The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) denies same-sex marriage at the federal level:

1. No state (or other political subdivision within the United States) need treat a relationship between persons of the same sex as a marriage, even if the relationship is considered a marriage in another state.
2. The Federal Government may not treat same-sex relationships as marriages for any purpose, even if concluded or recognized by one of the states.

During the primary campaign, Obama pledged to completely repeal DOMA, and he reaffirmed in his Civil Rights Agenda after the election:

Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.

On January 10, people in cities across the U.S. will hold a Nationwide DOMA Protest and collect over 1,000,000 signatures urging President-Elect Obama to repeal DOMA. The nationwide goal: 1,000,00 signatures. San Francisco’s goal: 100,000 signatures! These one million signatures in support of marriage equality will be delivered to Barack Obama on his first day in office.

Join The Impact has an Open Letter to Barack Obama. On Saturday, there will be a rally at Harvey Milk Plaza (Castro & Market). Speakers will discuss DOMA and at the end of the rally, volunteers will lead groups to different neighborhoods in SF and the Bay Area to collect signatures.

PLEASE BRING (If You Can):

• 2 or more pens
• Clipboard or 8.5″ x 11″ cardboard with clip/rubber band to hold petition pages
• Printed official Open Letter to Barack Obama (PDF) and ten official petition signature pages (PDF)

We will provide these supplies for those who are unable to bring them.

After collecting signatures: We are working on a drop off location in the Castro neighborhood to drop off the signed petitions and open letter copies, along with the borrowed clipboards and pens. Please check back for more information.

What: National DOMA Protest and Signature Gathering: Collect 100,000 signatures to repeal DOMA! RSVP at Facebook
When: Saturday, January 10, 11 A.M.
Why: Show President-Elect Obama and the world that GLBTQI people and our allies support repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and fighting homophobia. Hold Obama accountable and urge him to turn his campaign promises into reality.
Where: Harvey Milk Plaza, Castro & Market (Castro Muni Stop)

Join us on January 10th for One Million Signatures to Repeal DOMA!

For more information on the nitty gritty of the petition,
IMPORTANT: We all have to use the official letter and signature page so that they can be joined together and sent to President Obama as one cohesive piece. If you are not using the official Join The Impact letter, your signatures will not be sent in.

It is VERY IMPORTANT that the signature be on the official signature sheet or one of the sheets provided by JoinTheImpact.com over the past two weeks. Due to many great ideas, the signature sheets have evolved since the first version. For those of you that took early initiative using an early version of the signature sheet, all of your hard work is still completely valid and extremely appreciated! Any signature sheet not made by Join The Impact will not be valid for legal reasons.

HERE ARE THE DETAILS:

• Print one copy of the Open Letter to Barack Obama (PDF) for each set of official signature sheets (PDF).
• Show your signers the full letter.
• Print as many of the signature sheets as you think you can fill. Each page holds 20 signatures. Sheets with less than 20 signatures will still be accepted.
• Please ask your signers if they have already signed, try to avoid duplicate signatures.
• Your signers DO NOT need to include their full address; only the ZIP CODE is required.
• NO ONE will contact your signers and they will not be put on any mailing list. The petition is solely for the purpose of mailing to Obama and showing him that there is widespread support for repealing DOMA.

Light Up The Night San Francisco
Location: Union Square San Francisco
Date and Time: Saturday, 12/20, 5 P.M. – 6 P.M.
RSVP at Facebook: Light up the Night for Equality – San Francisco and at Light Up The Night San Francisco

Come to Union Square without signs, without posters, without your voice. Bring candles (for you and to share) and plan on silently holding your candles, demonstrating your support for same-sex marriage equality across the nation. Make or buy a “2nd Class Citizen” T-Shirt and wear it in solidarity with your fellow demonstrators.

Fliers are available in English (PDF) and Spanish (PDF).

December 14, 2008

Primary Contact: Tim DeBenedictis lutnsf@lightupthenightsf.com
Alternate Contact: Eric Lunow elunow@gmail.com
Alternate Contact: Cat Kim protest8sf@gmail.com

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. The local organizers of the national November
15th protests against Prop 8 have planned something positive for the
holiday season.

Join The Impact (www.jointheimpact.com) is planning a national candlelight
vigil, open to all individuals, organizations, and families who support
marriage equality and the repeal of Prop 8.

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT will take place in San Francisco at Union Square on
Saturday, December 20th, from 5:00 – 6:00 PM.

Early response indicates an attendance figure in the thousands, creating a
visual holiday spectacle. The San Francisco vigil will be coordinated with
hundreds of other vigils happening simultaneously in cities across the
United States.

