The Sierra Club, one of the country's foremost environmental clubs, declined to take a position on Proposition 8, the same-sex marriage ban, but urged Californians to vote no on Proposition 4, the parental notification measure.

Some gays were surprised at the club's omission of the most controversial initiative on the November ballot.

The club took positions on several other state ballot measures that concerned environmental issues.

Bill Magavern, the California director of the club, told the Bay Area Reporter Monday that Prop 8 "never came up" during meetings of the group's two volunteer committees that determine endorsements.

"The last time they met was in September. It never came up until two weeks ago," he said.

The Sierra Club has a regular conservation committee and an executive committee that determine endorsements. A two-thirds vote by the two committees is required.

Asked about the environmental concerns of Prop 4, Magavern said that the club has long been pro-choice and that Prop 4 would "block access to family planning," therefore, it is a population issue that affects the environment.

Yet in an e-mail about the club's endorsements that was sent to club members and was obtained by the B.A.R., Magavern mentions nothing about the environmental impacts of Prop 4.

"Let's turn back this bad family planning idea, and send a strong message against this dangerous amateur-abortion-promoting measure," was all that was written in urging a no vote on Prop 4.

Magavern said that out of the club's 180,000 California members, he has heard from two regarding the group's decision not to take a position on Prop 8.

CA Dem Party steps up

The California Democratic Party is contributing to the No on 8 effort, Chairman Art Torres told the B.A.R. this week. In recent weeks, gay bloggers and others have questioned the party's contributions to fighting Prop 8.

Torres said that the state Democratic Party contributed $150,000 to No on 8 "awhile ago," but added that the donation was in addition to money the party sent during the unsuccessful "decline to sign" effort. Earlier this spring, activists and others fanned out across the state in an attempt to dissuade people from signing petitions to quality Prop 8 for the ballot.

The party has also contributed in other ways, Torres noted.

"We have a dedicated field program of about 85 staff and 5,000 volunteers and all carry No on 8 material. In Los Angeles, we're sharing office space with No on 8."

Torres also said that the state party just approved an e-mail message. That message went out Wednesday to an estimated 1 million addresses and urges people to donate $80 to No on 8.

"Prop 8 is rooted in the old politics - the politics of demonization and division - that we must move beyond as a country," the e-mail states in part.

"We're reaching out to occasional voters and looking at likely voters and telling them to go down the ballot" to vote no on Props 4 and 8, Torres added.

API groups oppose Prop 8

API Equality and Chinese for Affirmative Action will hold a panel discussion hosted by writer and activist Helen Zia to address how repeal of equal marriage rights has historical ties to discrimination against the Asian and Pacific Islander communities. The event takes place today (Thursday, October 23) at 9:30 a.m. in the community room at CAA's headquarters, 17 Walter U. Lum Place in San Francisco.

Others expected to speak include state Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), San Francisco Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting, and API Wellness Center Executive Director Lance Toma.

A similar event is planned for Los Angeles featuring actor and newlywed George Takei.

Big bash for No on 8

Clothier Wilkes Bashford and Chris Bently are joining with Mayor Gavin Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and Newsom's brother-in-law and sister Geoff and Hilary Callan to host a "Pursuit of Equality" fundraiser for No on 8 - Equality California that takes place Friday, October 24 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Bently Reserve, 301 Battery Street. Tickets are $200 per person.

The evening is billed as one of "food, fashion, and world-class entertainment."

To purchase tickets, http://pursuitofequality.org/email/poe.