Hey All,

As promised (one of the few he's actually kept) the Governor of California has vetoed AB 849 the gender neutral marriage act. I am just in awe of a man who can veto away equality for a group of people. I am not going to rant. I am not going to scream. That said, however, the time is coming when we are ALL going to have to do some ranting and demand equality. I am headed down to the protest in San Diego. I invite and encourage anyone in or near the area to join us. Please help us with this moment of visibility.

San Diego Administration Bldg.
1600 Pacific Coast Hwy

I want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has written in and been following this issue here in California. I know not everyone can scream, shout and wave their fist in the air. I want to say thank you to those of you who are taking our community further by simply leading by example and living life. By reaching out to your family, friends, coworkers, strangers, etc. and simply being out and living day to day you are one of the best bridges we have to the straight community.
This one on one personal interaction is by far better than any ad campaign or blog post.

As I said in a previous post, laws in some states (by no means all) are catching up to our time. It is the social viewpoints we have to change. To the school teachers, fire fighters, moms, dads (straight and gay) brothers, sisters, sons and daughters who show that you are happy and proud of who you are, thank you.

I have the luxury to live in a place I can speak out. I'll keep shaking my fist in the air and you keep doing what you do. We will win this. No one person can keep us from our right to legal families. No one person can sign a piece of paper that makes our relationships invalid. We will win this...Together.

Yours in Struggle,

-W

- posted by Wes @ 5:16 PM

Today is the day...

Well to day is the day. AB 849 is on its way to the "Honorable" Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Has a creepy ring to it now doesn't it?) and he has until October 9 to sign, veto or simply leave the bill alone. If he leaves the bill alone AB 849 becomes law as of Jan 2006. If he is really playing politics here why didn't he just leave it alone. By not signing or vetoing he was securing support of both sides of this issue. If he really wanted the courts to decide he would let Prop 22 and AB 849 fight it out as both lawful changes to our state. The truth is he doesn't want the courts to have this chance. He wants to stop AB 849 in its tracks.

"Governor, what are you afraid of? Why do you want to keep couples from acquiring the over 1,000 rights granted with marriage? The people ARE speaking...are YOU listening?"

The following is a letter sent to Gov. Schwarzenegger by state leaders urging him to reconsider this heinous decision. Remember Californians if he does veto AB 849, is this someone you want running your state? The power of our vote has got to start influencing government. Our voting history is dismal and it's time we start showing up to the polls and allowing our voices to be heard. When we don't we see the direct cause of what happens...The Govern-ator keeping us from Marriage Equality.

KEEP CALLING!

Call: 916-445-2841

KEEP EMAILING!

Email at: www.govmail.ca.gov.
Choose the Gender Neutral Marriages / AB849 - category on the drop down menu.

or

governor@governor.ca.gov


FAX! FAX! FAX!

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: 916-445-4633

Yours in Struggle,

-W


**********************

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,

We are writing to encourage you not to veto AB 849, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, authored by Assemblyman Mark Leno and officially sponsored by Equality California.

Marriage equality for lesbian and gay couples is the civil rights issue of our time. We are proud of the California State Legislature for having the courage to address this issue in a professional manner, by holding multiple public hearings on both the fiscal and policy concerns of the bill, before approving it in historic fashion.

As endorsers of marriage equality, we believe that the spirit and the letter of the U.S. Constitution and California Constitution's equal protection clauses require that all citizens are treated with equal fairness, respect and dignity. AB 849 amends Section 300 of the California Family Code to define marriage as a civil contract between two persons, while at the same time protecting any religious institution's right not to recognize or solemnize these marriages.

When the California Supreme Court ended the ban on interracial marriage in 1948, our justices stated that marriage is more than a civil contract to be regulated by state law. They said that "marriage is a fundamental right of all citizens...and that any legislation infringing upon that fundamental right must be based upon more than prejudice and must be free of oppressive discrimination to comply with the constitutional requirements of due process and equal protection under the law." In 2004, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court concluded that "separate is seldom, if ever, equal." AB 849 puts this vision of equality into practice here in California.

Given the legal debate over the meaning and impact of Proposition 22, which amended a different section of the Family Code than AB 849 does, and your stated understanding of it, we recognize that you do not believe you have the ability to sign the bill. Another option is to neither sign nor veto the bill, which respects your understanding of Proposition 22 as well as the concerted efforts of the Legislature. As a result, the bill would become law in January of 2006 and immediately be challenged by Proposition 22 proponents. The issue would then ultimately be decided in a court of law which is in accordance with your stated desire.

