Following in the footsteps of the film “A Day Without a Mexican” and the 2006 “A Day Without Immigrants” protest against criminalization of illegal immigrants, proponents of the movement to overturn Prop 8 are asking members of the LGBTQ community to do something about the November passage of the proposition that banned gay marriage in California by doing nothing.

OK, so obviously it’s a little more complicated than that. Participants of the “Day Without a Gay” protest are asked to call into work “gay” and abstain from buying anything, using the Internet or cell phones, watching TV or in any way contributing to the straightness of our economy. The boycott aims to give the economy a metaphorical kick in the ass and show just how much gays are worth to California–literally.

Scheduled for Dec. 10, the “rainbow flu,” as one newspaper put it in an oh-so-un-P.C. fashion, also conveniently falls on International Human Rights Day, so participants in the movement are encouraged to not just stay home and hold onto their wallets, but also go out and do something nice for someone by volunteering. A rally and march sponsored by BAMN(of course) are also scheduled to take place at noon on Sproul and a rally at Berkeley’s City Hall at 1:30 p.m.

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Day Without a Gay [Web site]
BAMN Rally and March [Web site]
Earlier: Election Brings Change, Not All of it For the Better

So, the Clog’s got good news and the Clog’s got bad news. Which do you want first? OK, we’ll start with the good news.

The good news is, the California Supreme Court has agreed to hear the bajillion or so lawsuits that sprung up immediately after Prop. 8 passed, arguing that it’s pretty objectively ridunk. And yes, we do think it warrants the use of the pseudo-word, “ridunk.”

The bad news? Prop. 8’s implementation is not going to be postponed until the lawsuits are resolved. But, um, no worries, right? We all know how speedy and efficient the justice system is, after all. (Mutters under breath. Baby steps. Baby … steps … )

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Prop. 8 Suits Win Supreme Court Review [Daily Cal]

* We knew ASUC was wasting its time, but really? A discussion about a “Go Bears” resolution? [Cal Patriot]

* Prop. 8 protests still going strong. [SFist]

* Hmm, this headline seems familiar. [Daily Cal]

* More budget cuts? Thank goodness we’re graduating. [UC Newsroom]

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Earlier: Yes, It’s Election Week

West Hollywood also held a rally with over 5,000 protesters, resulting in seven arrests and massive street blockage. The next day another 3,000 protesters marched near a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Westwood section of Los Angeles, to draw attention to the Mormon Church’s throwing mass quantities of moolah at the Prop 8 campaign.

But California wasn’t the only one to erupt in protest over the recent loss of civil rights, anti-same sex marriage initiatives passed in Florida and Arizona, and Arkansas voters approved a cruel measure, aimed at the LGBT community, banning unmarried couples from becoming adoptive or foster parents.

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Protests erupt over passage of Prop 8 [SocialistWorker.org]

The proposition which will ban gay marriage was passed with a 52% vote yesterday, effectively limiting a constitutional right and leading many to call for a succession of NorCal from the rest of the California. (OK, we made that last part up.)

Although the rest of the state may not agree with us, we can take solace in the fact that the proposition was rejected by 61.9 percent of Alameda County voters and that San Francisco mayor, Gavin Newsom’s anti-Prop 8 rallying in Berkeley apparently had a positive affect on student voters. Now the fate of the over 18,000 marriage licenses issued to gay couples over the last five months lies in question. Retroactive constitutional amendment? That’s pretty low.

Earlier: SF Mayor Newsom Will Grace Steps of Sproul to Defeat Prop 8

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After Prop 8, Future of Gay Marriages Unclear [Daily Cal]

If passed, the proposition would eliminate the right to marry for same-sex couples and, as Birgeneau argued, would undermine Berkeley principles. Birgeneau did not outright stump against the proposition, but he concluded his letter with:

Although you must judge for yourselves how to vote, as you consider your ballot on November 4, 2008, I would urge you to take into account the impacts that passage of Proposition 8 would have on our campus community.

Today’s Daily Cal article speaks to the response Birgeneau’s letter received, specifically of its opponents … who weigh in at one person?

Josh Curtis, president of Berkeley College Republicans, represented the angered side. He argued:

Centers of learning should be places for learning … schools should teach not what to do when it comes to politics, but it should provide the tools for students to figure it out.

And keep your damn inclusive policies out of my backyard!

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Chancellor Speaks Out On Divisive Proposition [Daily Cal]
Chancellor Birgeneau informs campus of likely impacts of Proposition 8 [NewsCenter]
Earlier: Breaking News: Universities Love to Attract Top Faculty, San Francisco Supports Equality

The Mercury News indicates that the propositions on the California state ballot are historical record-setters. Prop. 8’s been racking in the screen-time and the glittering celebrity endorsements, but other issues, like the bullet train that’d speed you from San Francisco to Los Angeles in three hours flat, or the proposition about the plight of pregnant pigs, figure in too.

But none of the ones we’ve come across so far have managed to match the following measure on the S.F. city ballot for originality and pizazz:

The jury’s still out on whether it’ll pass, but somehow we think it’d actually stand a fighting chance.

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Historic choices on Bay Area’s 2008 ballots [San Jose Mercury News]

Earlier: How To: Find Your Polling Place and Your Personal Ballot

The event will take place Friday, October 3rd on Upper Sproul from 12:30 to 1:45pm and will include student speakers, community members and local politicians speaking about the issue. And yet another man who scandalized the country will lead a rally to support something controversial on the steps of Sproul, and so the Berkeley legacy continues.

And check out our post on Prop. 8 from earlier this week.

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The Battle Over Same-Sex Marriage [San Francisco Chronicle]

Google just blogged about their stance against Prop. 8. Google argues:

” … we should not eliminate anyone’s fundamental rights, whatever their sexuality, to marry the person they love.”

Touching. It almost doesn’t seem right for a company to take a stance on such a personal issue, but apparently this particular proposition hit a little too close to home. Just how close? We’re dying to know. In the meantime, we think Google should decorate their logo on their start page with rainbows and queer wedding cake toppers.

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Our position on California’s No on 8 campaign [Google blog]