What Can we do NOW?

With all that is going on in the news with the anti-gay marriage amendments passing, many of us in the LGBT community are wondering what can we do NOW?

Well, one of my favorite lesbian sites, Lez Get Real, came up with a checklist of things we can do to voice our disagreement with the gay marriage bans in Florida, California and Arizona. 

Check it out below:

___File a Lawsuit. Lawsuits are being filed on behalf of the couples who were married in California, and you should check to see if there are lawsuits you should be included in where you live. Filing a lawsuit when your civil rights have been violated is a duty you have to yourself and those who look up to you, and can have a huge impact on these discriminatory laws.

___Sign Petitions. Voter signatures can work wonders, and you should sign every petition that comes your way that will aid in removing the gay marriage bans in Florida, Arizona, and California, and that will prevent gay marriage bans from occurring in other states as well. A petition you should sign right now is the petition to remove the tax exempt status of the Mormon Church which you can find here and the petition to Invalidate Prop 8 here. Petition can help change the legislature.

____ Donate to The Invalidate Prop 8 Campaign. Send a message to the Mormon Church, whose members raised more than $15 million to fund the deceitful advertising campaign for Proposition 8, the initiative that takes away the right to marry for same sex couples in California! Make a donation to support the legal organizations working to invalidate Proposition 8 and to fund grass-roots activities in support of full marriage equality. For every donation of $5 or more, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center will send a postcard to President Thomas Monson’s office in Salt Lake City, acknowledging your donation in his name.

____ Attend a Local Protest. You can find a list of protests going on around the nation here, including a national cry to call for equal rights at the steps of your city hall on November 15th. Bring signs with valid points plus your camera or take video. Be friendly and peaceful to the media, make your point with your signs. Wear your walking shoes and bring a bottle of water. More info on the National Protest can be found at JoinTheImpact.org.

____ Join The Rainbow Dragon Network. The Rainbow Dragon Network is a list of organizations around the world who are ready to be called upon when members of the LGBT community are in need. If you lead a local LGBT outreach organization or program, please send your contact details to therainbowdragon@yahoo.com.