The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act: Assemblymember Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, is the author of Assembly Bill 19, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act. This measure would grant same-sex couples in California the freedom to marry, and provide religious freedom for any faith organization who doesn’t wish to perform marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples. The bill is sponsored by Equality California and co-authored by the Speaker of the Assembly, Fabian Nuñez, and 30 other Assembly members. AB 19 was narrowly defeated by a 37-36 vote on June 2, falling just four votes shy of the necessary 41 to pass in the 80-member state Assembly.

While it is disappointing that some of our legislators missed the opportunity to treat all California families fairly, it is important to remember that this vote in the California state Assembly is one of the first times a state legislative body has ever voted on a bill that would grant same-sex couples full marriage equality. Equality California deserves kudos for their incredibly hard work on this historic legislation.

It is equally important to keep in mind that this narrow defeat is not the end of the efforts to secure marriage equality through our state Legislature. Efforts continue to attempt to reintroduce this legislation. Continuing updates are available at Equality California’s Web site (visit this column online at www.gaylesbiantimes.com for a link).

In June 2006, our ballots will include a discriminatory amendment to the California Constitution that would ban marriage for same-sex couples and eliminate all the protections currently available to domestic partners in California through Assembly Bill 205 – the Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act. Three such amendments have already been submitted to the attorney general!

The nation will be watching and depending on California to finally defeat this mean-spirited and divisive amendment. Toward that end, a statewide coalition of more than 300 organizations has begun to mobilize to educate voters about this important civil rights issue. Organizations include the ACLU; Bienestar; NCLR; NAAC; HRC; Equality California; The Task Force; Lambda Legal; the San Diego, San Francisco, Orange County and Los Angeles LGBT centers; and hundreds more LGBT, allied, progressive and faith organizations. This nonpartisan coalition will help to lead a statewide campaign designed to defeat this amendment.

In San Diego, a local arm of that larger statewide coalition has also formed to begin to mobilize our local efforts. Consisting of many of the same organizations, as well as local organizations, and growing weekly, this coalition welcomes all who can help in the fight against discrimination. It is our mission over the next 12 months to make sure that San Diegans understand the potential destructiveness of this amendment.

As San Diegans, we are fortunate to be home to one of the nation’s largest Pride celebrations. Our San Diego LGBT Pride weekend, July 29-31, will attract more than 120,000 people. We must take advantage of this opportunity to mobilize thousands of Californians to stand up against discrimination by signing the coalition pledge to fight the upcoming ballot initiative.

We need volunteers to get people to sign this pledge during Pride weekend so that we can collect the information that will get our supporters to the polls next year. Please help us take advantage of this critically important opportunity by volunteering today. We need your help in order to get 10,000 people to take the pledge on Pride weekend.

To volunteer or for more information, contact AJ Davis today at (619) 692-2077 ext. 212 or adavis@thecentersd.org, or e-mail Anthony White at anthonywhite123@sbcglobal.net.

You can also view and sign the pledge today online. Visit this column online at www.gaylesbiantimes.com for a link.