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Stampp Corbin is a Democratic strategist.
He serves as co-chair of the Obama National LGBT Leadership Council, but is writing here as a private citizen, not a campaign representative. He can be reached via this publication.
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HOME > VIEWPOINT > OPINION
By: STAMPP CORBIN COMMENTS
 
WHAT WOULD BE the best early holiday gift ever? Saving our right to marry in California. We are in the fight of our generation to preserve the right to marry the person we love. Unfortunately, our community is just not doing enough.
I know that is hard to hear, but sometimes the truth hurts.
The Yes on 8 Campaign, which would define marriage as between one man and one woman, has more than 60,000 donors, and has raised more than $30 million. Our side, No on 8, has half as many donors, about 30,000, and has raised $20 million. Since June 17, about 11,000 same-sex couples or 22,000 people have gotten married in California. The sad news is that many of these couples have not contributed to preserve the right to marry for others. If each of these newlywed couples contributed $50 today, the No on 8 Campaign would have a much-needed additional $1 million to fight the purveyors of hate within our country.
We all know that money is critical to all political movements and the No on 8 Campaign needs it desperately. It is incumbent upon every LGBT person to give to the No on 8 Campaign for us to win this fight, otherwise our movement will be set back a decade.
WHAT PUZZLES ME is why every single member of our community has not contributed to No on 8. I don’t care whether you live in New York, Kansas, Texas, Ohio or any of the other 47 states where same-sex couples cannot marry; the fight in California affects you. I hate to say it, but our enemies get this. The Mormon Church has raised $8 million in the last few weeks, much from outside California, to put very effective ads on the air featuring San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. If you have not had a chance to view the ad, take a gander on YouTube and I am sure it will motivate you to give (www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kKn5LNhNto).
The ad helps you fully understand what we are up against. The religious right thinks this is the moral fight of their lives and wants to ensure that they end up the victor on Nov. 4. They are motivated and clearly understand that if they lose in California, 22 percent of the U.S. population will live in states with same-sex marriage or that recognize same-sex marriages. That means that 22 percent of the House of Representatives will be from states that have same-sex marriage or that recognize same-sex marriages.
IF THIS HAPPENS, our community and movement will have finally reached the tipping point and there would be no turning back. That scares our enemies to death, so they are motivated and are digging deep. Unfortunately, our nationwide LGBT community is not as motivated. You can help change that today by donating at www.noonprop8.com. We need LGBT people from all across the nation to give. I understand that there are also fights in Arizona, Florida and Arkansas, but California is the most critical and at this point the most likely to give the religious right the victory they most desire.
Imagine how you will feel on Nov. 5 if the headline in all major newspapers and all the LGBT press is “Same-Sex Marriage Overturned by the Voters in California, Gay Agenda Set Back Decades.” Will you think, “I could have given more money to the fight?” Probably.
That $6 latte you have each morning over the next few weeks could have made a difference, had you chosen to skip the latte half the time and send the money to No on 8. Will you think, “I could have volunteered to call voters?” Probably. Will you feel defeated and rejected by your country?
Definitely.
Thank God it has not happened and you can stop it from happening by donating or volunteering at www.noonprop8.com. If everyone in our community nationwide just gave $10, we would dwarf the contributions of the religious right by tenfold.
So give yourself an early holiday gift — the right to marry by giving to No on 8. Don’t wake up and find that your early holiday gift is rejection and discrimination because you did not care enough to contribute your time and money. The result in California is a game changer and each of us must be a key player.
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