Equality On Trial

3 reasons you need to know about next week’s Supreme Court coverage

March 21, 2013

Community/Meta P8TT fundraising

By Adam Bink

As Jacob wrote yesterday, we need your help to raise $1,500 to send the intrepid blogging team here to DC to cover the Prop 8 and DOMA cases. He explained the ballgame. I’ll tell you why.

1) We’ll be your eyes and ears. In my humble opinion, there is nothing like live coverage from the courthouse. We’re taking copious notes on the proceedings and filing our posts immediately after oral arguments let out. What the transcripts don’t tell you is the tone, tenor, reactions of all the players in the courtroom. How did Justice Kennedy react, non-verbally, to this argument? What was the best part of Ted Olson’s argument, the high point? That’s why we’re going. If you think that’s worth something, please chip in.

2) Good coverage costs money. Many of you know EqualityOnTrial.com and its parent, Courage Campaign Institute, operates on a low budget and on the margins — our staff of just 12 generally takes public transit and Southwest instead of taxis and first class. The same is true here, but expenses to get Scottie, Jacob and me to DC add up a bit. This is especially true because Scottie is in a wheelchair and when he travels, things add up even more. It’s unfortunate and a story for another post, but true.

We don’t have corporate sponsors like SCOTUSBlog or large benefactors — we have you. If you believe, as I do, that the and the coverage the rest of our team brings to you each and every day is worth a couple cups of coffee, please chip in.

3) We’re die-hard. We’re preparing to stay outside in line ALL NIGHT the night before both hearings just in case our press seats aren’t confirmed and linesitters can’t be found. I’m quite serious. I remember seeing Scottie at Netroots Nation conference in Providence last summer and he told me he’d been saving up his whole life to go to these oral arguments if they ended up happening. He’s willing to go to the mat for your reading pleasure. Help him put away the money, and chip in $15, 20 or whatever you can to send him to DC for ya.

Hope to report to you from the Supreme Court in DC next week — if you help out. Thanks for your consideration.

READ IT HERE: Final briefs filed today in United... Analysis: The Prop 8 proponents’ final...