Hey! Glen Maxey to head up effort against same sex marriage ban!

[crispini]

W00000T! That's AWESOME!!!!

Former Rep. Glen Maxey To Head Fight Against Same-Sex Marriage Ban
By Damon McCullar
From the LGRL release:

AUSTIN, TX - Former State Representative Glen Maxey of Austin has been named Campaign Director in the mounting effort to keep discriminatory language out of the Texas Constitution.

"We are excited and pleased to announce that the search for a campaign director to lead the coalition of Texans opposed to HJR 6 has been concluded, and that one of the premier political organizers in Texas will be at the helm," announced Jill Ireland and John Hintz, co-chairs of the Board of Directors of the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas. "Glen Maxey will bring his thirty-five years of experience to this critical civil rights battle to stop the enshrinement in our state Constitution of this unnecessary and discriminatory ballot measure."

Maxey will lead the effort to defeat the constitutional amendment prohibiting recognition of civil marriage or civil unions between persons of the same gender which the Legislature has placed on the November, 2005 statewide ballot.

more....

http://bor.musselmanforamerica.com/mt/archives/004095.html

[acmejack]

1. Good deal!

Glen is a great coordinator/activist. He has done a lot for grassroots activism, especially here in the Austin area. I wonder if he will still be involved with DFT?

[sonias]

4. I'm sure he will still be involved in DFT

But the main mission of DFT is to train and empower people to learn these skills themselves. DFT is pretty much being run by the steering committee of Fran Vincent, Marla Camp and Teri Sperry. Glen is like the general overseeing the mission and the rest of us are all on the front lines fighting the ground war.

One of Glen's favorite things to do is that if you suggest something as an idea, he says great idea, you go ahead and make that happen. The grassroots is all about personal empowerment and involvement. You don't have to "ask permission" to do something, you just jump in and do it yourself.

Sonia

[Smarty Pants Liberal]

7. No Nonsense in November website is live now

Defeating the amendment to write discrimination into the Texas constitution for the first time in Texas' history won't happen by signing a petition. This calls for feet in the street organizing.

Please visit No Nonsense in November, sign up for e-mail alerts, volunteer to fight, pledge to vote and donate to the cause.

The average turnout for constitutional amendment elections in Texas is 12.2%. Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar and Travis counties and San Marcos will represent about 50% of the vote in Texas with their municipal elections and turnout is still very low for municipal elections (about 6.2% in Houston).

The folks in rural Texas could help by establishing contact with Democrats now and touching them for the first time since the 2004 election. Next year when the candidates that should be running in every office are in full campaign mode, we'll know who the Democrats are.

Even during the Jim Crowe era, discrimination was not written into the constitution. Marriage between people of the same sex is already illegal in the state of Texas. Therefore a constitutional amendment serves no other purpose than to enshrine hatred into our constitution.

[NoPasaran]

2. He said a few words last night

At the South Austin Democrats meeting. He said he would be running not a four-month campaign but a 16-month one. Just as the radical right will use this issue to turn out their supporters, Maxey plans to use it to identify and mobilise our voters. "They will rue the day they started this," he vowed.

[sonias]

3. And more great news

He said they already had 600 volunteers signed up to help and they hadn't even launched the effort to sign people up.

What have you done this week to Stop the Hate Amendment?

Sonia

[friedcatfish]

5. Ready to go

Just waiting for the marching orders. This is more than just gay issues or rights issues. This is a battle to stop those who want to impose their warped beliefs on all of us.

[sonias]

6. Welcome to DU friedcatfish!

Your name is making me hungry. Time for lunch.

Welcome on board both to the DU board, and the fight against the hate amendment. You are absolutely right this is a human rights issue - period. Just say "No to this nonsense". Texas should never amend its constitution to restrict rights or freedoms.

Sonia