1234567890 — Each and every day, a new batch of statistics changes your lives and ours. Whether it’s the number of donation dollars to a campaign, or the number of activists at a rally, facts and figures are a good way to boil down what’s happening in our ranks. Here, the most pertinent numbers to the gay community this week.
| The Number | The Issue | And You Care Because… | |
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$83 million | Total contributions made by supporters of Proposition 8, which outlawed gay marriage in California. | Well, duh– it outlawed gay marriage in California. Major contributions included the LDS, which spent $200k, $400k from Howard F. Ahmanson Jr and $150k from the Knights of Columbus. |
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$43.1 million | Total contributions made by opponents of Proposition 8, which– oh, you know. | It’s a little more than half the amount spent by Prop. 8 supporters, despite being the most expensive gay-rights battle in history. |
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30 | Minutes Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spent with gay members of the foreign service. | State Dept. gays hope that Clinton will allow gay couple to receive the same domestic partner benefits at State that their straight peers enjoy. Clinton said that she will “take a hard look at existing policy.” |
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80 | Days until elections for a new government in Iceland. | Johanna Sigurdardottir, the newly appointed PM of Iceland is a lesbian and the world’s first openly gay head of state. She is pushing for the economically devastated to join the EU. |
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$70 billion | Dollars spent every year by LGBT tourists, according to Community Marketing Inc. | The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism has launched a minisite specifically catering to gays and lesbians, citing the statistic as a reason to cater to gays & lesbians. The site includes info for couples looking to marry.. |
| The Number | The Issue | And You Care Because… |
iltstt
How dare these Mormons use their power of free speech.
Only people who agree with how I feel should be allowed to speak.
Only non-profits I agree with should be allowed tax exempt status.
How dare those people try to express themselves in the open media (go back to your closets).
FYI, you have got your comment or numbers or both wrong above. Comment makes it seem like supporters collected 83 million dollars. I believe you are referring to the total from both sides.
Backers of Prop. 8 collected nearly $40 million for their successful campaign, while opponents of the measure brought in more than $45 million for their losing effort.
MadProfessah
The LA TIMES is actually putting the total at closer to 85 million.
Aldo, evil Howard Ahmanson gave $1.4 million, not 400k.
Lex
@iltstt:
Actually you’re wrong. It was just uncovered recently that Prop 8 pulled in a lot more than they reported. Many millions more.
V
Lex, I’m interested; could you cite an article or two please? I don’t doubt your statement, but I am a little skeptical that their contributions are double than what was officially reported.
tdubs
We cannot go back to the days when political contributors (especially the big fish) are allowed to swim in the inviting warm waters of anonymity. The names of the Yes on 8 supporters cannot be kept secret simply because they are ashamed. The freedom of information act cannot be ignored.
http://www.caivp.org/article/proposition-8/2009/2/5/lawsuit-must-not-be-allowed-weaken-campaign-finance-disclosure-laws
mindy
Johanna Sigurdardottir is the world’s first openly gay HEAD OF GOVERNMENT not HEAD OF STATE. Those two are different.