Earlier today, plaintiffs (our side) sent a letter to Judge Ware, informing him that they plan to “use and refer to” certain video clips in support of their arguments. The plaintiffs filed a motion to unseal the tapes from the trial and release them to the public. The letter (h/t Kathleen) is found below:
Among the video clips are two re-enactments of the Prop 8 trial from Courage Campaign’s Testimony: Equality on Trial project. The project staged re-enactments of the trial, including many from the general public, designed to educate the public on what happened in that courtroom since the tapes were sealed off from the public. The first one referred to in the plaintiff’s letter is one we staged with Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei (playing Kristin Perry, the plaintiff in Perry v. Brown) and actor Josh Lucas. It took place in a park in West Hollywood. The second was submitted as a puppet re-enactment of a line of questioning from Theodore Boutrous. We’re delighted that the AFER legal team is able to use them in court to demonstrate that the tapes should be released.
The two clips can be found below:
The rest of the video clips referred to in the letter come from the Marriage Trial website, another site devoted to re-enactments, and from a 2007 debate on C-SPAN.
I think one of the biggest support networks out there is straight allies who can listen to family, friends and colleagues come out. Without you, it would be a lot harder.
What’s more, folks like Debbie help make it clear to other straight folks coming to grips with those in their life who are LGBT that it’s okay to be accepting and even embracing. Thanks to Debbie for sharing her Testimony.
We now have over 250 videos submitted across 47 states, and because of site glitches (now resolved), we’re even extending the deadline one last time to July 11th, 11:59 PM PST. Share your Testimony as LGBT or straight and why equality is important to you! Click here to get started.
This video was sent in the following e-mail to Courage Campaign members in Tennessee, as part of organizing we’re doing with the Tennessee Equality Project against the “don’t say gay” bill, which is expected to rear its ugly head again. We have to start telling stories — straight or LGBT — of why we support equality to being this long-term process of changing hearts and minds in places like Tennessee.
There are a few days left to enter the Dustin Lance Black challenge. It’d be pretty cool if Lance and his film crew flew to Tennessee and put a story on television.
If you know folks in Tennessee, please pass along.
Dear Adam,
I was born and raised in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, right near Knoxville, the home town of Tennessee governor Bill Haslam. I have always loved my home place and had intended to live my life there, but I knew I was gay. At the time, East Tennessee was not a place to be out, so I moved to California. I still have lots of friends back home. My parents just moved from there three years ago.
I love Tennessee, so imagine my disappointment and anger when Gov. Haslam signed the recent bill outlawing protections for LGBT people… and may sign legislation banning the word “gay.” To fight back, I recorded my video Testimony, and I want to share it with you.
Marriage may now be legal in New York State, but in Tennessee, it may be soon be illegal for teachers to say “gay” in schools. We have to change that.
Tennesseans love good stories and those stories really do change minds. That’s why, together with our good friends at the Tennessee Equality Project, we hope you’ll record your own 1-2 minute Testimony, which we’ll share with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Dustin Lance Black (who wrote Milk and many other incredible films). He’s going to take three of the best stories and literally fly out to wherever the person lives to film the story for TV. Imagine if he selects yours to air in Tennessee to show Gov. Haslam and the legislature that hurting gay people hurts the state.
Think about it: your story could be shown in front of hundreds of thousands of people — people who aren’t sure about their son or daughter being gay, or who don’t understand why schools need LGBT-inclusive bullying policies. It could be shown in front of people who aren’t sure about why equality in the workplace matters, who haven’t considered the importance of repealing the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), or other important issues that come down to basic decency. It may even be the first time Tennesseans see LGBT people in an affirming light.
Don’t worry, your video doesn’t have to be perfect. Look at mine – I’m no videographer. The story is what counts.
To vote for us to get $50,000 from Pepsi, no strings attached, to fight LGBT bullying (not to mention, do less fundraising for projects from folks like you!). We’re in #3 and if we are still in the top 10 at the end of the day on June 30th, we’re in the money.
Pam, who publishes the well-read and wonderful blog Pam’s House Blend, took a moment to give her Testimony as part of our Testimony: Take a Stand project and Dustin Lance Black challenge. Go Pam!
You can enter the challenge by starting here. It’s easy. The deadline is July 4th.
We met Joe at Netroots Nation last weekend. He’s an organizer with the Tennessee Equality Project, fighting against the “don’t say gay” bill and the new law outlawing protections for LGBT people. The stories he told us about how people are treated are just incredible. Women who are stopped by the side of the road and told to lift their shirts up because police want to check if they are men or women. I have been through, and have a lot of friends, from Tennessee, and it really is a whole separate world compared to what most people think the “gay lifestyle” is about. My friends just keep or kept their heads down to survive.
Joe’s story is the kind we are collecting for the Dustin Lance Black challenge. If you haven’t signed up, please do so here. Give your Testimony so others can learn.
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