Why must the statewide gay lobby group Equality California be so stunningly ineffective in confronting the Governator over his planned veto of the bill the Legislature passed legalizing same-sex marriage?

According to Tuesday’s San Francisco Chronicle: “[T]he Assembly’s leadership doesn’t plan to deliver the gay marriage bill to Schwarzenegger’s desk until the Sept. 23 deadline. … Gay rights groups are planning activities each day until then, leaders of the gay rights advocacy group Equality California and state officials from the Bay Area said Monday. Those activities will highlight various segments of the population that could be affected by the bill, such as gay senior citizens, children of gay parents and different ethnic minority groups.”

EQCA head Geoffrey Kors said he hopes to be responsible for 1 million e-mails to Arnold and that he’s “confident that through education we can change his heart and change his mind.”

No, Geoffrey. In the same Chron article, Arnold’s spokesperson asserts:

“The governor will not change his mind on this bill. The legal issues do not change, regardless of public input. It will take another vote of the people or a court action to determine the issue.”

You’re not going to get through to the Governator with a PC display of victimized old people, kids with gay parents and people of color – wringing their hands about how the big bad Governator is planning to hurt their families.

If there is any hope at all, Geoffrey, it lies in direct-action tactics that stun and startle the Governator and inspire heavy TV news coverage.

If you were any kind of leader, Geoffrey, you already would have handcuffed yourself to Arnold’s desk and been arrested, thereby leading local newscasts across the state.

But, no, Geoffrey, you’re gonna try to show the Governator that gay Latinos and lesbian mommies are sad that he’s not going to grant them full equality.

It won’t work.

Act up, Geoffrey, while you still have the chance. You have eight more days. The world is watching and waiting for your leadership.

And I say the same thing to Mark Leno, who I really like. He’s the Assembly member who pushed this bill through the Legislature. Act up, Mark.

History is watching and waiting.

You’ve both said that Arnold’s legacy will be determined by his action on this bill. I say the same to both of you.