There are times when history demands that elected officials take a stand in favor of equal rights, liberty and justice for all. Governor, we urge you to solidify your place in history. Please do not veto AB 849.

Sincerely,

Cruz Bustamante
Lt. Governor

Phil Angelides
State Treasurer

Steve Westly
State Controller

John Garamendi
Insurance Commissioner

- posted by Wes @ 10:35 AM

My money where my mouth is...

Well it is a step in the right direction with media exposure/coverage. I've been ranting for the last few weeks and so I am putting my money where my mouth is. Equality California has said it needs $100,000 to run this commerical on stations in major media markets "attempting to turn the tide in the Governor's thinking on marriage equality." You can see the commercial put together by Equality California and the $ needed to be raised to place the commercial on the air. I'm not 100% sure how I feel about it, but it is the first major media outreach I have seen in this debate. We need more...but it is a start.

Marriage Equality Quicktime

For info and to donate click here

With 24 hours to go...here's hoping.

-W

- posted by Wes @ 2:32 PM

Hey All!

Had some problems getting into my blog this weekend but things seem to be back up and running.

Friday was quite a day. I was headed out for the day when I got an email from a journalist here in San Diego wondering why there was no rallying of the LGBT community at the protest downtown. Protest Downtown? I went on to research that the Govern-ator was downtown announcing his reelection. WHAT? There was no mass email, no major announcement from the LGBT Community...nothing. I couldn't believe it. The man who wants to veto our families was in downtown San Diego announcing his reelection and I had not heard a thing about it.

I immediately called the San Diego LGBT Center's Marriage Project to find out how I could help or where to go downtown and was met with, "Arnold Schwarzenegger is down town?" What is happening? No one seems to be taking the reigns on this thing. When Dr. Laura hurled insults at us as a community we stomped down the doors at Paramount to bar her television show. Where is our passion now?! We have a man who is taking our right to families and equality away from us and all we seem to have is a campaign to write greeting cards. **See Equality California...Day 9** Are we that complacent to know we can make our "$enter your income here$" per year and have partners with domestic benefits...are we ok with that? Have we been taught that is all we deserve? When is enough--enough? If California is any indication of where our passion and commitment levels are nation wide I am at a loss.

I get the impression other LGBT nonprofits have been asked to take a back seat and let Equality California lead the way. Why wasn't there a call to action to get people downtown? Why wasn't there a call to action to protest this man who was saying, "Re-elect me and I have a mandate against Nurses, Teachers and Gays and Lesbians," (sound familiar?) Where are you Equality California? Where are you Marriage Project?

I guess there is only so much ranting one can do before they have to act. I don't know what the solution is but we seem to be missing the mark here. Is there a master plan I'm missing? I'm open...send in your thoughts...your suggestions...

Here are some photos from the event on Friday. The good news is about 400 people were there in protest. The majority of the protesters there were under 30. This bodes well for future votes in San Diego. The visible LGBT turnout was about 30-40 at most. I got there just in time to line the parking lot as the Governor's motorcade of black SUVs came into a tented drive through so he wouldn't have to see the crowd. The crowd's response was fantastic. It was great to see nurses, teachers, gays and lesbians...all together, united.

<



No matter how this turns out the good news is it's creating a dialogue. People who are/were on the fence are having to face the issue and their beliefs of what the term "family" means to them. My father, a lifelong Republican, wrote a letter to Governor Schwarzenegger expressing his anger and urging him to reconsider the veto. Families are changing and eventually we will have equal rights. The social support is coming. Now we need to see that reflected in our elected officials.

All the best,

-W

- posted by Wes @ 1:40 PM

KEEP CALLING EVERYONE! TURN UP THE HEAT! Make 5, at minimum 5, calls a day to the automated system and EMAIL DAILY! Even if you have already. Show we are not backing down. We're talking about pure family values here. Discrimination is not a family value and it's time no matter what your politics that we get our country back from the extreme. The Govern-ator is pandering to a group who believe a hurricane was sent to New Orleans because Ellen is hosting the Emmy's. What? We can win this!

Call: 916-445-2841 - it may be busy but keep trying!

*Or you can email at: www.govmail.ca.gov. Choose the Gender Neutral Marriages / AB849 - category on the drop down menu.

*The following email address is a direct email to his office: governor@governor.ca.gov
*If you're emailing - please do both!

If you can't get through via phone...FAX! FAX! FAX!

