Overturn Prop. 8 update page.

See photo gallery of the November 15, 2008 Escondido Join the Impact (Overturn Prop. 8) march by clicking on this sentence.

Doug Manchester is one of the leading funders ($125,000) of Proposition 8, a California ballot initiative that eliminated the right to marry for same-sex couples. While Hyatt may officially disavow Manchester's personal contributions to Proposition 8, we must question the integrity of their multi-million dollar LGBT marketing efforts. When the revenue this marketing attracts is then funneled into efforts that “bite the hand that feeds them,” we must expose the hypocrisy and exercise our option to refuse to feed them any longer.

Project Postcard (Posted on Nov. 21, 2008.) “Our friends at LGBTQ Civil Rights Front have come up with a brilliant way for us to ensure that LGBTQ issues aren't forgotten as President-elect Obama makes his transition into the White House.

Their idea: Buy a postcard from your home town, include a handwritten message, and mail it to Obama's Presidential Transition Office.”—This text is from the Project Postcard site. Please visit their site here: http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/page/Project+Postcard

California Supreme Court Grants Review in Prop 8 Legal Challenges
Court to determine constitutionality of Prop 8
Today the California Supreme Court granted review in the legal challenges to Proposition 8, which passed by a narrow margin of 52 percent on November 4. In an order issued today, the Court agreed to hear the case and set an expedited briefing schedule. The Court also denied an immediate stay.
Visit: http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=press_prop8challenge111908

For more information contact: Max Disposti at (760) 672-1848.

“You just have to make your voice heard, that's all. This is a terrible injustice,” said Rothman, who married her partner this summer during the short window of time when it was legal in California.

“I'm 80, and I'm prepared to spend every Saturday for the rest of my life marching.” —San Diego Union Tribune, article from November 15, 2008

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Dear Friends,

Several times during the Overturn Prop. 8 march and uplifting rally today (Nov. 15th), I announced the event occurring in the same park later in the afternoon, an Anti-Police Checkpoints vigil organized by El Grupo, a consortium of North County Latino rights groups.

Today at 4:00 p.m., I attended the vigil with my daughter, Olivia, and another equality marcher from the morning, Devin Kelly. We were gratified to be greeted by several other people who had marched with us for marriage equality in the morning, including Pilgrim Church Minister Timothy Murphy.

I was humbled and blessed to meet, thank, and be thanked by the vigil's organizers for our co-creativity in the work for peace and justice. It was certainly an important day for building bridges to understanding in our hometown/community.

It won't be long before every Main Street in America is lined with friends who accept and embrace one another for all that we are.

—Jennifer Schumaker

PAST NEWS:
Escondido, California, Saturday, November 15, 2008, 10:30 a.m.-

Click here for the North County Times news article.

See photo gallery of the Escondido march by clicking on this sentence.

After a day of marching, rallying, connecting and sharing, I'm tired and exhilarated, as I imagine are many of you! And I got home to a shower of water coming through my kitchen ceiling from the home above me! I was so buoyed (pun intended!) by the fantastic showing for marriage equality that we had in Escondido today, that I did not stress at all about the water emergency! Just goes to prove that peace and love are good for blood pressure!!!!

So, WOW. That is what comes to mind when I recall the beautiful sight of 400+ people marching peacefully through Escondido on behalf of equal marriage rights for all. One of the most heartening aspects of our crowd was the presence of such diversity, LGBT/straight, people of different genders and sexes, people of many colors, all ages, all backgrounds, varying abilities.

I was never more proud to live in North County and to be part of our local contribution to this national effort to wrap all of us in the rainbow of equality. It was so gratifying to see so many families present—children, parents, siblings, PFLAG parents, and even a dedicated young mother-to-be named Nikki Gannon who walked as far as she could, at 9-months pregnant! We were a living, breathing, singing, loving, creating microcosm of the magnificence of the whole continuum of humanity.

