Gathering signatures for any initiative is a challenge, make it a constitutional amendment with the added number of signatures, and it is even harder. To assure qualification, you’ll need at least a million signatures, probably close to 1.2 million, as you will have a fairly substantial rate of invalid signatures. Pointing that out isn’t meant to be a dash a cold water, but an idea of the size of the challenge in front of Love Honor Cherish. LHC is now gathering signatures to repeal Prop 8. From a LHC press release:
SignForEquality.com today launched a groundbreaking effort to gather signatures to repeal Proposition 8 and restore equal marriage rights for same-sex couples, marking the first time that social networking technology has been used to qualify a California initiative for the ballot.
“We’re taking names,” said John Henning, who is heading the SignForEquality.com effort as Executive Director of Love Honor Cherish. “SignForEquality.com will make history by using custom social networking tools, as well as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, to support an all-volunteer signature drive to repeal Prop 8. People throughout California can now help us win marriage back by the simple act of signing and collecting signatures.”
For historical context, the last time a measure has qualified with a completely volunteer signature gathering force was 1984, 25 years and hundreds of initiatives ago. However, if there were ever motivated volunteers, this is the cause, and this is the time. Good luck to LHC and their supporters as they attempt to put the repeal measure on the ballot.
If you are interested in helping out, go to SignForEquality.com for more information.
You’ll find the text of the measure over the flip.
This amendment would amend an existing section of the California Constitution. Existing language proposed to be deleted is printed in strikeout type. Language proposed to be added is printed in underlined type.
Section 1. To protect religious freedom, no court shall interpret this measure to require any priest, minister, pastor, rabbi, or other person authorized to perform marriages by any religious denomination, church, or other non-profit religious institution to perform any marriage in violation of his or her religious beliefs. The refusal to perform a marriage under this provision shall not be the basis for lawsuit or liability, and shall not affect the tax-exempt status of any religious denomination, church or other religious institution.
Section 2. To provide for fairness in the government’s issuance of marriage licenses, Section 7.5 of Article I of the California Constitution is hereby amended to read as follows: Sec. 7.5. Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Marriage is between only two persons and shall not be restricted on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or religion.
So far, even Courage Campaign doesn’t seem to be on board with this (there’s been no public comment, even though a Courage Campaign rep is quoted in a Reuters story about the signature effort; and they don’t mention it anywhere on their “build a marriage equality army” page). I find that telling.
I want a prop 8 repeal effort that actually succeeds. EQCA has made a convincing case to me that they have a plan for how to do a 2012 repeal effort that suceeds: Don’t jump immediately back into campaign mode, take a few years to work on the ground connecting with communities and changing hearts and minds. I have yet to see anyone show me they have any idea, any plan, how to go about winning in 2010.