When same-sex marriage was legalized in Massachusetts in 2004 I assumed that other liberal "blue" states would not be too far behind. I was in high school at the time and not as politically conscientious as I like to think I am now. In the past 5 years there has been a plethora of organizing on equal marriage from both pro and con sides, some of which has been truly innovative and inspiring. In this diary, I would like to highlight some of the most memorable organizing strategies that have recently come to my mind. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but in these times of furious prop 8 organizing, perhaps we can learn a thing or two from what our movement- and that of our opponents- have already employed. Perhaps, just perhaps, we will integrate some of these strategies on the national level in a post-Prop 8 environment.
1. Blue Jersey "Apple Spoof" Ads
Humor is often a terribly effective tool at molding or even changing public opinion. Anyone who doubts that need only look at Tina Fey's influence on how the general public came to view Sarah Palin:
Fey's first parody of Palin was a turning point in American politics, says Larry Sabato, a prominent political scientist. He attributes SNL's Sept. 13 spoof, which introduced the world to the Alaska governor's comedic dopplegänger, with sparking a downward spiral in the nominee's fortunes.
"Once we got permission from 'Saturday Night Live' to laugh about Palin, it really just opened the door to the torrent of criticism that was behind it."
Up until that point, says Sabato (who teaches at the University of Virginia but isn't sure whether Fey, a 1992 grad, ever took his class), the media was too cowed by Palin's gender and by the fervor of her supporters to poke much at her then little-known record.
"They used kid gloves that had been polished down to nothing," he adds.
But that all changed the moment that more than 7 million viewers (and millions more online) watched a sweet-talkin', gun-cocking, pageant-waving Tina Fey perkily proclaim, "I can see Russia from my house!"
Blue Jersey, with less than $5,000 and volunteered professional support, created the above Public Service ads disseminated via youtube and blogs that reached as much as 100,000 viewers. This media success came largely devoid of any initial support from national LGBT organizations, whom combined possess tens of millions of dollars in annual funding.
These ads to me are humorous way of addressing a serious topic. It catches people off guard, before they can put up their preconditioned views on marriage equality and LGBT relationships. That, I feel, is the power in this ad campaign. I strongly feel that similar ads should be put in place in future marriage equality battles.
Update : I found a very humorous ad by the no on prop 8 people that is just classic!
- People of Color Community Organizing
Prop 8 proponents organized the most diverse high profile political operation I have ever studied or witnessed (besides the Obama campaign of course). Proponents of Prop 8 understood that given the high diversity of California, people of color organizing is not a feel good measure but a centrality for any statewide campaign in California. To quote Richard Kim's amazing analysis of the Prop 8 fight:
"The Sunday before election day, I went to Los Angeles City Hall for the most celebratory, most diverse rally I have ever attended; it was organized by Yes on 8 Chinese advocates.
But it's only in an organizing vacuum that bald lies and racial pandering find room to thrive. Gay activists, by most accounts, were simply outmaneuvered. Andrea Shorter, a black lesbian volunteer for the No on 8 campaign, told me that the outreach to the African-American community began in earnest a week ago.
"What's happened is that there's been an outcry from communities of color, including African-American communities, who say, 'Include us!' Now there's a GOTV strategy, but for some it seems last minute," she said in an interview before the election. Another No on 8 activist, Karin Wang, told me at the City Hall rally that when Asian Pacific Islander groups went to buy ads in Chinese and Korean newspapers, they were informed that Yes on 8 had been renting space for weeks."
My intention in pointing this out is not to criticize the efforts of the opponents of Prop 8, but rather to acknowledge one very shrewd move by our opponents.
- Phonebank parties
One of my organizer friends recruited me to be a part of a phonebank party in D.C. two years ago. The purpose of that particular phonebank party was to fight efforts in Massachusetts to repeal same-sex marriage. It was a great way for non-Massachusetts residents to get involved in the campaign. I'm not sure how many out of state phonebank events their were to fight Prop 8, but it is really an amazing experience and I hope I see more of.
- More of this please :