How do you all like whiplash?
Supporters of proposition 8 in California, the amendment to end same-sex marriage in that state, have filed suit with the to keep donors to their campaign secret.
"Plaintiffs and other supporters of Proposition 8 have been subjected to threats, harassment, and reprisals as a result of their support for Proposition 8."
But their concrete claims are laughable (and after the jump). They seem to think that if someone talks to them mean, that if their fellow California residents take their business elsewhere, then they have a right to act in complete secrecy.
People have joked about how homophobic campaigners are turning into a real clandestine, shadowy menace, but now they're trying to take a material step towards that goal.
Here's just some of the horrible, horrible violence these folks have been subject to:
The threats and harassment have included threatening phone calls, emails, and postcards.
John Doe #4 (received multiple threatening emails including onethat read "hello propagators & litagators [sic] burn in hell" and another that read"congratulations. for your support of prop 8, you have won our tampon of the year award.")
John Doe #6 (postcard chastising her for her financial support of Proposition 8)
John Doe #4 (received email that read "I AM BOYCOTTING YOUR ORGANIZATION AS A RESULT OF YOUR SUPPORT OF PROP 8" and another that read "I will tell all my friends not to use your business. I will not give you my hard earned money knowing that you think I don’t deserver [sic] the same rights as you do. This is a consequence of your hatred.")
They say they have evidence of one death threat, which should be investigated and prosecuted. But that's hardly enough to justify scrapping fundraising transparency in that state.
They're asking that the court for the following:
a. Declare all registration, reporting, and disclaimer requirements unconstitutional as applied to Committee Plaintiffs, Major Donors, and all other individuals and organizations holding similar views;
b. Enjoin Defendants from enforcing all registration, reporting, and disclaimer requirements against Committee Plaintiffs, Major Donors, and all other individuals and organizations holding similar views;
c. Expunge all records of Reports filed by Committee Plaintiffs, Major Donors, and all of their contents, together with all records of Committee Plaintiffs, Major Donors, and all other individuals and organizations holding similar views on California’s campaign and reporting disclosure system;
d. Grant Committee Plaintiffs their costs and attorneys fees under 42 U.S.C.§ 1988 and any other applicable authority, and;
e. Any and all other such relief as may be just and equitable.
This isn't the first anti-gay campaign to try to work in secrecy. Last year in Florida, which had its own anti-gay constitutional amendment on the ballot, homophobes simply created a 501(c)(4), where donors were guaranteed confidentiality, through which to funnel money into their campaign against the gays.
The goal here is complete secrecy and impunity in their operations. They know what they're doing is wrong and they don't want others to find out about it.
Which would all be good fun to ask for if it weren't for the fact that they're the ones making the real threats here. They threatened a recall election on a public official who endorsed a No vote on Prop 8:
Evan Low, who serves on the Campbell City Council, reported this week that he had received threats from half a dozen people that if he did not rescind his endorsement against Prop 8 he would be recalled from office.
"I have received seven calls today threatening to recall me from office if I do not publicly retract my position and switch to Yes on 8," Low informed supporters in an e-mail Wednesday, October 29. "The Yes on 8 campaign is continuing their efforts of deception and coercion. Let's have a strong showing during this final stretch."
They sent certified letters demanding money to their campaigns:
Putting out the negative election propaganda is one thing. Committing a crime while doing it is another. In my opinion, the Yes on 8 people have broken the law big-time with their recent attempt at extorting money from businesses that went on the public record as opposing Prop 8.
ProtectMarriage.com sent out certified letters to businesses that had made donations to Equality California, a leading nonprofit that is campaigning against Proposition 8. The letter baldly threatened: "Make a donation of a like amount to ProtectMarriage.com... Were you to elect not to donate comparably, it would be a clear indication that you are in opposition to traditional marriage....The names of any companies and organizations that choose not to donate in like manner to ProtectMarriage.com but have given to Equality California will be published." The letter was signed by four of the organization's executive committee members, including one Catholic and one Mormon, as well as an attorney.
Not to mention that, when it comes to violence, there has been a one-sided war on LGBTQ people fought for centuries. They've arrested us, beat us up, raped us, shot us, used their talk radio stations to incite further violence against us... all for daring to love someone of the same sex, act in ways they deem unacceptable for one's sex, or speaking out against the violence. It takes a certain amount of dishonesty and chutzpah to be making the argument now that they're the victims.
But they feel that they should be above the law, above transparency. There's a reason people have to disclose campaign contributions - so we know who's running our government. The side with more brute power is never going to want people to know that they're controlling everything behind the scenes, but the only alternative is for them to, well, stop controlling everything from behind the scenes.