Gay rights groups build war chest to defend anti-Prop. 8 judges

Gay rights leaders hope to build a $1-million war chest to defend any judge threatened with recall for ruling in favor of gay marriage, leaders announced during a conference call with supporters Tuesday night.

Leaders of the failed campaign to oppose Proposition 8, which amended the state Constitution to define marriage as only between a man and a woman, also said they would meet in January to plot the course for the movement's future. Supporters of gay marriage have sued to overturn Proposition 8, and the California Supreme Court will hear the case as early as spring.

Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California and one of the leaders of the No on 8 campaign, said he wanted to use any funds left over from the last campaign.

During their "virtual" town hall, "Prop 8: The Facts and the Future," gay rights leaders talked of plans to put a new gay marriage question before voters, perhaps as soon as 2010. They also vowed to improve their outreach to blacks and Latinos, who supported Proposition 8, according to exit polls.

--Jessica Garrison

Comments

[JJ]

I think these are civil rights leaders, not "gay rights" leaders.

[MikeNYC]

Thank heavens someone is standing up for and defending our American system against the onslaught of mob rule. If court decisions can be overturned by a simple majoirty vote and if judges can be removed because they don't support the majority opinion, then "Freedom and Justice for All" is GONE from America. In the late 1930's, the German government started removing any judge that didn't agree with their agenda. This threat by the Proposition 8 supporters sounds very similar and THAT should be another frightening thing for everyone. If a simple majority can "rule" the country, then what hope will any minority have in the future. We saw what happened in Germany to minorities, let's NOT let that happen here.

[Rick DeLano]

I suggest the opponents of Prop 8 dig a whole lot deeper than 1 mil. Any judge who intends to put the electorate of California on notice that we live in a judicial dictatorship will, I assure you, be put on notice in turn that it is time to polish up his or her resume.

We'll raise 1 mil in thirty minutes.

The people are sovereign in this Republic, and the usurpers fof all branches had best keep it very much in mind.

[TruthHurts]

How many times do we have to vote on this?

[Zach]

Scary that we need to defend judges for judging. All this nonsense about "activist judges" made up by political and religious figures (who make good money whipping the people into a frenzy) has caused We, The People, to forget that the judges aren't elected BECAUSE they're supposed to rule impartially on what they think is right, not what is popular with the voters. This isn't an episode of Survivor.

[gemini99]

Good to see that the fight is organized. PROTECT THE JUSTICES!!

[Nicole]

Where do we donate money to help protect the Judges?

[Alex]

Please feel yourself humans not animals. Say yes to love and no to H8!

[yvonne anaya]

TO rick delano,
Whats wrong rick, what are affriad of, raise your millions to conbat judges, cause your heart is frozen, without God, your GODLESS rick.
If you had God in your heart you would raise your millions to fight hunger, help poor and helpless children, who would head up an organization to help inocient people caught in a evil wars, you would help millions misplaced thanks to huge earthquakes all over the world, fight aids in countries were people are exposed to this disease. But if you loved this country so damn much why dont you raise your millions to help all the people in this country who are losing there jobs, houses and retirenment savings!!!
Thanks to people like you, who started all this, we had to raise money to defend ourselves when we could have been raiseing money for alot more important issues, keep in mind that it was this ban on gay marriage that started raising money to hurt and deprive people!!! Yet you chose to "Protect mariage"? If that were true(wihich its not) than the first thing you would have banned would've been Divorse, but you didnt cause that isnt what you wanted to do, you wanted to judge gay people in a open forum with people just like you so you could feel better about yourself and your hatred. So why dont you become a judge, why dont your raise 3 million and get yourself on the panal so you can judge everyone even yourself..... whats going be your excuse when God ask you why you felt the need to judge others even though god stated it is not your job and it is his job and his only??? We raise money to defend our right, you raise momey to take them away, your GODLESS rick delano!!!!!!!!

[MikeNYC]

Rick DeLano I suggest the fascists who think courts can be intimidated by mobe rule, better rethink things. Yes, it worked in Nazi Germany, but it won't work again.

[MikeNYC]

TruthHurts we don't vote on civil rights and never have. When civil rights come up for a vote, then minorites always lose and we are in Nazi Germany again.

[mike]

I think this following information shows you why we can't let the public vote decide
civil rights.

