraordinary Available on
film provides a telling ‘fly-on-the DVD
wall’ view as this historic event
unfolds.

Couples Corner—Love stories from around the globe

I'm from Kentucky and took a job
with a law firm in Omaha a number
of years ago. I was a nationwide
trial attorney at the time Margaux
and I met. I had a long trial in
Daytona Beach. After being there
several weeks I finally called a friend
in Orlando and asked if she'd like to
meet me in Orlando for dinner. So,
we met several friends of hers at
dinner and one of her friends was
so much fun, so happy, so full of
life. Do you know that line in
Auntie Mame . . . "Live, live, live!
Life is a banquet, and most poor
suckers are starving to death!"
Well, this girl was doing it. Cute
and could dance. Witty. I thought .
. . gee, why couldn't I meet a girl
like that? She was an actress at
Universal Studios in Orlando and a
television reporter for an Orlando
news channel.
. . . So, the next day I wake up in
my hotel room and I'm feeling a
little sick . . . short of breath . . .
chest pains . . . almost a panic attack
kind of feeling. Then it hit me . . . I
did meet a girl like that!
I called my friend and said, we have
to find Margaux and go out again
tonight. So, we did. Margaux was
less than enthusiastic. She thought I
was some out of town lonely heart
just looking for some temporary
company. After my trial ended, I
flew back to Orlando every
weekend for the next few
months. Finally, she came up to
Omaha and met some of my
friends. We dated over several
months and she eventually agreed
to move to Omaha.
So that's the story of how we
met. We had a civil union at the
Lilac Inn on July 8, 2000 - shortly
after the civil union law was
passed. When we got back from
Vermont the political storm over
our "marriage" amendment was
getting fired up. We were the
only couple from NE who had gone
to Vermont. So, we did lots of
media, debates, radio, tv . . . in
opposition to the amendment. We
later were part of the lawsuit with
the ACLU.
We planned to go back to Vermont
to have Grayson but he was born 9
weeks early in Omaha on October
23, 2001. A whopping 2 lbs. We
eventually worked for legislation in
Nebraska that would allow a
second parent adoption but it didn't
pass last year. We have a website
in support of the legislation
www.NEAdoption2.org. This
summer I took a job in Austin and
we got the second parent adoption
done ASAP. My company was then
purchased by another and they said
we could live wherever we wanted
and we came back to Omaha.
Omaha. After the bad timing with
his birth - the adoption story is
nothing short of a miracle.
When we found out we were finally
expecting a little bundle of joy we
couldn’t have been more
excited. We bought the little thinga
-magiggy that lets you hear the
baby’s movements and a
microphone we could place on my
tummy to talk to the little cherub.
We read him Shakespeare and
poetry and Dr. Seuss. I stopped
drinking caffeine and having
chocolate and did all of the other
over the top things we could think
to make a perfect baby. I guess our
over exuberance was a combination
of waiting until we were older to
have a baby and then having to work
so hard at it.
Anyway in all of our excitement we
started searching for books that
were relevant to our beginning family
and ended up disappointed by the
limited supply available. Over the
years that has changed, our son is six
now and the selection offered has
grown and now we have a mini-
library full of fun books pertinent to
our family and lives.
We know we are a minority and that
most kids have a mom and a dad, but
for little guys like our son we
thought wouldn’t it be grand if there
were something more available to
them. Something like a cartoon, like
a Caillou with two moms or
dads. The more we talked about it
the more important it became. It
was almost like, if we didn’t do
something about it after we had this
fantastic idea, then we were
somehow being irresponsible
parents. So out of that, “Buddy G”
was born. It took longer, cost more
and was way harder then we thought
it would be, but we couldn’t be
happier or more proud of the
cartoon and the potential it
represents. “Buddy G” has
added incredible joy to our family
and we hope he adds a little
happiness to yours.
Sincerely,
Margaux, Donna and Grayson
www.buddyg.tv

Founded in 1998, Marriage Equality USA is a national

grassroots organization whose mission is to secure
legally recognized civil marriage equality for all, at the
federal and state level, without regard to gender
Marriage Equality USA identity or sexual orientation .
4096 Piedmont Avenue
Suite 257
For more information or to get involved please visit
Oakland, California
www.marriageequality.org !
94611
Phone: 510-496-2700
Fax: 510-380-5200
E-mail: info@marriageequality.org
www.marriageequality.org ©2007 MEUSA All rights reserved.