Quote:
Originally Posted by Zerbie
PA needs a broad coalition of both secular and faith-based organizations opposing the legislation/amendment. Have both. Include progressive religious leaders in your campaign. That way, you address all sides. Your expertise is secular? Run with that. Have a few clergy members on your side to express why they support your campaign out of faith-based motivations. It will be beautiful.
Before you create your tees and logos, figure out who is spearheading this effort. Research the best, most voter-resonant language that you can for encapsulating your message, and let that find it's way into heading your website and creating your logo/slogan/tee shirts.
You'll need people with money to fund your efforts - research, website, logo design, tee shirts, literature, etc.
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Zerbie is right about most of this. I think every State/region is a little different. Part of the success in Arizona, as I understand it, was the large number of retirees, many of whom cohabit outside of marriage for economic reasons. They understood that there were implications of the proposed marriage amendment that harmed them.
We were not successful in Wisconsin (where I live) despite an extremely well-run, well-funded campaign by LGBT persons and allies. Never-the-less a lot of good was done because LGBT people and their allies got out all over the state and talked to their neighbors and shared their stories. In the long run we will have advanced the LGBT cause. I believe it is now the case that a majority of persons favor at least domestic partner benefits if not full marriage. It will be a long struggle to overturn the part of the amendment that prohibits recognition of domestic partners.
We did what Zerbie suggests, there was a broad-based coalition with the participation of many religious folks. We even got the regional decision-making bodies of the Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, United Church of Christ etc. to take a stand against the anti-LGBT amendment. Unfortunately, the Roman Catholic Bishops were very much in favor of the amendment.
There was a state-wide coordinator of the campaign--someone who was hired because of his expertise in political campaigns. There was alot of organizing of door-to-door canvassing and get-out-the-vote efforts. All that one on one stuff is as important (or even more important) than doing things like billboards and advertising (you'll have to do that too).
Hey--the election is barely a year away. You guys got to get your organizing going right now!
Have you figured out the timing of this amendment yet? Can they get it on the ballot in 2008, or will the rules put it off a little longer than that?
Our Wisconsin organization is called "Fair Wisconsin" If you google "Fair Wisconsin" you'll probably find alot of information about how we were organized to try to fight this kind of thing off.
Steven Webster