hacktivism

California’s Gay Elite Has Decided: They’ll Wait to Repeal Prop 8 Until 2012

rallyfresno1

Did you know that “sometime this week,” gay rights advocates will formally decide whether 2010 or 2012 is the best time to try to repeal Prop 8? Maybe they even asked for your opinion on the matter!

But probably not. You see, there are two warring camps in this strategy decision: The old guard, made up of wealthy donors and political strategists who don’t want to have to pay for two repeal efforts if 2010 fails, and the new breed of younger grassroots-y activists, who are all like, “Why wait for our rights?,” which is a pretty basic question, but the folks asking have terrible FICO scores and will only be contributing $10 to the cause, not $100,000. Also: Sometimes there are organizations posing as these more democratic, “new age” activists, when really they’re part of the old guard with better email listserv software.

Which means that despite all the in-fighting between California’s gay marriage leaders, they’ve all pretty much agreed: wait until 2012.

Some media outlets are already making the call for 2012. “Sources” tell San Diego’s 10News.com that it’s going to be three years away for a ballot initiative. And by “sources,” they mean “Gay Inc. insiders.” Among those expected to make a “we’re waiting till 2012” announcement is Equality California, an organization real grassroots activists tend to hate. And despite its best efforts to pose as something like the anti-HRC, Equality California’s critics might point out it’s part of the same closed-door, self-elected planning committee everyone else is.

Of course, EQ and its head Geoff Kors do not have the final say, but it has much better PR skillz if it’s already getting California media to declare its version of things the “official” decision. There are smaller groups out there that may still try to put Prop 8 up to voters in 2010. Bless them and their chutzpah!

Meanwhile, it’s worth reading William Bradley’s round up of reasons for and against waiting until 2012. If anything, it’ll have you believing the Olson-Boies lawsuit has a better chance of passing than any big orgs supporting a 2010 repeal.

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