Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, can not long retain it.
—Abraham Lincoln
Memorial Planned for Stuart Matis
Henry Stuart Matis was just 32 years old when he took his life on the steps of the Stake Center at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Los Altos, California, on February 25, 2000. Stuart, as he was called, was a devout Mormon who also happened to be gay. At the time of his suicide, the battle over Proposition 22, the California bill that first put the "one-man, one-woman marriage" text into the books, was raging. Stuart tried to reconcile two opposites: the scorn from the Mormon community, including his own family, for gays and lesbians, and being true to his own identity. Sadly, he made the tragic decision to end his life just days before Prop. 22 was indeed passed by voters.
To remember his life, cut so short by divisiveness and vitriol, the Foundation of Reconciliation and several other organizations will hold a pre-dawn memorial ceremony on February 25, 2010, at 6:30 A.M. in Cuesta Park, Mountain View. At 6:50, participants will walk the 3/4 mile south on Grant Road to the LDS Church building in Los Altos, where Stuart's body was found ten years ago. For those who are unable to attend the ceremony, the day-long vigil will continue at the church until 8:30 P.M., or as long as honor guards are present.
For more information, please visit Mormons for Marriage.
Mercury News Covering Prop 8 Trial
Although the federal trial on Proposition 8 will not be broadcast via YouTube, as originally hoped, the San José Mercury News has in depth coverage of the trial, as well as same-sex marriage in general, on a special, dedicated website. Go to mercurynews.com/samesexmarriage for all the latest information, including Howard Mintz' frequently updated blog, direct from the trial.
Here are a few other sites that are covering the trial:
- Firedoglake's blog
- Courage Campaign Institute's Prop 8 Trial Tracker (you've got to love their logo!)
- Commentary from UC Berkeley Law students
Brother Outsider Screening an Eye-Opener
On Friday, January 15, at the Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center, Rick Infantino, along with his husband Dean Harpster, presented a free screening of Brother Outsider, which features the life of Bayard Rustin (1912–1987), the unknown hero of the civil rights movement. A disciple of Gandhi, Rustin was a mentor and teacher to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., lived his life as an openly gay man, and was the architect of the historic 1963 March on Washington.
A group of about 25 showed up to see the movie, most of whom had never heard of Rustin before. Participants were moved by how much impact Rustin, who worked tirelessly from the 1930s up until his death, had had on the civil rights struggle. It is shocking that the legacy of such an important figure in our history has been suppressed and denied to both the African-American and LGBT communities; hopefully, it will only be a short time before his greatness is realized in our history books.
Here you can see a trailer of Brother Outsider. If you are interested in arranging a screening of this film for your church, school, or community center, please contact Rick Infantino.
Let's Be Counted
If you live in the United States, you'll likely be getting a census packet soon in the mail to complete. One of the goals of the U.S. Census is to reflect and acknowledge the diversity of this great country, yet there's no question in the census that asks if you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. To help make sure that the LGBT community is counted and represented, the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force has teamed up with gay-friendly telecommunications provider CREDO Mobile to host a petition you can sign to let the Census Bureau you think that LGBTs deserve to be counted too. You can also get a free sticker (big and bright pink, of course) to affix to your census envelope to serve as a visual clue to census workers that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender folks are part of our country's diverse fabric.
To sign the petition, and get your free sticker, visit QueerTheCensus.org.
After the March, Now What?
The October 11 March on Washington was a great success, but it was only the beginning. There is plenty of work to do, as illustrated in this new video from Equality Across America. Learn how to bring the march home to your own community:
MESV Merchandise Now Available from CafePress
You can now purchase Marriage Equality Silicon Valley merchandise at our new CafePress.com store. Browse items such as T-shirts for men, women and children, as well as gift ideas such as buttons, teddy bears and mousepads. Most items have the MESV logo; in addition, specially designed T-shirts are available with timely messages: "It's not IF, it's WHEN" (shown above), and "To change hearts and minds, you need to find them first." All profits from the sale of merchandise go directly to MESV to help fund its activities.
Please let your friends know about our store's URL: http://www.cafepress.com/MESV. It's the best way to show your local pride!
Donate to Marriage Equality Silicon Valley
Marriage Equality Silicon Valley has relied on contributions from its core group of volunteers for funding its activities to this point. Although we understand that these economic times are perhaps as bad as they have been for decades, we nevertheless must call on the community for donations to help support its activities. These include very basic, relatively inexpensive things such as printing flyers and supplies. If you would like to donate to our organization, your contribution of any amount would be most welcome. Please visit our donation page for details. Although we will happily issue a receipt for your contribution, any amount contributed will not be tax-deductible, as Marriage Equality Silicon Valley is not a registered nonprofit entity.
Marriage Equality Movie Night & Potluck
As part of our ongoing outreach, the religious outreach and youth movement subgroup of Marriage Equality Silicon Valley hosts a monthly movie night & potluck. Contact Ray Hixson at (650) 346-7557 or Joanne Loomba at (408) 921-0041 for more information.
Spread the word about Marriage Equality Silicon Valley!
Marriage Equality Silicon Valley has just a few volunteers who work tirelessly (well, okay, we do get tired now and then!) to make sure that our local community keeps marriage equality on the front burner. So that's why we're asking for your help. Here is a flyer (Adobe Acrobat format) that you can download, print out, and leave at places where people might be likely to pick them up — coffeehouses, community centers, libraries, etc. — and learn more about our organization. You can also save it on your computer, email it to your friends, and ask them to distribute it as well. "Grassroots" means we need to rely on each other to help spread the word.
Together we can make a difference!