New years update
I wanted to provide a quick update to my followers and those that may stumble upon this site.
In NOvember, we defeated the mean-spirited marriage amendment in Minnesota. However, please don’t think that my lack of updates means that our work is done. We still have a journey ahead of us in 2013, and for years to come, to help create a culture of equality for committed same-sex couples.
With that said, I’ve taken a pause from my work here as my father is very sick and my family has been helping to care for him here in Minnesota over the past couple of months. He is currently in a home hospice program and we continue to celebrate each day we have with Dad.
Please know that I appreciate all of the support each of you has provided over the past year. You helped make a big difference, not only in Minnesota, but around the nation in helping Minnesota become the first state to defeat one of these freedom-limiting amendments.
Please don’t let your voice be silenced now.
Thank you for everything you’ve done and will continue to do,
-Mark
Blog Milestone: November 8, 2012
As of today, MinnesotaForEquality.com has logged over 50,000 unique visitors! The site has attracted nearly 90,000 pageviews, and is having its busiest week (not surprisingly).
In fact, there was so much traffic that the site was down for a little bit in the wee hours of November 7th as traffic crashed the database. Sorry about that for anyone who received a yucky database error! ;)
It’s so neat to read how I concluded my November 3 milestone update:
We’re Minnesotans and we won’t back down. Not now, not ever. We can defeat this thing, and with your help, we’ve got a great chance to beat the odds.
3 more days to go.
Well, Minnesota, we did indeed defeat this thing! Congratulations!
2:30am update: Vote No declared winner
Minnesota,
I’m going to keep this brief for this evening: Congratulations. You stood on the side of equality and said NO to the mean-spirited marriage amendment. Today, you made history. Not only here in the land of 10,000 lakes, but around the world. We are the first state in the nation to defeat one of these mean-spirited measures.
I said early on when I started this blog, “The tide isn’t changing, it’s already changed.” Tonight confirms that belief for me. We celebrate with Maryland and Maine that also voted in favor of equality today and we wait, with excitement, for Washington state to be called on Wednesday.
For all of your support and everything you’ve done to help defeat this amendment, from the bottom of my heart, I say thank you.
To a new day,
Mark
Night before the election: emotions run high
What an emotional night. In 24 hours the polls will be closed in Minnesota and history will be decided. I know in reading a lot of status updates tonight, I’m not the only one filled with emotion right now.
Scared, anxious, excited, nervous… but most of all, hopeful. Hopeful that we do what is right in Minnesota – that we stand up for equality and say NO to amending our constitution to limit the rights of others.
It’s the golden rule. Treat others like you would want to be treated.
Minnesota, this is it. Show me the inner good that I know you are filled with. Please vote no on Amendment 1.
Blog Milestone: November 3, 2012
As of today, MinnesotaForEquality.com has logged over 40,000 unique visitors! With over 71,000 pageviews on the site, Vote No Yard Signs from July 1, 2012 attracted the most visits.
After the election, I’ll share more statistics about visits and visitors, however, today I am celebrating the fact that one guy blogging from his bedroom has reached over 40,000 readers.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.
-Margaret Mead
We’re Minnesotans and we won’t back down. Not now, not ever. We can defeat this thing, and with your help, we’ve got a great chance to beat the odds.
3 more days to go.
3-to-1 Match!
Until midnight on November 4, Project 515 is TRIPLING every contribution made to defeat the marriage amendment, up to $100,000!
If you can give $1, that’s $3 to the campaign. If you can give $100, that’s $300. In these final days, please help with whatever you can. And if you can’t give of your wallet, please consider giving of your time and volunteer.
Six years ago tonight
I thought it would be neat to share a blog post I created six years ago, entitled, “five days.”
five days left
that’s it folks. five days left until wisconsin residents go to the polls to vote on the civil unions and marriage ban. i can’t tell you the gamut of emotions i’ve gone through – everything from excitement to defeat. as i sit here tonight, i realize that in just over 5 days it’ll all be over. the efforts of thousands of people across the state. the millions of dollars spent on the campaign. the canvassing. the phone calls. the worry.
this will be one of my last pleas for your help. if you haven’t already signed up to volunteer, please do so. if you’ve not had the chance to donate to the campaign, please do so. if you’ve not had the opportunity to talk to coworkers, friends and loved ones, make it happen. we’ve got 5 days left to win this thing, and we’re going to need each and every one of them.
please, help me and thousands of others stand up and tell wisconsin, tell the nation, that we won’t stand for discrimination. we won’t stand for hate.
no.
here in wisconsin, we stand for fairness. and in 5 days, a fair wisconsin must vote NO.
But as you know, we didn’t quite make it in Wisconsin. When all was said and done, the amendment passed by nine percentage points.
It’s amazing to me that if you simply replace the word Wisconsin with Minnesota, this post is still just as relevant today as it was six years ago. In reality, it’s tremendously sad that we’re still having to fight this fight.
Minnesota, we have 5 days until we go to the polls and vote. And we are so very close to being the first state to defeat one of these amendments; we can’t stop fighting now.
To all of my friends in Wisconsin, this amendment defeat is in your honor…
Employee job satisfaction
In August, Randi Luoto wrote a letter to the editor in which she shares a survey she conducted on job-satisfaction issues:
Results showed that gay employees, all self-identified and anonymous in the research, felt less job satisfaction and commonly yearned for two things: 1) to feel comfortable keeping a photo of their loved one on their desk, and 2) to engage more, with coworkers, in casual chitchat, such as being asked what they had done the past weekend or planned to do the next one.
