| Below in this posting, Garden State Equality, joined by our friends at New Jersey Stonewall Democrats, lists six LGBTI field offices across the state at which we encourage you to volunteer for pro-equality candidates for U.S. Congress between now and Election Day, Tuesday, November 7th.
This volunteer program is open to everyone who believes in equality, whether you are LGBTI or straight.
The offices are in Jersey City, Montclair, Scotch Plains, West Trenton, Ocean Grove and Cherry Hill, so you're likely to find a location just minutes away.
But first, some background:
Two years ago, the 2004 elections marked a painful time for the LGBTI community across America. In one of the most hateful campaigns ever, Karl Rove and the national right-wing demonized LGBTI families state by state by state. The hatemongers didn't merely go after our freedom to marry. They campaigned to abolish laws that give LGBTI Americans any rights, from domestic-partnership laws, to the ability to adopt children, to our inclusion in even the most elementary anti-discrimination laws.
The 2006 elections are a whole different story. We now have the best chance in many years to win back both houses of the U.S. Congress -- and it all comes down to New Jersey.
If U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, a steadfast champion of equality, doesn't win in November, we don't have a prayer to take back the U.S. Senate. What an irony that would be: Pro-LGBTI candidates for Congress are surging everywhere in America, even in the reddest of "red" states -- yet it could be New Jersey, the most progressive state in America, that keeps the U.S. Senate in the hands of those who want to strip the LGBTI community of our most fundamental human dignity.
Indeed, the stakes for us in New Jersey are higher than anywhere else in America: When we win marriage equality -- whether in the next four weeks through a court victory, or in the next four years through our legislature's passing a statute -- our victory will completely erased if the hatemongers keep control of the U.S. Congress and finally succeed in banning marriage equality in the U.S. Constitution.
So friends, this election involves way more than choosing between two candidates -- though on its own merits, the choice is clear between pro-LGBTI U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and his Republican challenger Tom Kean Jr., who voted against the domestic-partnership law in 2004. This election is about the bigger picture nationallly and about advancing our civil rights in New Jersey.
Garden State Equality and New Jersey Stonewall Democrats therefore ask you to volunteer in one of the six offices below, as soon as possible and as often as possible between now and Election Day, November 7th.
So we can keep track of who our volunteers are --and can remind our leaders of the political power of the LGBTI community and our progressive allies -- we ask everyone interested in volunteering to contact Jeff Gardner, Vice Chair of Garden State Equality and director of our Election 2006 field operation, at jeffpgardner@gmail.com or cell (973) 951-7081.
These campaign offices are open every day, every weeknight and even on weekends -- and Jeff will be able to check for you in advance. Again, contacting Jeff, allowing us to keep track of our volunteers, is crucial. The next time we're in a dogged fight for our civil rights, we want to say to public officials and party leaders, "We stood up for you with these great volunteers, so now stand up for us."
Thanks, everyone, from all of us at Garden State Equality and our friends at New Jersey Stonewall Democrats -- the campaign offices are below. Best, Steven Goldstein, chair, Garden State Equality
Jersey City
Hudson County Democratic Organization
74 Oakland Avenue
Montclair
Smith & Mullin law firm
240 Claremont Avenue
Scotch Plains
Linda Stender for Congress campaign headquarters
211 Park Avenue
West Trenton
Communications Workers of America Local 1034
1 Lower Ferry Road
Ocean Grove
Century 21 Coastal Realtors
67 Main Street
Cherry Hill
USBW Local 152
5 Executive Plaza
To volunteer, contact Jeff Gardner, Vice Chair of Garden State Equality and director of our Election 2006 field operation, at jeffpgardner@gmail.com or cell (973) 951-7081.
This posting is by the Garden State Equality political organization, not the Garden State Equality Educational Fund.
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