The National Marriage Boycott, a student-driven movement to urge President Obama to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, is gaining traction and is now up for an $10,000 award to further their efforts. To win, however, they need your vote.
Students at Stanford University organized the National Marriage Boycott in response to the passage of Proposition 8 and the election of President Obama. The students say they have created an active and visible way for equality-minded Americans, regardless of sexual orientation, to show their support for equal marriage rights.
Participants boycott marriage by signing an online pledge, wearing an equality ring and vowing not to marry to symbolize their commitment to winning full LGBTQ rights on the federal level.
The non-profit organization is up for the $10,000 award from Ideablob, a site that gives awards to various different social entrepreneurship ventures - and the National Marriage Boycott is looking for your vote. The winner is determined by the idea that gets the most votes by the end of August.
In an interview with Patrick Sauer of the Huffington Post, one of the directors of the NMB, Alexis Ortega, said "those boycotting marriage are making a personal sacrifice by refusing to participate in a discriminatory institution."
Now is the moment in American history when same-sex couples have the opportunity to achieve equal rights under the law. However, in order for a minority group to achieve equal rights, progressive members of the majority must stand in solidarity with them.
Stepping into the shoes of past conscientious objectors, boycotters and civil rights activists, we deliberately forego this privilege until it is truly a right for all. We the undersigned vow to boycott marriage until the United States government repeals DOMA.
We won't, until we all can.
If they win the $10,000 award from Ideablob, they say the money will go towards helping spread their movement by opening locations across the country and further their grassroots movement of progressive social change for all Americans.
You have until the end of August, and it's just one mouse-click away. If you like the idea, head to Ideablob and vote.
Share
Like what you read? Subscribe to The Bilerico Project by Email.
Want others to read it too? Use the buttons and links here to share this entry with others. (Move your cursor over a button or link to learn more about it.)
5 Comments
« Victory Garden: Backyard Fruit Made Simple | Home | Saturday Morning Cartoons: An Interview with aGLIFF's Jake Gonzales »
OK --- I went to Ideablob and voted. (Note: It is more than "just one mouse-click away." One is required to register an Ideablob account, including a confirmation of the email address you supply, before one can vote.)
It is impressive that straights would be willing to make such a pledge --- imagine what the consequences might be if it takes decades to repeal DOMA (I hope it won't!), people could miss their window on having a family if they really keep their pledge (and don't have families as un-marrieds).
BTW: $10K is not enough to go around the country opening offices, if they do that the money will be gone in a flash and wasted. I would strongly urge them to use the money doing some careful, targeted advertising on college campuses and in progressive publications.
A. J. Lopp | August 22, 2009 10:06 PM
Reply to this comment
A.J. - don't worry! At NMB we already have a strong national recruitment team which focuses on outreach to colleges across the nation and building a relationship with local organizers before establishing a presence. We won't burn that $10,000 in a week or even a month, and a lot of thought will definitely be put into how to use it best.
Thank you for voting for us!
-Kenzie
CFO, National Marriage Boycott
Kenzie Seal | August 23, 2009 5:58 PM
Reply to this comment
Also... you can pledge too, even if you are married.
LOrion | August 23, 2009 1:04 AM
Reply to this comment
It is wonderful to see this movement started by college students to make this pledge. Historically
it has been with the help and support of others
that various groups have received equal rights.
Again, my Partner and I, as we are other same-sex
couples, sincerely appreciate the efforts of this group.
Rick Sours | August 24, 2009 7:18 AM
Reply to this comment
Boycott marriage, and wear the ring and we need T shirts and bumper stickers as well.
And ultimately the boycott can be blamed where it should be blamed - on the Catholic, so. Baptist, Mormon, and some of the independent christian houses of hate.
So if you are a member of any of these churches, this should be another boycott / demand for excommunication, etc. Maybe mock excommunications of the nazi pope, also.
Lots of ideas. Go to it.
And with most women working, and many couples delaying having children, being married can actually be an economic disadvantage.
SteveMD2 | August 31, 2009 3:05 AM
Reply to this comment