The co-organizers and volunteers at our local Join the Impact March to Overturn Prop 8 were amazing. (I hope I don't forget anyone—if I do please, please email me and we'll get you added! Don't be shy!) In alphabetical order: Bob Borden, Jaclyn Dielgat, Mike H, Devin Kelly, Jennifer Meneray, Jania Myers, Joe Padilla, Beth Reese, Jill Richard, Heather Watkins, Brenda Watson. Thank you to Xena for photography and Kyla Wilkenfeld for ASL Interpretation.

Thank you to our inspiring speakers: (alphabetically): Rev. Dr. Beth A. Johnson, Jaclyn Dielgat, Rev. Timothy Murphy, Jania Myers, Rev. Madison Shockley (pictured at right), and Prof. Natalie Wilson. Escondido Councilmember-elect Diaz sent her apologies for her unavoidable schedule change. She was with us in spirit!

Here are a few of the groups represented (official or organizational endorsement not implied) at our march today (please email with your group's name if it is not here. We want people to find you to continue our important work!): Cal State San Marcos, Chalice Unitarian Universalist Congregation, North County LGBT Coalition, Palomar Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Pilgrim United Church of Christ, students and parents from Escondido High School, Orange Glen High School, and San Pasqual High School.

Please check back in a day or so for postings on other upcoming Civil Rights activities in our area. Please see www.northcountylgbtcoalitionforce.org/ for details on the November 22 candlelight march in Oceanside. We will post more about that soon!

Enjoy the images of our inspiring gathering! Thank you to all of you who made the decision to come to this march, and raise our voices for change up here in the North County.

As I see in the news, we certainly did not hurt the amazing numbers in San Diego, proper. And we made an historical showing for LGBT rights and human rights in Escondido and our surrounding North County communities. I started with WOW, and I'll end with my other response: Blessed Be.

—Jennifer Schumaker

Click here for the North County Times news article

Escondido, CA, Saturday, November 15, 2008, 10:00 a.m -

Escondido march to Overturn Prop. 8, occurring simultaneously with many other “Join the Impact” marches across the nation!

Everyone please spread the word via text, email, MySpace, Facebook—to everyone you know. Remember: If 1,000 people bring a friend, that's 2,000 people.

We are assembling at 10:00 a.m., at Escondido City Hall, 201 N. Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025. Intersection of Valley Parkway and Broadway, in front of the City Hall “Dome.”

We will begin our march at 10:30 a.m. We have a two mile loop starting at City Hall and ending at Grape Day Park. We have a great line-up of speakers, including Escondido City Councilmember-Elect, Olga Diaz, who will offer us brief and inspiring remarks in Grape Day Park, at the end of the march.

Myself, Jill Richard, Jaclyn Deilgat and Elizabeth Reese are coordinating the route with local police.

What to bring:
• Bring or make signs that are positive and upbeat. (Please scroll down for some sign ideas.)
• Bring water for yourself, sunscreen, bring your friends and your smile.

Personal Note: Remember that even though many of us are hurt and angry, it brings people over to the side of equality much more readily when we pave the way with peace and safety, rather than reinforce feelings of division or polarity, regardless of the sincerity of our hurt.

Think of it this way, we are not “smashing down” discrimination, we are “building up” equality! When we build something so beautiful, others want to come over! We've all seen it! See you at the march! —In togetherness, Jennifer

November 8, 2008 (San Diego, California, U.S.A.) -

“I think Prop. 8 is our Rosa Parks and I think there is no way that gay people and their friends or families are going to sit down for discrimination again,” said Schumaker. —Jennifer's quote is copyrighted by the Associated Press / NBC San Diego, November 8, 2008.

Please see San Diego's NBC 7/39 web site for the (link->) complete news article.

(This news article will open in a new tab or window on your browser.)

Photo credit: Jennifer's webmaster. Picture taken facing east on University Ave in North Park on November 8, 2008.

To contact Jennifer on her cell, call: (760) 445-9453