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: 916-445-4633
Fax: 559-445-5328
Fax: 213-897-0319
Fax: 951-680-6863
Fax: 619-525-4640
Fax: 415-703-2803
Fax: 202-624-528

Yours in struggle,

-W

- posted by Wes @ 11:41 AM

CONGRATS EVERYONE AND THANK YOU! We ARE being heard. The Govern-ator's office has requested another meeting with Equality California. We are getting through. This is NOT any indication that he will not veto but the door is not closed. Keep calling, keep writing and be ready to head to Sacramento to hold your sign and hold your place out in front of the state capitol!

I rarely post emails on this blog but I recently received a thought provoking email--I felt I did need to share it. The excerpts from the following correspondence are such a *red alert* of how much work/education we really do have to do in our own community while still reaching out to the rest of the country.

best,

-W

**********************************

SUBJECT: DISAPOINTMENT

Dear Wes,

I am more that a bit disappointed in your recent posts to your blog. No doubt the issue at hand in California is of pressing need to homosexuals in the United States, but I cannot believe you are completely, nay utterly, oblivious to the the MORE pressing issues developing in the Southern United States. Now I will humbly apologize for my comments in the event that I missed some mention or link to Katrina support on your site, but after a thorough perusal, I have found none.

It is this very lack of goodwill that I feel is holding gay men and women back across this country. We seem to think that being gay is fundamentally more important than ALL other issues...We get caught up in all this "gayness" forgetting the fact that we are ALL Americans FIRST, and gay second...

...I am a gay male from Houston, TX. I've seen the devastation of Katrina first hand, as well as, the sharp sword of prejudice that gay men and women suffer from. However, I must say that I have been fortunate enough to find that that sword cuts more like a butter knife than a rapier. Again, instead of finding a common ground or breaking out of our gay shells, we put on airs that isolate us more than any damning legislation of any local, state or federal government organization can hope to achieve. We support a group of men and women (read: Democrats) that are by nature weak and even a bit maniacal. (Howard Dean, anyone?) Like you, I have journeyed out to confront this hatred, albeit in a more limited manner, to see a look of respect and adoration in the eyes of those who had originally thought me to be a transgressor to basic morality.

All in all, I have grown increasingly disenchanted with my gay brothers and sisters. I had hoped that you, a more visible member of the fight, would be less inclined to fall into that narrow-minded role of the gay zealot, but that, unfortunately, does not appear to be the case. My intent is not to rail against you or your attempts at bringing about equality, but to ask you, very bluntly, is there an error in the ways of you and your fellow activists? Hey, I'd be the first to claim error if a compelling argument were to be presented. I have yet to hear it, nor do I believe that I have failed in my own journeys.

I am interested and hopeful in your response.

Sincerely,
Michael C.
Houston, TX

*****

SUBJECT: ENCOURAGEMENT

Dear Michael,

Thank you so much for your well worded and thought out email. I absolutely empathize with your viewpoint and cannot tell you how effected I was by those suffering in the south with the devastation brought on by Hurricane Katrina. I do feel that you have misplaced your feelings of disappointment with "your gay brothers and sisters" and really missed the mark here.

As easy as it is to sum up my (or anyone's) entire life experiences in a blog or statements I place there regarding my family, friends, political beliefs or calls to action, you cannot. I had friends who lived in the French Quarter and lost everything. Their business--their pets--their entire lives. To insinuate that I am oblivious to my two friend's personal experience or to thousands of others and have not given to relief efforts, is a bit narrow-sighted and actually insulting. To suggest I, or anyone in the LGBT community, who is striving for equality (no matter what the time in our country) has a lack of goodwill is alarming. It is this internal bickering that holds our community back--not anyone’s lack of goodwill.

As a public forum I do understand your feedback and there should have been some linkage or mention above and beyond my own dedication and involvement with relief aid. Your passion is fantastic and I invite you to post your own efforts or links in the guestbook. It is there for people to reach the visitors who view the site.

You go on to mention, "We get caught up in all this "gayness" forgetting the fact that we are ALL Americans FIRST, and gay second." Unfortunately, Michael, many in this country do not consider us Americans. We are currently second-class citizens. We do not have marriage rights. We do not have adoption rights. Many don't have work/housing protection. We do not have the right to pursue the, "American Dream," and raise families under the full protection of the law. I am sincerely glad that your experiences of discrimination have been more like "a butter knife than a rapier." For many in this country that is not the case.

