Why We Will Defeat the Ban

We can absolutely defeat the ban at the November ballot box. That’s not to say it will be easy. Winning will require mounting a campaign like Wisconsin has never seen. It will require not just running a “gay rights” campaign but one of the biggest campaigns in the state in 2006.

We have the opportunity to become the first state in the nation to reject a constitutional ban on gay unions at the ballot box.

Why are we different from other states that have passed constitutional bans?

The number one factor is time. The 11 states that passed constitutional bans in November 2004 had only a handful of months to do the hard work of educating and mobilizing hundreds of thousands of voters around this issue.

We have already been having a major public conversation about the ban since January 2004, when state lawmakers first introduced it. Every month since then, we have hired new staff, recruited more volunteers, and steadily talked to tens of thousands of voters about the ban.

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Time isn’t our only advantage. Here’s our
Top 10 list of reasons why we can win:

10. The good and fair people of Wisconsin. When most people have an opportunity to learn about the ban, they oppose it because it violates their basic sense of fairness.

9. Over-reaching opponents. This ban would permanently deny civil unions and marriage in the constitution and threaten a vast array of legal protections for unmarried couples.

8. Already a trailblazer in matters of equality. In 1982, we were the first state in the nation to pass a nondiscrimination law that includes sexual orientation. We have elected some of the first openly lesbian and gay officials, including the first openly gay newcomer to Congress, Rep. Tammy Baldwin. And thanks to Governor Jim Doyle, we are the only state with a veto still standing against a so-called defense of marriage act.

7. Ample opportunity for support from many people who are sick and tired of political agendas that divide communities and ignore the needs of Wisconsinites.

6. Early support from a diverse group of gay and non-gay Wisconsin leaders and organizations—and national organizations.

5. Talented, dedicated, and tireless volunteers and staffers. We are a group of people who will spend every day leading up to the election educating fair-minded Wisconsinites about the harms of the civil unions and marriage ban.

4. Wisconsin voters know gay people as their leaders not just abstract stereotypes. State Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee), state Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison), and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison), and local officials fight for Wisconsin families every day.

3. Active foot soldiers in every region. A wildly successful Action Network has already trained over 1,600 volunteers in 26 communities statewide.

2. Unprecedented and early support from faith communities. Faith organizations representing around 500,000 individuals have taken a stand against the ban.

1. Time. Of course, the time we have is only valuable if we take full advantage of it—every single day from now until the election. We will need the help of thousands of people like you to make it possible. Stand up today.