We've held protests, we've had a summit, and we've seen a leadership vacuum develop in California since the passage of Proposition 8. While the next steps toward marriage equality are being determined, now is not the time to withdraw and reduce our visibility or silence our voices.
We lost in part because an effective ground game was missing from the No on Prop 8 campaign. As pollster David Binder concluded in his recent post-election survey, LGBT people telling their stories successfully influenced people who voted no. And the survey clearly noted that LGBT people engaging others in conversation is not the same kind of outreach as the No on 8 campaign's scripted, ignore-the-gays phone banking calls, which Binder said were largely ineffective. It's also clear that many Californians need to learn about us, preferably in an atmosphere less charged than a heated political campaign. They need to see us with our children, they need to see us in church and other social settings, and they need to hear from us as individuals.
The Equality California Institute's Let California Ring program has started that process, and in fact targeted Santa Barbara County several years ago. The results last November were striking: the county voted no on Prop 8. Similar programs should begin in the Central Valley, but by people who live in the area. And it doesn't need to be the same everywhere – our community has a wealth of creativity that needs to be unleashed around he Golden State. Self-sustaining field offices should be opened in smaller cities like Fresno and Bakersfield. Leaders in these areas need to involve the community and actively reach out to others. In this way, arguments that were used against us can be refuted.
Binder's survey found that 73 percent of yes on Prop 8 voters said that nothing would change their mind on same-sex marriage. "There's a solid bloc of voters in California opposed to same-sex marriage," he said during a conference call with reporters last week. But we don't need to convince all of them; we need to focus on the remaining 27 percent or so of voters who may be open to re-evaluating their position.
The political consultants who ran No on 8 were woefully unprepared for the challenges of a campaign that involved the hot-button social issues of religion and family. And for whatever reason, supportive clergy were left out of the loop. There are pastors from many denominations – gay and straight – who could have spoken eloquently on the importance of family and civil marriage. A case for a clear distinction between religious and civil marriage was also lost on No on 8 leaders.
There may very well be another ballot fight on same-sex marriage in California, so if we are to succeed, we must start building support now. Several activist groups have sprung up – and that's important, but they need keep focused on the common goal so that community members remain energized and united.