Let me open-heartedly pose this scenario to you since you mentioned you’ve seen the devastation of Katrina first hand. Place yourself at ground zero of Katrina. You and your partner of 15 years have been separated. Your two children (ages 7 and 9) are missing as well. They are your partner’s biological children. You have no rights as a parent to locate the children you have raised from birth. You have no rights make medical decsions for or even see your partner if he is located in a hospital nearby. You are not considered family. You are lost and LEGALLY isolated from your immediate family. In tragic moments like these it is more important than EVER to voice our demand for equal rights and to point out the specific reasons that it must be so.

By utilizing media: blogs, film/tv, print ads and any exposure possible we are, indeed, breaking out of our gay shells and dropping our airs. When states have passed and are currently rallying to ammend state constitutions to place discrimination into law, I strongly disagree that pressing for equality isolates us more than, "any damning legislation of any local, state or federal government organization can hope to achieve." This point of view is dangerous territory for those striving for equality.

In closing you say, "I have grown increasingly disenchanted with our gay brothers and sisters and hoped you would be less inclined to fall into that narrow-minded role of the gay zealot." If your intent is to truly ask is there an error in my or other activists'’ ways, I refer you to the personal scenario presented above. If this is not a glaring example of why we need equality in times of tragedy more than ever I am not sure how I can further assist you on your journey.

Thank you so much for your email and point of view. Your email has shown me we have much work to do, not only nation wide but within our own community. It is now, more than ever, we must be committed to our civil rights as Americans.


Yours in struggle,

Wes Culwell
wes@wesculwell.com

- posted by Wes @ 11:22 AM

Sorry to keep bombarding you all with these blogs - but we are just steps away from a mometus victory. Please see the article below and do everything you can - please send to your ENTIRE email list. We have to be heard. The right wing is on this like there is no tomorrow and they will do everything to keep equal rights out of our hands.

We have a window of opportunity - send this to everyone you know who believe in equalilty...and please make the call, email or fax.

Call: 916-445-2841 - it may be busy but keep trying!

*Or you can email at: www.govmail.ca.gov. Choose the Gender Neutral Marriages / AB849 - category on the drop down menu.
*The following email address is a direct email to his office: governor@governor.ca.gov
*If you're emailing - please do both!

If you can't get through via phone...FAX! FAX! FAX!

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: 916-445-4633
Fax: 559-445-5328
Fax: 213-897-0319
Fax: 951-680-6863
Fax: 619-525-4640
Fax: 415-703-2803
Fax: 202-624-528

Yours in struggle,

-W

********************

Lawmakers delay delivery of gay marriage bill to Schwarzenegger
BY AARON C. DAVIS

SAN JOSE, Calif. - (KRT) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's vow to veto a landmark same-sex marriage proposal this week - saying it violated the will of the people - has prompted the bill's authors to delay delivering the bill to the governor to give gay rights advocates TWO WEEKS to bombard him with calls, e-mails and protests in a last-ditch effort to win support.

"The governor has said he supports the will of the people," said Sen. Sheila Kuehl, Santa Monica Democrat, one of the Legislature's six openly gay members. "Well, let the people call him, let the people e-mail him, let the people be heard. Then he can say he's following the will of the people."

The question of how Schwarzenegger, who for years had given mixed signals on his beliefs about same-sex marriage, declared so quickly he would veto it dominated the Capitol on Thursday.

After it was approved late Tuesday night, the bill, AB 849, was still being processed Wednesday and had not even been printed when Schwarzenegger's press secretary issued a statement that the governor\ would veto it. Schwarzenegger press secretary Margita Thompson said the late-day revelation should have come as no surprise because the governor has consistently said he believed voters had spoken when they approved Proposition 22 in 2000 that defined marriage as between a man and a woman.

Schwarzenegger, she said, had come to truly believe that approving same-sex marriage went against voters' desires.

Assemblyman Mark Leno, the San Francisco Democrat who authored the bill, dismissed that explanation. Stunned by the announcement, Leno on Thursday blasted Schwarzenegger's decision as a shrewd political move to protect right-wing support for his Nov. 8 special election initiatives.

"It's transparent as can be," Leno said. "He is politically pandering to the very far right of this state ... We would have appreciated the respect of having an opportunity to have him talk to our families and children so he could hear from their mouths the suffering they experience because of the current law."

Leno on Thursday lobbied lawmakers to support a rare parliamentary procedure to hold the gay marriage bill from going to the governor's desk until next year. That effort appeared destined for failure late Thursday, but lawmakers did say they were prepared to delay the bill going to Schwarzenegger until Sept. 23, which could be done without any further action by the Assembly.

