Petrelis Files

EQCA Collaborating With Courage,
LHC for Gay Marriage?

One of the largest barriers to effective gay political organizing in California is the big dick contest that been waged since Prop 8 passed in 2008 between alpha males Rick Jacobs of Courage Campaign, and Geoff Kors of Equality California.

They have much in common. Both men are well endowed financially, each possesses an enormous ego, their groups aren't the least bit interested in regular public forums with rank and file gays, and transparency is sorely lacking with their decision-making processes.

But for one day next week, all that will be put aside when the two orgs, along with a third, Love Honor Cherish, the LA-based group pushing a signature-gathering campaign for gay marriage prop in 2010. Actually, a fourth group might be joining in this orgy of one-day community organizing, the LA gay center's Vote for Equality project.

Even though none of the above-mentioned orgs have a word about the supposed upcoming joint one-day canvassing action on their sites, the Restore Equality Now site shares the info they've gathered so far about the December 12 effort:

Now we’re really confused. Weren’t these three just at each other’s throats mere hours ago? And whose campaign are they pitching together in the ‘hood—2010– 2012?

Word has it that Courage, Love Honor Cherish (LHC) and EQCA —along with Vote For Equality (VFE)—are joining forces to canvass (knock on doors asking people to support marriage equality) in South Los Angeles on December 12.

Here’s the odder part: this has been in the planning for some time now, at least a couple of weeks. What’s the deal guys???

Excellent question, leading to more questions, such as, are the leaders of these orgs all talking to each other? Will they put aside their turf battles and egos, to better serve the gay community? Can we expect the leaders to start holding town halls throughout the year, as one key component to engaging a broader spectrum of the state's gay people?

Until such time as EQCA, Courage, LHC, the LA gay center, and lots of other gay orgs start actively communicating with each other, genuinely cooperate on common goals, and provide transparency to the gay people demanding it, I'm not sure that our opponents like Maggie Gallagher and Frank Schubert have a thing to worry about.

Yes, it will be a step forward if the joint canvassing takes place on December 12, but it's going to take much more than that to convince me the orgs and their leaders are absolutely serious about learning from their mistakes of the Prop 8 campaign, and doing things differently.