Get Engaged on the Next Steps Towards Marriage Equality In California!

The Get Engaged Tour is in full gear, setting up community meetings across the state of California.

In these town halls, local representatives will present to the community the data collected from the largest marriage equality poll conducted in California by a large coalition of LGBT organizations and gauge feedback from attendees on next steps. These gatherings well help identify local volunteers and establish or expand regional coalitions that can be integrated into a future statewide campaign.

Check out the Get Engaged Tour website to see when and where you can attend the next meeting. You can also find the events on the UTF calendar at the bottom of the blog.

The tour ends in two weeks.

This next week, gatherings are scheduled in:

• Modesto
• San Diego
• San Joaquin
• Walnut Creek
• San Luis Obispo
• Pacifica
• San Francisco
• Los Angeles
• Inland Empire/Redlands
• Napa
• Morgan Hill
• Berkeley
• Seaside
• San Bernardino
• Fresno
• Sacramento

. . . and more in the following week.

Don't see your town? You can host your own gathering. Find out how by downloading the Get Engaged Toolkit.

Don't miss a chance to say your piece and get involved!

"Get Engaged" Tour Shares Latest CA Marriage Equality Polling Data with LGBT Across State

Press Release from Marriage Equality USA:

"We are a resilient community. In the face of a California Supreme Court that failed to step in when a bare majority of voters added an exception to the equal protection clause of the State Constitution, we are ready to launch a 'Get Engaged' Tour to restore marriage equality for all," said Molly McKay, Marriage Equality USA Media Director. "We believe in our community and our collective wisdom about how to best move forward together from here."

"Through the Get Engaged Tour, we will present findings from a May 2009 field poll that measured support for marriage equality and messaging provided by faith leaders, families and children of same-sex couples," said Pamela Brown, Marriage Equality USA Policy Director.

"This poll was created by a broad coalition of organizations representing communities of faith, people of color, labor, LGBT groups and straight allies and the Get Engaged Tour is intended to not only share this information but to obtain feedback from our grassroots community on our next initiative campaign," Pamela continued. "In today's economy, our greatest strength is our people. Only through engaging a broad coalition of organizations and incorporating community feedback into how we move ahead can we ensure the next campaign will honor our families, represent our faith and reflect our diversity."

"Faith leaders across California will be actively involved in the Get Engaged Tour and will be at the forefront of any future campaign to restore legal marriage for all people and to protect religious freedom," said Pastor Samuel Chu, California Faith for Equality. "Our faith-based values require us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Gay and lesbian people are our neighbors and they should be able to enjoy the dignity, respect and commitment that come with marriage."

Over a dozen events have currently been posted with more to come in the month of July. A listing of current tour locations can be found at GetEngagedTour.com. Communities not currently listed but interested in hosting events can contact us at getengaged@marriageequality.org and individuals can submit input via an on-line survey.

VIDEO: UTF Meet in the Middle Interviews - EQCA and Marriage Equality USA Talk About Next Campaign

Unite the Fight interviews Equality California's new Marriage Director, Marc Solomon, about the next campaign to repeal Prop 8, most likely in 2010. Marc recently moved to California after helping Massachusetts win marriage equality back in 2004.



Married couple Molly McKay and Davina Kotulski from Marriage Equality USA talk about the Get Engaged Tour, a statewide tour hosting 80 town halls that will present the results of the largest marriage equality polling conducted in California. It will ask the community for feedback and how to proceed for the next campaign to repeal Prop 8.