No on 8 Donations Near $1 Million a Day, Money Needs to Keep Coming

Ellen DeGeneres has stepped up her participation in the No on Prop. 8 campaign by recording a TV ad asking voters to oppose the proposed anti-gay marriage California constitutional amendment.

Patrick Guerriero, campaign director for No on 8, made that announcement during a phone conference with LGBT press on Tuesday.

"She's filmed an ad that could be used in ways that we'll determine over the next day or so. Certainly you'll see it on the Web and virally, and potentially on TV," said Guerriero, who read a transcript that he said is close to the finished product.

"Hi, I'm Ellen DeGeneres," Guerriero quoted from the transcript. "I got to do something this year I never thought I'd ever be able to do. I got married. It was the happiest day of my life. There are people out there raising millions of dollars to try to take that right away from me. You've seen their ads on TV. They're twisting the truth, and they're trying to scare you. I believe in fairness. I believe in compassion. I believe in equality for all people. Proposition 8 does not. Please, please vote no on Prop. 8."

"I think you're going to see some breakthrough gifts in the next few days," Guerriero said. Since the No on Prop. 8 campaign put out an SOS roughly a week ago, donations have been running close to $1 million per day -- a remarkable feat, he said, and one that has No on 8 poised to cross the $20 million mark shortly.

However, Guerriero stressed, donations need to keep rolling in at that rate through Election Day, at least, in order to get the pro-LGBT side back in the fight monetarily -- and of 1 million LGBT adults in California, only 30,000 have contributed so far -- and that not a single LGBT demographic or region in the state had given what would be required to win the battle.

"When you do the math, if we have a million adults and we have 30,000 donors, that means 970,000 have not given a dollar yet," he said. "That means there's not a single neighborhood, there's not a single street, there's not a single congressional district, there's not a single county where we're getting enough support from LGBT Californians." (Anne Stockwell -- The Advocate)

Reader Comments

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Name: Terre
Date posted: 2008-10-15 3:34 PM
Hometown: San Luis Obispo

Comment:

DONATE TODAY: noonprop8.com Please note that this year marks 60 years since the CA Supreme Court struck down the ban on inter-racial marriages as unconstitutional. Marriage bans in over a dozen states were struck down in the year that followed, but it wasn't until 1967 that the federal government changed the law to apply to the 16 states that still prosecuted whites who married blacks, natives, asians or any other race. Predictably, these were mostly southern states. The ban on marriage between gay people was found unconstitutional by the CA Supreme Court in June 2008, with a majority Republican rule applying the strictest tests. No matter what you think about marriage, no one should be discriminated against under the law. Give and vote NO ON 8.

Name: Andrew
Date posted: 2008-10-15 10:26 AM
Hometown: Houston

Comment:

Even if you don't live in California, it is important issue that will impact what other states may decide about the gay marriage and the equality that comes with it. If you know one gay person with whom you are close, be it a family member, a neighbor, a co-worker - then think about what effect the passing of this bill might mean to them. I tend to believe that most people are decent overall and I think most people will do the right thing when they stop and think long and hard about an issue. Please give generously to this campaign and vote "no" if you can on this proposition. I live in Texas and hope that my state doesn't try to pass legislation like this - ever! Everyone deserves to love and be loved. Remember that. Thanks.

Name: J.C.
Date posted: 2008-10-14 9:10 PM
Hometown: Westchester

Comment:

My pet peeve with the Advocate: On the story about the porn star who was raped, the Advocate released a URL link directly to his blog, where anyone can easily be exposed to pornography. I feel for the guy, he did not deserve to be raped, but why was it necessary to advertise his business in order to "illustrate" the rape story? But where are the URL links on the story above -- so Advocate readers can make their donation without having to google it and risk donating to a phony website? As a M.A. married gay man, I want to make a donation, and as I reader, I would rather see links to stuff that helps our fight for equal rights. Links for porn are not necessary, thank you very much, Advocate! By the way, the above-mentioned TV ad, recorded by Ellen, was posted on her blog this morning. And leave Ellen alone! At least she is speaking out against Prop. 8, which is a lot more than what other celebrities are doing.

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