Developments at Let California Ring: New Partners and New Actions
Dear Supporters,
We’re pleased to be reinvigorating Let California Ring, a public education campaign on the freedom to marry for same-sex couples in California. Since 2006, Let California Ring has reached out in communities and over the airwaves statewide to help Californians understand the importance of the freedom to marry. To date through Let California Ring, $15 million has been invested in marriage education work, including $4 million in communities of color, making it the largest campaign in the country of its kind. Let California Ring has conducted public education efforts through television, radio and print ads, house meetings, public forums, and trainings across the state. The LCR coalition numbers over 50 organizations at present.
On a personal level, I’m excited to be joining the Let California Ring Executive Committee and staffing the effort. From my experiences leading the fight to protect the freedom to marry in Massachusetts, I know first-hand about the effectiveness of the campaign’s model of reaching out to our fellow Californians with complementary messages through multiple channels: a robust field program that conducts person-to-person outreach, paid advertising, placement of stories in newspapers and on television, coalition work, telling our personal stories, activating community leaders to speak out, and online organizing.
The goal is for people to hear about the freedom to marry through multiple channels and at multiple times, spurring them to talk to one another about the issue and to listen more carefully to those they hear from. One thing I know for sure: the more people hear from same-sex couples and those who love them and learn why marriage matters to them, the more they come our way—it’s been proven time and time again.
Let California Ring will place special focus on building support for the freedom to marry in communities of color. People of color make up 57 percent of California’s population, and there are real opportunities to strengthen support in these communities. Critical to this effort will be helping to enhance the strength of LGBT organizations that already work in communities of color.
We are creating three new committees to shape Let California Ring’s strategy in the coming months. The first of these committees is the Messaging Committee, which will work closely with a consulting team to identify and develop messaging for specific audiences, as well as identify strong messengers. This committee will take suggestions from people and groups across the state, and community members will have the opportunity to review the committee’s findings. When the research is complete, the committee will disseminate the messaging that has been developed and train advocates across the state in using it effectively.
The Committee on Families will work to introduce as many Californians as possible to the 18,000 legally married same-sex couples in California today, as well as to their children, parents and friends. One project this committee will take on is the creation of a Speaker’s Bureau to get married couples before as many audiences throughout the state as possible.
The Field Committee will work to grow the involvement of organizations and individuals that participate in door-to-door canvassing activities and volunteer recruitment.
As we evolve Let California Ring to the next level, we welcome new organizations into the coalition. We invite you to join us as a coalition partner or as a collaborator. We also invite your feedback, support and suggestions. Please click here to email us an idea you have about how to educate our fellow Californians about the freedom to marry. The suggestion box is wide open.
Working together, I know we will help our fellow Californians understand the importance of the freedom to marry. Please join us in this historic endeavor.
With Respect,
Marc Solomon
Marriage Director, Equality California Institute
| 