According to organizer Tim DeBenedictis, “We want to show a positive image
of unity and hope – an image that will be seen not just here in San
Francisco, but across the Bay, in the Central Valley, over the Sierras, and
in 100 million homes across America.”

For more information on the San Francisco event: www.lightupthenightsf.com
For more information on the national event: www.jointheimpact.com

December 8, 2008

From: Join The Impact SF.

Contact: Ryan Rudnick ryan.rudnick@gmail.com, Cat Kim, protest8sf@gmail.com

Day Without a Gay (Lesbian/Bi/Trans/Queer/Intersex) is coming up December 10th!

What: A rally at 24th & Mission, followed by a march up Valencia to the SF LGBT Center (Market & Octavia).

Who: Assemblyman Tom Ammiano;Andrea Shorter, the campaign director of And Marriage for All; Renee Saucedo, Founder of INS Watch; Cat Kim, organizer of Join The Impact SF; Gregg Cassin, Inspirational Speaker.

When: Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008, 6:00 P.M.

Where: 24th and Mission St., San Francisco, CA [BART: 24th & Mission]

How: RSVP to the Facebook event at Day Without A Gay – San Francisco. And please pass this message to everyone!

Why: To show support for American civil rights and equality for all, including gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transsexuals, queers, and intersexuals. Our intent is to show everyone else that this movement is not a flash in the pan. The 21st century Civil Rights Movement is not going to disappear. Victims of discrimination are not going to quietly and passively wait for
our rights. And our communities will never forget Prop. 8 and the constant hatred that people face simply for living in a sexist, paranoid world.

Demonstrations show politicians, the media, and society at large that there is widespread, powerful, and vocal support for civil rights. Demonstrations bring us together as a community and show that both GLBTQI and their straight friends are united in this fight. Wednesday, Dec. 10 is the next big protest – it is time for everyone to gear up, make your signs, and come with enthusiasm and all the courage of your convictions!

Click on the images below to get full-size fliers (PDFs). Print and put up in your neighborhood, hand them out at Milk screenings, community centers, etc. Clubcard Printing has generously printed up fliers for us – stop by the shop, say thanks, and pick up some fliers to hand out and put up! Clubcard is open 10A.M.-6 P.M., M-F, at 2275 Market (near 16th St.).

Flier in English.

For more fliers in Chinese, Spanish, and English, click here:

Flier in traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese.

Flier in Spanish.

Quarter-size sheet of fliers. Print them, cut them up, and hand them out.

Gay people and our allies are compassionate, sensitive, caring, mobilized, and programmed for success. A day without gays would be tragic because it would be a day without love.

On December 10, 2008 the gay community will take a historic stance against hatred by donating love to a variety of different causes.

On December 10, you are encouraged not to call in sick to work. You are encouraged to call in “gay”–and donate your time to service!

In San Francisco, there’s a demonstration and march on Dec. 10. During the day, step away from work if you can and show the country what the economy would be like without GLBTQI people and straight allies. In the evening, come to 24th and Mission and show the world who we are! Show your support for same-sex marriage and GLBTQI rights and put a face on the fight for equality, justice, and love! Bring your friends, families, and colleagues and show that you are committed to this cause for the long haul, that you’re in it to succeed!

Y’all turned out in the thousands for JoinTheImpact’s National Day of Protests on November 15, and you’ve turned out for meetings, marches, demonstrations, and vigils. We must not stop. Demonstrations show politicians, the media, and society at large that there is widespread, powerful, and vocal support for GLBTQI rights. Demonstrations bring us together as a community and show that we’re in this fight together. Wednesday, Dec. 10 is the next big protest – gear up, make your signs, and come with enthusiasm and all the courage of your convictions!

When: Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008, 6:00 P.M.
Where: 24th and Mission St., San Francisco, CA

Why: To show your support for GLBTQI rights and equality for all, and to show everyone else that this movement is not a flash in the pan. We’re not going to disappear. We’re not going to quietly and passively wait for our rights. And we will never forget Prop. 8 and the constant hatred that we face simply for living in a heterosexist, transphobic world.
What: Meet at 24th and Mission for a demonstration and then march up Valencia St. to the SF LGBT Community Center at 1800 Market (at Octavia).
How: RSVP to the Facebook event at Day Without A Gay – San Francisco. Anyone interested in organizing should join the Protest8SF listserv (open membership).
Who: You and everyone you know. Use this demonstration as an opportunity to talk to people about marriage equality and homophobia.

On a final note, the CA Supreme Court is hearing the case to repeal Prop. 8. Regardless of their decision, there will still be a Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which bars same-sex marriage at the federal level. There will still be bans against same-sex marriage in dozens of other states. There will still be states with bans against non-heterosexual (and presumably non-cisgendered) people adopting. There will still be states where it is perfectly legal to fire people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. This is why we’re demonstrating. This is why you should spread the word, pitch in your help, and show up: because the deck is stacked against equality and social justice, and that will never change unless we continue to show that GLBTQI rights matter and that we won’t stop until we have full equality as well as marriage equality!

