North Carolina's Amendment One

Here's the latest frightening letter from Adam Bink of the

Courage Campaign.

Anyone can respond to this, so here it is in its entirety.

Click on the links for more info.

This is an important report on reprehensible behaviors

of those out to take this country backwards.

Fore-warned is fore-armed.

Don't despair; take action!

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Robert: late last night, confidential memos by the National Organization for Marriage to its Board of Directors were published -- and they're disgusting(1).
In them, NOM's leaders pledge to:

"Drive a wedge between gays and blacks" by pushing these communities to fight over the language of "civil rights";


"Develop side issues to weaken pro-gay marriage political leaders" such as "protection of children," pornography and religious liberty;

"Find, train and equip young leaders" to become a "next generation of elites" working to defeat marriage equality; and

Emphasize "the consequences of gay marriage for parental rights."

But the most important part of this: NOM trumpeted their plans to dump millions of dollars into state-level campaigns while avoiding disclosure. In fact, they just reported a $50,000 contribution to pass Amendment One in North Carolina(2).

We're fighting back -- yesterday's launch of a nationwide moneybomb raised over $30,000 across ActBlue to defeat Amendment One, including over $10,000 from Courage members. Will you chip in on ActBlue to fight back against NOM's nauseating tactics and match their contribution in North Carolina?

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Dear Robert:

On May 8th, North Carolina will vote on Amendment One, which bans marriage equality and any other form of recognition for same-sex couples. Polls show the public increasingly against Amendment One, but our opponents just began running an ad this weekend that spreads lies about same-sex families and urges a Yes vote on Amendment One. Our side has ads of its own, but we need the money to get them on the air.


That's why Courage Campaign is joining with the Coalition to Protect North Carolina Families to launch a nationwide $50,000 moneybomb and help the campaign hit its $1 million goal to get its first ads on the air. Will you chip in on ActBlue to help get our response up?

Robert, we can win this campaign. This month's Elon University poll showed 56.9% of North Carolinians oppose or strongly oppose an amendment that would ban civil unions and domestic partnerships for same-sex couples(3). That poll is one in a long string of polls showing increasing percentages of North Carolinians opposed to Amendment One.

We know what that means -- the more North Carolinians learn about how Amendment One harms same-sex families and their children, the more they're opposed to it. Our message is winning, Robert: now we just need the resources to get that message on the air. That's where you come in.

Please, chip in $15, $25 or more to help raise $50,000 on ActBlue this week so the Coalition to Protect North Carolina Families can respond to anti-gay ads and get our message on the air. We can beat this, with your help.


Amendment One harms families, especially children. It will hurt businesses and the economy when families decide to move out of a state that treats them as second-class citizens. Whether you identify as LGBT or are a straight ally, Amendment One will hurt North Carolina. President Obama knows this -- that's why he publicly denounced Amendment One on March 16th. Courage members like us have to tell that story to the rest of the state and we've got just over a month to do it.


Thank you for doing your part to beat Amendment One,

Adam Bink
Director of Online Programs, Courage Campaign

 (1) "Top 10 Highlights From NOM's Race-Wedging, Donor-Hiding, Victim-Playing Confidential Strategies," Think Progress, March 27, 2012, http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/03/27/452430/top-10-highlights-from-noms-race-wedging-obama-smearing-donor-hiding-victim-playing-confidential-strategies/

(2) "Independent Expenditure Report: National Organization for Marriage" North Carolina State Board of Elections, February 27, 2012, http://www.ncsbe.gov/

 (3) "New Poll Shows Increasing Opposition to Amendment One," Coalition to Protect North Carolina Families, March 9, 2012, http://www.protectncfamilies.org/press/new-poll-shows-increasing-opposition-amendment-one

To support our efforts to defeat Amendment One, click here to chip in on ActBlue:

Courage Campaign; Joel Burns' "It Gets Better" public plea

I've found myself crying in public more often than I could have imagined over the past week.

What made me cry? The suicides of gay kids (or kids perceived to be gay) and their struggles -- and the heartbreaking stories inspired by the "It Gets Better" campaign launched by Dan Savage to stop those suicides.

You might have already seen the powerful "It Gets Better" story told by Joel Burns, a member of the Ft. Worth City Council in Texas. Since a video of Joel's poignant city council testimony was posted on Wednesday, more than 1.6 million Americans have watched it and shared it with their friends. And now, many more will see it today after messages like this one from Courage, the Trevor Project, MoveOn and the Victory Fund.  

Please take a moment to watch Joel's story now -- and join us in thanking him for his courage in expressing his personal story to the world. Along with thousands of other people, your signature will be presented to Joel Burns on behalf of the Courage community:

WATCH HIS MOVING SPEECH NOW......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax96cghOnY4

http://www.couragecampaign.org/ThankYouJoel

Tears burst forth when we're angry or sorry or compassionate or mourning or simply incapable of expressing what's in our soul.

Friday night, I spoke in Stockton, California. I choked up as I tried to relate some of the testimony from the Prop 8 trial -- testimony from an old and famous book that informed millions of Americans that gay people were inferior. The passage I cited sounded funny at first, but then I cried. That passage has been with me my whole life, never out in the open until it was in open court.

That's what Joel Burns did. He said what was in his heart and locked in his soul, never released until he publicly testified, connecting his story with the teens who killed themselves because they were made to feel like they were less than human beings.

Joel said he may face repercussions for being honest about his story. Will you join us in showing Joel that he faces not repercussions but support for his courage? Just click here to watch Joel's amazing testimony and  then sign our community card thanking him:


Thank you for showing your support for Joel. If we all raise our voices together, lives will be saved.

Rick Jacobs
Chair, Courage Campaign Institute

P.S. Joel's story is just one of many ways you can help spread the word about bullying and teen suicide. If you're looking for a helpful list of resources and organizations working to help solve the problem, click here:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/Support
Courage Campaign Institute is a part of the Courage Campaign's multi-issue online organizing network that empowers more than 700,000 grassroots and netroots supporters to push for progressive change and full equality in California and across the country. To get involved in the Courage Campaign Institute, visit "Testimony: Equality on Trial" -- our year-long campaign to bring the Prop 8 trial into the lives of Americans.