Frustration grows over tactics in Proposition 8 campaign

The recrimination over the passage of Proposition 8 continue. At a forum held in West Hollywood over the weekend, speakers discussed problems with the campaign against the measure, which banned gay marriage in California. And like previous discussions, this one ended up coming down hard on the tactics used by the No on 8 campaign. More from WeHo News:

Most of the voices heard expressed frustration and/or anger at what they called the insular and inept leadership of the campaign.

Organized by Robin Tyler, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit that won Californians the right to marry, and the organization Marriage Equality, on whose board she sits, a panel of long time activists listened to speakers and then opined themselves on the No On 8 campaign’s shortcomings.

As the meeting wore on, it became apparent that a consensus developed that the grassroots part of the movement had been used poorly, at best, and ignored completely at worst.

Prominent gay movement icon Ivy Bottini, a West Hollywood Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board member and veteran of anti-gay initiative politics, having led the successful fight against 1976’s Proposition 6, the Briggs Amendment, noted immediately that she had not even been called by the small No On 8 executive campaign committee.

--Shelby Grad

Comments

[Jim]

noellalfn, do you obey ALL of the law of Leviticus? Many, many denominations believe that the simple law of Love God, love your neighbor taught by Jesus supersedes Old Testament law. It is a fact that there is no prohibition of homosexuality in the four Gospels. Freedom of Religion means that you also have to respect the rights of churches that believe differently. No one is saying your church needs to accept homosexuality, but you may not legislate against it.

[noellalfn]

Jim

Your question is somewhat irrelevant. What I do or don't do is not the point. There seems to be this erroneous belief that the new testament invalidates the old testament, yet whenever anyone asked Jesus what they had to do in order to be saved, he recited the law to them and he said that he did not come to destroy the law and one of the laws was that you not be homosexual. The price tag on homosexuality is a death sentence. Your not liking that is not going to change it. God also said that when we see a poor man, we should pick him and give him whatever he needs to be made whole again. He said that He did not intend that we be tenants upon the land which means He never meant for us to be paying an exorbitant amount of money to keep a roof over our heads every 30 days and worry about being evicted that's why He gave the land to the people. He said that after 7 years, your debts should be forgiven. I don't know about you but I would love to live in a world where the law of God was practiced. The problem with Religion is that most of them are hybrids. They take a little of the bible and a lot of their own peculiar religious doctrine and roll it into confusion. Some religions teach that it is a sin to get a divorce but that is not what God taught. He allowed it and not only allowed it but made it easy. Some religions say that Jesus is not the Messiah yet he revealed himself as such to the woman at the well, so now is he a liar because that's what you're calling him if you say he is not. I believe that Shane said it very well. The fact of the matter is, when you open the door to sin, there is a price to pay and in God's eyes, Homosexuality is a sin. Also right up until 1973, Homosexuality was considered a mental illness. Not based on someone's subjective opinion but on clinical studies and observations. The only reason they changed it was because some gays got on the board and twisted some arms to get it changed, but the fact is, these people are disturbed and the doctors have always thought so and unless we start treating it for what it is, a sin against God, then we are not dealing with it in the right way. The day will come when you will have to bow down to God's will.

[Jim]

noellalfn, so you are proposing that we undo the separation of church and state? Because that's certainly what it sounds like you're asking for. I'm not telling you that you must agree with my church's interpretation of the Bible. I'm saying that if we attempt to legislate based on the Bible, it will necessarily be only one person's interpretation of the Bible. Would you like it if my interpretation were the law of the land and your church was required by law to perform same-sex marriages? If not, then you should be fighting for separation of church and state, not against it.

[andyr]

why don't you get a Mormon to run the campaign they seem very organized, motivated and it might bridge some gaps!

Oh and yes if bible = law your in trouble! I think the main holes are people think homosexuals are deviants! I think the main way is to get more access to real gays rather than all these freaks on the TV. Then if they see you for what you are then proper opinion can be formed good/ill.

Oh and it just annoyings most the straight people I know when you talk about how your like the blacks years ago, your not, doesn't mean your right/wrong just that you need to be gay and not the new black!

Also maybe you need more redirection! If you are missing legal rights then fight for them, the second you say marriage it's instant super defensive!

[serena]

its a big deal for most of us LGBT because we all have a freedom of speech and should all have an equal right. I dont get why everyone is so offence about gay people getting married because the majority thinks its wrong. Whatever happened to everyone being equal? it should be all about equality. No one should be looked down on in that type of situation. everyone should have a right to love whatever gender or get married to the same GENDER! stop being so closed minded...>.<