It was only in 1967, during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that miscegenation laws were unconstitutional (Loving v. Virginia). At that time, 38 states still had formal laws on their books to forbid the marriage of whites and non-whites. In this era, these laws still had widespread public support: just two years earlier, a 1965 Galllup poll found that 72 per cent of Southern whites and 42 per cent of Northern whites still wanted to ban interracial marriage.

[Rick DeLano]

yvonne:

You have a remarkable gift for projecting onto strangers the surging, very powerful emotions which evidently serve you in lieu of calm, rational discourse.

52% of the people of California voted for Prop 8.

Either 52% of the people are godless, heartless, haters, or else:

you are an hysterical, shrieking harpy.

Take your pick :-)

[Jim]

Rick, while I concur that one should attack arguments and not the attacker, I concur with Yvonne that your money would be much better used on endeavors such as fighting war and poverty instead of trying to roll back civil equality and the separation of church and state. 52% of voters did NOT vow to raise money to recall justices, as you are doing. They merely cast a ballot. To raise funds to go after a judge who is merely doing their job requires you to go the extra mile, and puts you in a different class of opponent.

[Rick DeLano]

Hi Jim:

You say: "Rick, while I concur that one should attack arguments and not the attacker, I concur with Yvonne that your money would be much better used on endeavors such as fighting war and poverty instead of trying to roll back civil equality and the separation of church and state."

Jim, I concur with the notion that my money is mine to spend as I please. The same principle holds for you; therefore, I do not condemn you, nor even presume to advise you, regarding your choices in this matter.

For example, you might choose to donate some of *your* money to some fund set up to help the gay movement overturn the expressed will of the people of California regarding Prop 8. I certainly respect your right to do so, and will take great pride in matching- indeed, exceeding!- your financial committment, in order to defend that expressed will.

"52% of voters did NOT vow to raise money to recall justices, as you are doing."

If you imagine that 52% of the people are going to sit back quietly and allow four judicial activists to disrespect their clearly-expressed will in this matter, you're in for another big surprise, I'm afraid.

"They merely cast a ballot."

"Merely"? What a fascinating insight into your thinking that little two-syllable word provides.

"To raise funds to go after a judge who is merely doing their job requires you to go the extra mile, and puts you in a different class of opponent."

It puts me in that class of opponent, I suppose, who considers it to have been much more than a "mere" vote.

I solemnly assure you, Jim. We will not allow our vote to be overturned by four judicial activists.

The good news is, it is quite clear that the Court does not intend to overturn Prop 8.

If they did so, however, it would represent an absolutely grave matter for all of us who understand that the People are sovereign in this Republic.

[RalphR.]

This is an iIRRITANT, we also the minority (Latino, Blacks, Moslims, etc.) also have a protection under the law for our minority VOICE. There should be a legislative bill to limit the number of voting attempts on this issue. However brought to the table should accept the results. GROW UP!

Be informed on what HARVEY MILK represent. It's what they negated will not happen in schools. Did you know it was present already as a bill to the Governer and what he did with it or what his strategy is will be disclosed later publicly or if not too late in our schools.

Also, who has a right in Goverment, Business etc. to represent a point of view with intimidation of does under their control. Example TEACHERS UNION!

Have at it!

[JRBJ]

Perhaps the full power of a "sovereign people" without judiciary sanction needs to be brought to bear on Rick DeLano. Any professional or personal information for Mr. DeLano available? A sovereign boycott or maybe a few sovereign phone calls might better help him understand that the power of the people does not simply rest with the (narrow) majority.

This is obviously an issue very near and dear to Mr. DeLano, as he has posted several hateful (and overly bombastic) rants about this matter on multiple discussion boards . . . perhaps the matter of homosexuality hits a little too close to home for him.

Perhaps he is just a hegemonic hateful ignorant bigot.

"The world only spins forward. We will be citizens. The time has come.
The great work begins..." - Kushner

[Rick DeLano]

Dear JRB:

Your pathetic fascist tactics are a matter of perfect indifference to me. Perhaps you have noticed that, unlike many, I post under my own name.

That is because I am not afraid of the likes of you.

Please go to the Secretary of State's website and find my name, address, and all relevant information under my two separate entries for contributions to the Yes on 8 campaign.

And please be very sure that you understand me:

I am not intimidated, and I am prepared to defend my liberty, my rights, and my property against all scurrilous and ignoble ruffians.

Good day to you.