GAYS TO PROTEST SAT.;COMPLAINT AGAINST MORMONS FILED

PHOTO shows last Saturday's massive 10,000+ march from Hillcrest to North Park, as seen from the Georgia Street Bridge over University Avenue looking east.

Los Angeles -- The Californians Against Hate organization has filed a formal complaint against the Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) for not reporting numerous non-monetary contributions to ProtectMarriage.com.

The complaint was filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission, with letters also sent to the state's attorney general, Edmund G. Brown, Jr. and Utah's Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, expanding on the complaint.

Californians Against Hate was founded by Fred Karger of Laguna Beach, an experienced, long-time gay activist who also launched the national boycott of the Hyatt Hotels after San Diego's Douglas Manchester made major contributions to the Yes-on-8 campaign.

Specifics of the FPPC complaint allege the failure to report activities by the Mormons including:

* Organizing phone banks in Utah and Idaho
* Sending direct mail to voters
* Using the Mormon press office to send out multiple press releases
* Walking precincts
* Running a Speakers Bureau
* Distributing thousands of yard signs
* Organizing a "surge to election day"
* Sending church leaders to California
* Set up elaborate web-sites
* Produced at leased 9 TV commercials and 4 other video broadcasts supporting Prop-8
* Conducted at least 2 satellite simulcasts over 5 western states.

While these are normal for election campaigns, they become illegal when they are not reported to the states involved.

"The only mention of compliance was a news story stating that the Mormon Church reported a single, non-monetary contribution of $2,078.00 for a church elder's travel expenses for one trip to California," the California's Against Hate campaign reported.

SAN DIEGO PROTESTS THIS SATURDAY (11/15)

A local segment of a growing nationwide protest against Prop-8 called Join the Impact will be held this Saturday (11/15), with similar protests in all 50 staes, reports Nicholas Moede, who owns Numbers and Rich's.

"San Diego will have TWO coordinated events," Moede reports.

"The first is a protest march that starts at 6th and Upas in Balboa Park at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. The march will go downtown and end with a rally at the County Administration Building at 1600 N. Harbor Drive," Moede says.

"The second event is a protest rally on the lawn of the County Aministration Building at 1 p.m. after the march," he added.

About 20,000 are expected. At least 10,000 participated last Saturday in a similar protest march from Hillcrest to North Park.

For more information, call Nicholas Moede at (619) 988-2626.

ANALYSIS - - -

"There is mounting anger in the GLBT Community over the outcome of Prop-8 in California," writes Mark Segal, publisher of the Philidelphia Gay News.

"Many want to blame the Mormon Church, over-65 voters or the African-American and Latino communities. Others blame the No-on-8 campaign for being poorly palnned," Segal writes.

Here's an analysis provided by ABC News:

"Whites voted very narrowly against the ban, 51-49 percent. Asian-Americans did the same. Hispanics voted for it, by 53-47 percent. Blacks voted for it overwhelmingly, 70-30. Blacks can be said to have put it over the top," ABC News reported.

"The poll numbers above are true not only in California, but also nationwide," Segal writes.

"They indicaste the truth: that (Gays) have not spent the time and resources on reaching the non-Gay, heavily church-influenced African-American community.

"(That) group understands discrimination. (Gays and Blacks) have a mutual pride in the election of Barrack Obama as president, giving (Gays and Blacks) common ground to build on.

"The Latino population, one-third of California voters, also needs to be educated (by Gays).

"(The Gay & Lesbian) Community is energized (nationwide) like no other time in this struggle since 1977, when Anita Bryant started a campaign to overturn gay rights in Dade County, Florida.

"While a last resort, a call for a (nationwide) boycott on individual travel and corporate conventions would be devastating to California. In 1977, the very young Gay Community was able to lower orange-juice consumption by an estimated 20 percent.

"Imagine what could be done today," writes the Philadelphia Gay News publisher.
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Copyright 2008 by San Diego News Service (619) 757-4909 leopowerhere@msn.com