See you on the 10th!

The rally this Saturday will feature speakers from all parts of the GLBTQI community and its supporters, including local politicians, civil rights leaders, and religious leaders. We are committed to being an inclusive, anti-racist event. The event will be a peaceful rally in support of marriage equality and full equality, and we welcome everyone to attend that supports equality for all!

Speakers will provide perspective and action plans for restoring the rights of all people to marry, as advocated by millions of Californians including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The rally will provide our movement with a huge local network on which we can organize future protest actions.

A handicapped-accessible area will be reserved for persons with disabilities on the sidewalk in front of the City Hall steps, and there will be ASL interpreters present.

We encourage people to make signs to express their support for marriage equality and civil rights. Against8 and wistfuljane have downloadable flier designs in a variety of sizes.

Via Protest8LA, Shepard Fairey, designer of the Obama Hope poster, has generously created this image for people to use as signs and fliers:

(Click image for full size image).

We encourage people to bring video cameras and cameras to record the event. Put your rally photos up at the protestprop8 flickr and your video footage up at YouTube (and link it in the comments here)!

November 11, 2008

Contact: Cat Kim, protest8sf@gmail.com

Alternate contact: Eric Schiller (eric@ericschiller.com)

Join the Impact SF calls on all those who find Proposition 8 unacceptable to join us for a protest Saturday, November 15 at 10:30 at City Hall in conjunction with the National Day of Protest. Speakers will provide perspective and action plans for restoring the rights of all people to marry, as advocated by millions of Californians including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In coordination with protests at city halls all over the nation, the rally will chart the way forward for equal rights guaranteed to us by the United States Constitution. The diversity of the civil rights movement will be on display, showing the nation that this struggle includes all of us, not just those desiring same-sex weddings. We are reaching out to all, especially members of groups that have suffered oppression and discrimination.

We support the right of individuals to have whatever religious beliefs they wish, but are prepared to confront institutions of bigotry and hate. We demand the reversal of the bigoted Proposition 8, as a major step in the struggle for civil rights that will continue until discrimination on the basis of sexual and gender orientation is eliminated entirely.

We will be asking for outreach efforts and will be mounting a campaign for all Americans to publicly publicly show their support for same-sex marriages that have taken place by signing an online holiday card celebrating their union. The protest will provide our movement with a huge local network on which we can organize future protest actions.

Featured speakers include

State Senator Carole Migden
State Senator-Elect Mark Leno
Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis; Plaintiffs in the California marriage case
Mark Oliver and Clark Pingree; Representing “Mormons for Marriage”
Rev. Dr. Penny Nixon
Rev. Dr. Dorsey Blake

and many more. Our speakers and organizers will be available for media interviews at the event.

Clubcard Printing in the Castro will have english and spanish posters and fliers ready for anyone to pick-up.

If you need a specific language version please call us at 415-865-1930 or email mikew or juan
@ clubcardprinting. com

We are easy to get to on Market & 16th street between (J-line streetcar, and we are between the Castro and Church Muni stations)

Flier DISCOUNT: Express Print has agreed to give us discounted rates for flyers. To get the discount, say that you’re copying fliers for the protest this Saturday.

For black and white: 5 cents each (100 for 5 dollars) For color: 35 cents each. The shop is located at 1410 Franklin Street (between Sutter and Fern), 94109. Phone Number: (415) 928-7865 Email: ep1410 AT sbcglobal.net

View Larger Map
Thank you very much to Clubcard Printing and Express Print!

FIGHT THE HATE
Rally Against Proposition 8
More info at
Join the Impact // National Protest

Clicking on the images below will take you to the full-size PDFs.

From Nathan, Winson, and Jon:

A Japanese flier.

From Tim:

For more fliers, click this link:

From Winson and Jon:

Fliers in traditional Chinese: color and black and white.

Fliers in simplified chinese: color and black and white.

Courtesy of Kristen, Jon, Warren, Howard, and David:

Chinese PDFs in black and white and color.

Spanish PDFs in black and white and color.

English PDFs in black and white and color.

From Cindy, 1/4-size fliers that print up four to a page. Print them, cut them up, and they’re perfect for handing out at MUNI stops, farmers markets, schools, and any other high traffic areas.

Right-click and save as for the full-size flier (PDF).

Right-click and save as for the full-size flier (PDF).

From Kristen, two low-ink fliers:

Right-click and save as for the full-size flier (PDF).

Right-click and save as for the full-size flier (PDF).