"I've been told the governor's phone lines literally shut down because they could not take the volume of calls coming into his office from both sides," Lopez said. The governor's office said it was unaware of any interruption in phone service and declined to say how many phone calls the office received, citing the calls as privileged communication with the governor.

Eddie Gutierrez, spokesman for Equality California, the state's largest gay-rights lobbying stated earlier today, "One man cannot terminate the civil rights movement. He will go down in history as the 'discriminator.'"

-end-

- posted by Wes @ 1:18 AM

The fight isn't over yet everyone. PLEASE take the time to call the governors office or write an email or a fax. He has not vetoed the bill as of yet just made the statement. Even if our efforts are in vein he needs to know where his state stands on this heinous decision.

The following email address is a direct email to his office: governor@governor.ca.gov

Call: 916-445-2841 - it may be busy but keep trying!

Or you can email at: www.govmail.ca.gov. Choose the Same Gender Marriages - category on the drop down menu.

If you can't through via phone...FAX! FAX! FAX!

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: 916-445-4633
Fax: 559-445-5328
Fax: 213-897-0319
Fax: 951-680-6863
Fax: 619-525-4640
Fax: 415-703-2803
Fax: 202-624-5280

We may have a small small window here - but even if not he should hear our anger and disappointment!!!

- posted by Wes @ 2:21 PM

Wow...Two steps forward and one MAJOR step back. I can not believe the veto decision coming from Sacramento. This was such a shining moment for our state to be socially progressive and instead one man...one man can take that all away due to the base (and I do mean base) of his party.

What a sad day. The right wing needs to make up its mind. When courts stand up for equality our president says change should happen through legislation--when the change comes from legislation the govern-ator says it mush come from the courts. Isn't legislation how the people are supposed to be heard...Through their elected officials? How can he have made such a bigoted error.

I'm trying not to get to discouraged tonight. I guess the big picture is both houses gave us equality today. Small steps. I just wonder how much we are going to take until we just snap and take the the streets. Ever? Are we that complacent to just sit and watch other people deal with the issue...giving us rights...taking them away...giving them back again. A sad, sad day.


-W

- posted by Wes @ 10:25 PM

AB849, has already passed the state Senate/Assembly, and now depends solely on the hand of Gov. Schwarzenegger. The news reports that it is unclear what the Governor will do. NOW IS THE TIME TO INFLUENCE THE GOVERNOR. WE MUST BE HEARD TODAY. A phone call takes two minutes. It is an automated answer that allows you press 1 if your support the
bill, so call!!!

As my friend Tom said, "It's like voting for American Idol!" CALL!!!!!

Call: 916-445-2841

Or you can email at: www.govmail.ca.gov. Choose the Same Gender - category on the drop down menu.

best,

-W

- posted by Wes @ 10:26 AM

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!

As I'm sure most of you had read/heard the same-sex marriage bill passed the State Senate here in California last week. This decision made it the first legislative chamber in the US to pass a measure legalizing same-sex marriage. We have been waiting for the Assembly to yah or nay it. Three months ago the State Assembly shot it down so it was really up in the air...

I've been working all day and my Madre just called to let me know she had just heard on the radio that the Assembly passed the gay marriage initiative! WOOOOHOOOOO! It is now on the "Govern-ator's desk." Come on Arnold...don't fail us now. From what I've read thus far - he has said that he will not veto any decisions on this matter that are brought about by the people or the courts. It will be interesting how this plays out but for now we are moments away from having full marriage rights here in the state of California. Even this administration can't stop progression and social change as much as they'd like to.

I won't say congrats just yet...but we're are just steps away...

best,

-W

- posted by Wes @ 8:12 PM

Hey All!

Well, I am back on the east coast. From San Diego, to New York, to DC to, to New York, to DC, to San Diego, to Dublin to San Diego, to Los Angeles. September is going to be a crazy month! I am here in DC for the long weekend doing some pickup shots and voice overs for the film, Groom With a View, I did here last year. There have been a few revamps of the film so we're doing some post production polishing. Fun to be back.

Had a blast the last two days in New York and caused plenty of trouble. Spent most the weekend with my friend Chanti and got the rest of my stuff out of my sublet. *sigh* I am going to miss Hells Kitchen...

Heading back to the west coast Sunday to get ready for Ireland. 7 days, a bike and the Irish country-side. I can't wait!

best,

-W

- posted by Wes @ 8:07 AM