San Francisco Bloggers: Come Canvass for Equality!
Guest post By Matt Baume, freelance journalist, and Michael Kaiser-Nyman, Bay Area Regional Field Manager, Equality California
(Photo from canvassing in East Los Angeles)
Bloggers: are you a little too tied to your keyboard? Want another way to help restore the freedom to marry in California?
Where: Visitacion Valley Playground at Leland and Cora
When: Saturday, Feb 13 at 10am
Duration: 3-4 hours (or however long it is)
RSVP: Facebook
Bay Area bloggers are hitting the streets this weekend to build support for marriage equality. If you can make it out, please join us at 10:00 am this Saturday in San Francisco. The canvass is a great excuse to meet and mingle with a crowd of awesome online writers, and learn about some of the work being done to restore marriage for same-sex couples in California. Non-bloggers will also be there and are highly welcome.
Canvassing is the most impactful thing we can do right now to build support for marriage equality; one-on-one conversations have higher persuasion rates than any other kind of outreach. Plus it is a lot of fun.
Here’s how we do it. We pick neighborhoods that voted majority Yes on 8 to go door to door and talk to people about marriage equality. Participants start out with a really thorough training and chance to practice, so they learn how to have non-confrontational but productive conversations that will change people’s minds about marriage equality. They go out in teams of two to knock doors for a couple hours. Then everyone gathers at the end to share their stories and find out how many people’s minds shifted that day.
We’re also inviting same-sex couples who tied the knot before Prop. 8 passed to come out to this same canvass. If you’ve ever wanted a chance to talk to some married couples and get their perspectives for your blog, there should be some couples on hand who wouldn’t mind taking some time to share their thoughts.
RSVPs are being taken via Facebook or by email to Matt at mattymatt at gmail dot com (mattymatt@gmail.com). We’ll meet at 10:00 am at the Visitacion Valley Playground at Leland and Cora, just six blocks away from the Arleta MUNI stop on the T line.
Hope to see you there!
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Hey Guys – I am not in California, but Just wanted to say thanks so much for all of your efforts – this means so much to the rest of us around the Nation!
Good Luck – And Thanks Again!
Phil
Phil, thanks so much! We really appreciate it. We’re working really hard out here to build support for marriage for same-sex couples. Over 1000 people have volunteered so far to go door-to-door; I’ll tell the bloggers and volunteers who make it out this weekend about your nice comment.
Best,
Michael Kaiser-Nyman
Bay Area Regional Field Manager
Equality California
Canvassing for marriage equality is mostly a waste of resources in San Francisco because of wide support for it there. Rather take these efforts to the California heartland where religious bigotry reigns supreme. This includes the untrendy small towns and the central valley. You will face rampant hostility and homophobia but such efforts stand to really make a difference.
Hey NetAmigo, thanks for the comment! We also have field organizers and volunteers who are canvassing in the Central Valley and across Southern California in places like Orange County and the Inland Empire. Altogether we have 20 organizers across the state. In the Bay Area we canvass in neighborhoods where a majority supported Prop. 8. Some of these neighborhoods are in San Francisco, and we also work in the East Bay, Peninsula, and South Bay. Any support we can build brings us closer to restoring the freedom to marry. I couldn’t agree more that we have to focus on places where we don’t yet have the support we need. I hope you’ll join us!
Best,
Michael, EQCA