Subscribe to Breaking NewsVanasco: A map of h8
Want to know who in your neighborhood donated money to pass Prop 8?
Well, if you live in California, there’s now a map telling you how to find their houses.
I feel conflicted about this. On the one hand, this information has always been made public – plus, if someone cared enough about getting rid of our rights to donate money, shouldn’t we know who they are, so we can protect themselves? Also, the people making these maps are private people. It is not the government infringing on privacy.
On the other, technology makes this information transparent in a way it never was before. Sure, we might secretly chuckle over the idea that a pro-Prop 8 donor might be given a hard time by their local lesbian couple.
But what if there was a map of ANTI-Prop 8 donors – and one of them lived in a tiny town in Texas, or Alabama, and then became a target for harassment?
I’m all for accountability and openness. On the other hand, I worry that this sort of information could chill civil participation by people who are worried about getting harrassed because of their donations. There’s a reason why our votes are private – should the money we give be private as well?
What do you think? Is there some creative solution to this, short of making this information inaccessible to the public?
Why isn’t there a map of anti-prop 8 donors? Well that’s because nobody for prop 8 is passionate enough about their stance to bother. They take it all in stride by voting the way they did without any second thought about who it might be hurting. The fact that people are outraged by our map and boycotts means that it is working. Even in Illinois, I won’t go to Carmike cinemas, or donate to the Salvation Army, etc. because of what happened in California. I am waiting for some bigger news of a boycott that will lead us again, and gain some national attention.
My wise Great Grandmother told me a long time ago that if you aren’t proud enough of something you’ve said or done for other people to know about it, you shouldn’t oughtta have done it.
No one is telling these people they can’t do whatever they wish regarding supporting political activities.
We are telling them that they will no longer be protected from opposition to those actions.
It’s the same thing regarding political correctness.
You may say or think anything you damned well please.
What has passed is the social protection once enjoyed by the powerful which insulated them from a response by those they denigrate.
Once upon a time, if someone in power or in the public eye called someone a derogatory name, they could do so with no fear of repercussion. Because those they attacked had no voice.
Now, those attacked DO have a voice. So, you can say, think and do whatever you like.
Just be aware that those who you harm are no longer restrained from responding.
Jennifer- I’m 55. I’ve said this before and am going to say it again. I’ve been harassed- taunted- spit on- verbally and physically abused since I was 8 years old. Because I’m a faggot. A faggot is the single most despicable thing a human being can be. Heterosexists think nothing of using this word every single day- in 2009. I’m REALLY tired of it. Anytime some religionist decides to call anyone an ABOMINATION- it cuts me to my soul. I’m not a little angry- I’m outraged. In other words- there is actually a DEMONIC PART OF ME that has risen to the surface due to a lifetime of abuse. Guess what? It’s time to take that abuse right back to the a**holes who’ve been spewing AT ME- an give it right back to them. It is in fact- long overdue. You don’t like my attitude? Then get the f**k out of my way. Publish the map. There’s a whole lot I can do without ever leaving the privacy of my own home.
Most people were from Orange, Riverside, and San Diego Counties.
I live in Houston and donated to the No on 8 campaign (as well as the Clinton & Obama campaigns)… and have no problem with the disclosure or maps (on either side).
Money in politics is speech. Free speech does not mean “without consequences”. GLBT folks live with the consequences all the time. Now that certain anti-GLBT elements have discovered that their speech / actions are NOT without consequences, they want to change the rules.
What Californians have (re)discovered is what most GLBT people live with daily: we’re not in a post-gay world after all. Having our political donations made public doesn’t put us at any further risk of harassment than going about our lives openly and honestly.
While most of us live with that sobering reality all the time, we aren’t about to step back or give up.
Any gay person who takes the time to actively harass individuals who contributed to Yes is only going to make us look bad and that is what the h8rs want. So we must in our part avoid such ideas, and like others have mentioned only show our dissent by boycotting businesses that have given money to this bigotry.
But in the cases that have happened so far (wasn’t there white powder sent to someone?), it could be like that time in Boise Idaho, where there was outrage at stickers placed on bus stops “Straights only”, only to find that it was a gay group that put them up in the first place to enrage the public and start some dialogue.
I can see the h8rs attacking their own just to make us look bad….
