The devastating loss in California is barely three weeks old and already it has begun winding its way into the narrative of American and GLBT movement history.

The No on 8 campaign raised more money, mobilized more voters and garnered more votes for equality in all demographics than we have ever before. But we lost. We must learn the larger lessons if we want to win.

Infrastructure: Every Sunday night during the campaign we watched as our poll numbers dropped. It wasn’t a new ad, nor was it a new headline that drove our numbers down every week. It was an incredible organizing tool; 1,500 churches, each with 500 to several thousand families on their membership rolls, meeting weekly, can effectively communicate a message, a fund-raising need, or a strategy. That infrastructure beat us and we must build one for ourselves.

Technology and grassroots organization: The last few weeks have shown us the vast creativity and capacity in the online communities. We must find creative ways to connect the thousands of unaffiliated online activists with the thousands of GLBT and progressive organizations, building a community infrastructure that encompasses them all.

Money: This campaign taught us three important lessons about money: investing early in ground work is more effective than waiting for the crisis; early campaign money will determine who gets to define the issues and the debate (and that side generally wins); and, it will always take more than anyone imagined. We need early, well-financed educational campaigns and early campaign dollars – money that must come from all of us, not just a few amongst the wealthy.

Securing our base: Not much of our attention is focused upon our allies – people who support a woman’s right to choose, labor and other progressive causes and voters. We did not get every vote we could have from our base, and it may well be that those base votes were absolutely critical to winning in such a close campaign.

Ethnic and faith community relationships: We have allowed extremists to hijack the national faith agenda and target ethnic communities through that faith. We must help those who understand faith as a driving force for justice and equality to take back their faith and install new leadership. By the same logic, GLBT does not equal white. The struggle for justice is a struggle for the soul of American democracy and our energies need to be invested – every day, as a full partner – in all communities that struggle towards that “more perfect union.”

Voters and polling: This type of measure has never been defeated anywhere in the nation, but many believed No on 8 couldn’t lose. This belief was reinforced by public polling that overstated support for GLBT equality and underestimated the response of conflicted voters when the inevitable attacks occurred. This has happened in almost every single campaign we have lost. We must learn how to better predict outcomes in LGBT equality ballot measures and educate the entire progressive community so that public polling does not again lull us into a false sense of security.

Telling our stories: We all hope for a day when the ultimate, über-creative team can design a 30-second commercial that tells the story of our struggle and our strengths, our decency and our shared humanity. That day will come when we have told our stories already, in our own ways, in our own voices, to the hundreds who surround us. On that day, a powerful, persuasive commercial will be possible, because it will do what all successful commercials do: remind uncommitted voters of the importance of something they already know.

The Center and The Center Advocacy Project hosted a community town hall just after the election to solicit criticism, feedback and ideas. We continue to collect feedback and suggestions online (visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1093 for a link to the CAP Web site and ways to get involved). In 2009, community members and organizations will gather to help craft strategies for moving forward. The first meeting, open to all, is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 6 p.m. in The Center’s auditorium. Whether you were involved in the last campaign or not, whether you communicate through Facebook, email or more old-school methods, please consider attending.

Please join us as we attempt to craft solutions and a plan for moving forward to win full equality.