At its latest board of directors gathering in San Francisco, Equality California, California’s largest GLBT civil rights and advocacy organization, set its political agenda for 2006, including measures to defeat two possible anti-marriage constitutional amendments.

Equality California is keeping watch on two initiatives that jeopardize the current laws governing domestic partnerships, as well as threaten any future attempts by the GLBT community to gain marriage equality. The first initiative is being organized by Gail Knight, widow of Sen. Pete Knight who led the successful Proposition 22 campaign in 2000 that prohibits same-sex marriages in California. The 2006 Knight initiative would prohibit domestic partnerships recognized by the state since 1984.

“Their initiative would repeal domestic partnership. This would repeal any domestic partnership rights that have been granted on a city, county or state level,” said Geoffrey Kors, executive director of Equality California. “We are talking about hundreds of thousands of relationships that would be terminated, and the rights that go with them would be revoked.”

Among the U.S., California is one of two states that grant the greatest number of rights and protections to same-sex couples and families with domestic partnerships. Vermont is the other. Massachusetts is the only state to legalize same-sex marriage. California first granted benefits to domestic partnerships in 2001 and again in 2002, giving them protections for their relationships similar to those that opposite-sex couples receive. The state Legislature expanded the system in 2005 to include many additional benefits and responsibilities. The new Knight initiative would eliminate this system entirely.

“It also prohibits the Legislature or the court from granting any domestic partnership rights or recognizing them in any way, shape or form,” Kors said. “The only relationship in California that would be recognized on any government level would be a marriage between one man and one woman.”

Kors said the Knight initiative claims to have about 20,000 signatures already. It needs almost 60,000 valid signatures to be put on the ballot, so it is unclear if this initiative would appear in the June or November election.

The second initiative is getting ready to launch its voter signature campaign. Randy Thomasson of Campaign for California Families and Lou Sheldon of Traditional Values Coalition have authored an initiative that would eliminate the rights of domestic partners, but not prohibit domestic partners to register.

“It’s different [from the Knight initiative] in two respects. One, it would allow people to remain domestic partners in name, but two, it would prohibit any rights, benefits or responsibilities being given to domestic partnerships,” Kors said. “It’s basically an attempt to fool voters into thinking it does not repeal domestic partnerships by allowing people to be registered, but prohibiting the registration from meaning anything whatsoever.”

The Thomasson/Sheldon initiative is also “damaging,” Kors said, because it would put a definition into the state constitution saying it is in the best interest of a child to be raised in a household of one man and one woman.

“The result of that could very well be that children being raised by same-sex couples – or even single parents – would have their children taken away from them,” Kors said.

Kors encourages people to get involved to oppose these initiatives and create a strong voice in favor of marriage quality. Fernando Lopez, Equality California field organizer for the San Diego area, invites people to join the local chapter.

“We’re really focusing on diversifying and strengthening our community,” Lopez said. “We’re also working alongside San Diegans Against Marriage Discrimination. We want to strengthen our community and give them a voice.”

In addition to fighting the two possible changes to the California Constitution, California Equality is also making plans to keep pro-equality majorities in the California Assembly and Senate. In this year’s election, 100 of the 120 legislators are on the ballot, all 80 Assembly members and half of the Senate.

“The vast majority of the Republicans in the Legislature are supporting the Knight measure. It’s very disconcerting to see the majority of the Republicans supporting repealing existing rights for domestic partners,” Kors said.

Steve Hansen, legislative director for Equality California, is quick to shy away from the Republican vs. Democrat comparison, saying that Equality California is a non-partisan organization. He points out that some Republicans have voted in favor of GLBT rights, and Kors admits that not all Democrats have supported all marriage equality measures.

“The goal is not to elect Democrats, but to elect pro equal-rights legislators,” Hansen said. “Those are the ones that we want and those are the ones we want to keep.”

Hansen counts 42 of the 80 legislators in the Assembly as pro-equality, and 21 in the Senate. Of those, there are 20 in the Assembly that have reached their term limit or are not running to renew their seat. There are 10 of the 21 senators not returning.

“That’s about half … and that’s pretty big,” Hansen said.

For the city of San Diego, Senator Denise Ducheny is seeking re-election in the 40th Senate District. She is a Democrat but did not vote in favor of Assembly Bill 846, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act.

San Diego representative Lori Saldana, a Democrat, is running for re-election in the 76th Assembly District. She is a co-author of the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act. Hansen said it looks like Saldana may run unopposed.

Juan Vargus, a Democrat representing San Diego’s 79th Assembly District, has reached his term limit. No one has declared candidacy for this district, according to Hansen.

“We hope to get someone in that seat that is 100 percent for equality,” he said.

Equality California will be campaigning for pro-equality candidates throughout the state. Aside from the initiatives and upcoming elections, Equality California’s board of directors affirmed their dedication to fight for equal rights for the GLBT community.

“We plan to continue and advance a very aggressive equality agenda,” Kors said.

One item on their agenda is revisiting Assembly Bill 846, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act. At this time, however, Kors said it may not have priority.

“That’s a conversation that’s going to happen between Congressmember Leno and the LGBT caucus,” Kors said, referring to Assemblymember Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, author of the bill. “First, we have to beat back these constitutional amendments that will be on the ballot next year. If we fail to beat those, we can never move forward with any marriage bill or marriage litigation in California.”