West Hollywood, California (Monday, March 9, 2009) - Recognizing that win or lose, the LGBTQ community must have an immediate response to the forthcoming California Supreme Court decision on whether or not to uphold Proposition 8, veteran gay activists Robin Tyler and Andy Thayer have called for "Day of Decision" (DOD) actions the night that the court releases its decision.
Volunteers for the effort are being coordinated through the new website, www.DayofDecision.org.
The court is required by law to announce its decision no later than 90 days after the March 5th oral arguments (June 3), but could do so much sooner.
One day before the decision is announced, the court will inform us that the decision will come the next day.
The evening that the decision is released, DOD actions to either protest a bad decision or celebrate a good decision will take place.
"We know that win or lose, our community will respond that night.
“The purpose of beginning to organize these Day of Decision actions right now is to make these actions as powerful as possible," said Robin Tyler, who is one of the plaintiffs in the original suit to win equal marriage rights in California and a petitioner in the case to overturn Proposition 8.
"Sitting in the CA Supreme Court hearing last week, we walked out feeling that the court would uphold Proposition 8."
"By organizing now, we are also sending a message to the Court that people are watching what they do, and that if it's a bad decision, our community will not go softly into the night," said Andy Thayer, co-founder of Chicago's Gay Liberation Network.
“We will react with a justified anger at one of the worst, and most cowardly court decisions of our era.
“If we win, these actions will be celebrations, and an attempt to push the momentum of a California victory to other states and regions," he finished.
"A decision which upholds Prop 8's ban on future same-sex marriages, but allows those already performed to stand, will not be considered a victory," said Tyler, whose marriage to Diane Olson would be upheld in such a scenario.
She said that such a split ruling would be considered a victory on which to build future electoral battles for equality.
“Picking off one part of our community for special treatment while disregarding the rights of the rest is completely unacceptable," she said.
Ms. Tyler and Mr. Thayer initiated successful Day of Decision actions in 50 cities around the country following the 2003 U.S. Supreme Court Lawrence v. Texas decision which junked the anti-gay sodomy laws that were used to justify legal inequality in a broad range of areas.
They also were two of the principal organizers of the successful StopDrLaura campaign which stopped hate radio hostess Dr. Laura Schlessinger's daily, national one-hour television program.