Nonsense… the name and PICTURES of GLBT people, who were victims of entrapment or blatant homophobia, were published in their hometown newspapers for many years – to shame and disgrace them. Many lives were ruined in the process. Jobs lost, families torn apart and SUICIDES. I have NO COMPASSION for these assh0les at all! Screw them – they get what they deserve!
I am amazed that making a spreadsheet or publishing a website listing the particulars of the donors is not seen as an important piece of information, but putting that same information on a map, somehow makes this information into a “threat” that could “chill civil participation” by people who are worried about getting harrassed because of their donations. If you don’t believe in what you are putting your money into, why are you doing it? Putting money into a proposition does not mean that you had to vote that way, although it is a strong indicator. If your convictions are strong enough to get money out of you, why would you not be willing to stand for your convictions if questioned about your donation? Too many gutless people want to be anonymous about their actions in any type of war. This map makes the “actions” of their “attack” easy to see and understand for even the most challenged. Rats and roaches run from a bright light to hide. I’d say every state that has had some constitutional ammendment against gays, should have a map of this type created to show who or at least where our opponents are, by say precinct or census blocks…. I like the map idea!
May I remind you AGAIN that the same treatment was made by them toward us. However, we must realize that for the sake of open government we must have this system. In addition, the real idea is that we need to get back or even establish the idea that political choice is another area of discrimination we must avaoid. We must respect people’s opinions and work on talking and debating issues. There are many on the other side who will not change their votes. But as we show people who we are and where we are and who is with us we will all see that it is the right thing to do to establish our right to marry and live regular lives without fear or deterrent.
As the minority – GLBT individuals donating against Prop 8 could actually ask the California court to publicaly remove their names as donors. This is to ensure the majority doesn’t oppress the voice of the minority. The christian right tried to use this “loophole” unsuccessfully.
The homophobes have always called gay rights “special rights”. Now they are trying to demand special rights. Ironically, they are trying to vote for discrimination and then run and hide in a closet.
I do not care if I am listed as a No on 8 donor on any website since I am already listed on the CA Secretary of States website as required by law. I still have No on 8 banners in my yard!
As an afterthought, there’s a far easier way to keep you, or your organization’s name off the public record if you fear reprisal.
Don’t contribute.
This will guarantee that you won’t perhaps one day have to have a hard conversation with another human being about your stance, and preserves the transparency that is required to keep our freedoms, ours.
Hogwash! If you’re willing to stand up for bigotry, you shouldn’t be allowed to hide.
Does California law allow out of state donations to be screened from disclosure? If it did, we’d never know about the funding from Utah. Publish them all. I don’t live in CA, but I certainly don’t want to be doing business with someone in MY state who contributed to the Yes On Prop 8 funds.
The reason that the contributions are a matter of public record is so that we, the people, can see what organizations and individuals are backing the changes that take place in our government, and to what degree they are supporting those changes.
I work for a tech firm in san jose, and one of the names on the pro-8 donor list happens to be an account rep for one of the vendors we work with.
I have every opportunity in the world to harass this guy. I could call him up and leave a nasty voice mail. I could send him email asking him to explain himself. I could go talk with his manager and make a case that since our company embraces diversity, he’s not a good fit here. I could do far worse than any of that.
Fortunately for him, I recognize that there’s a line there. A line we must not cross.
He has every right in the world to disagree with me on this issue. He has every right to fund a measure he probably truly believes in. He has every right to participate in the process without someone on the other side coming down on him like a ton of bricks.
And so, I will let him be. If I ever have to work with him, I will probably use the opportunity to open up a (hopefully) productive dialogue with him on the subject of LGBT rights.
What I WILL do, however, is see what company CEO’s donated large sums of cash. I’ll see what companies backed this false amendment.
I’ll see where I will not spend my money, and instead give those dollars to companies that tried to do the right thing by backing equality and freedom in this great state of ours.
To even hint that the records should be hidden out of fear that someone might seek to do another harm, is both ridiculous and dangerous.
If you, your company, or your church wish to give money towards a campaign or initiative, then you are making a public statement that you agree with it.
If you are willing to do that, then you should not be able to then hide behind a firewall out of fear that someone might one day perhaps maybe call you on it.