In the letter, Luoto goes on to share that these are small things that most take for granted every single day. Voters in Minnesota will decide whether or not committed and loving same-sex couples should be able to celebrate their love in less than two weeks. Those small things suddenly have become really big.
Make no mistake, if this mean-spirited amendment passes, gay and lesbian citizens of Minnesota will feel “less than” their heterosexual counterparts. It’s not rhetoric or any sort of gay agenda, it’s a fact. If you vote to amend the constitution to limit my rights and freedoms, I will feel less than you.
And, like many of my friends and fellow colleagues, I will leave Minnesota. Maybe not on November 7th, but eventually we will leave. This shouldn’t be interpreted somehow has a threat to help defeat the amendment, rather, it’s a reality for many gays and lesbians (and even some allies). For my friends that have adopted children together or have gotten married in a state where same-sex marriage is legal, they don’t want to have to worry about what passing a constitutional amendment means for their rights. As someone who one day hopes to get married, I don’t want the constant reminder that I’m less than my neighbor.
Thanks to Randi Luoto for reminding us that this is not just a human rights issue, it’s also a retention and recruiting issue as well. I appreciate the fact that Mrs. Luoto is willing to stand up for my equality and the equality of Minnesotans just like me.
I love my home and I love this state. Please don’t take that away from me. On November 6, please join me in voting NO.
14 Days…
It’s hard to believe that in just 14 days, we will be voting on whether or not Minnesota should amend the state constitution to limit the rights of marriage. If passed, this change would permanently eliminate the right for loving same-sex couples to make a commitment to one another.
If the mean-spirited amendment doesn’t pass, same-sex marriage is still not legal in the state of Minnesota. State statute already defines marriage as one man, one woman. However, by defeating this amendment, we allow for future generations to continue the conversations we’ve already started here in Minnesota.
If you’re still on the fence, read through some of the resources on this site. If you’re still not sure after that, please contact me.
This amendment impacts me. It impacts my friends. It impacts my family. It impacts my coworkers. It impacts my community.
It impacts real Minnesotans.
In 14 days, I hope that you will stand with me and vote NO.
Time is running out on the one-day “Double-Double!”
Earlier today, I made the offer to match every single donation made to my personal fundraising page until 11:59pm tonight (match offer now expired). It’s true, whether you give $5 or $50, I will match that donation!
On top of that, the HRC has offered to match all donations made to Minnesotans United by midnight tonight. That means the HRC will match my match. It’s the “Double Double!”
That $5 donation is matched by me and turns into $10. The HRC steps in and matches that donation and suddenly, your $5 turns into $20! A $50 donation is matched by me and becomes $100. The HRC again steps in and matches that donation and now it becomes $200. If someone offered to turn your $50 into $200 would you do it? I sure know I would!
I know many of you have donated before to the campaign, but in these final two weeks, we need to make sure we’ve got enough money to keep television commercials on the air, to respond to the other side when they release misleading television commercials, and to ensure that our team of volunteers continues to have the resources they need to ‘get out the vote.’
Please consider donating via the Double Double!
Match offer has now expired
It’s the one-day “Double Double!”
I’m offering to MATCH dollar-for-dollar every single donation made to my personal fundraising page until midnight tonight (October 20) (match offer now expired)! On top of that, the HRC has offered to MATCH dollar-for-dollar every single donation given to Minnesotans United for All Families in that same timeframe.
If you could turn $50 into $200 instantly, would you do it? Well now you have that chance! A $50 donation via my personal fundraising page becomes $100 with my personal match. Then, the HRC comes in and matches that and your donation becomes $200. It’s the “Double Double!”
Even if you’ve donated before, now is your chance to make a big impact in the final two weeks before the election! Share this post to get the message out!
Match offer has now expired
*Mark’s match is valid for all donations made via the personal fundraising page between 11:00am CST 10/20/2012 through 10:00pm CST 10/20/2012; dollar-for-dollar match applies up to the first five hundred dollars raised between the timeframe listed; I am not responsible for errors or typos related to the fundraising page or transaction; I am not associated with Minnesotans United or the Human Rights Campaign
Happy birthday to me.
Some might find it odd that I’m writing a birthday note to myself. But here I am doing just that. You see, I’ve spent the majority of the past year of my life writing about Minnesota, equality, gay marriage and the “mean-spirited marriage amendment.” I’ve received some not-so-nice emails and comments along the way, but the positive ones have more than made up for them. As I look back on this journey, I smile at some of the messages of support I’ve received:
I want to be able to say that I did my part in this lifetime to fight for what is right! I can’t begin to tell you how much your support means! I will be fighting alongside of you for the next 23 days…and for as long as it takes!
I appreciate you and your efforts! Keep up the great work.
Keep up the good work. I am talking to anyone who will listen to me at work. People like you are changing the world…
LOVE this blog… I have your back!!!
Moved to tears. Thank you Mark.
May God continue to bless you as you share your point of view, which I continue to proudly support!
I won’t lie and tell you it hasn’t been a lot of work or that there haven’t been days that I’ve thought, “I’m just too tired to post something today.” But as I look back at the collection of nearly 500 posts and 50,000+ page views, I realize the power that one person can have in this world. Have I convinced people that have visited this site to vote NO with me? I’ll never know. But have I helped educate, inform and influence people? You bet.
And that’s what we’ve all been attempting to do since day 1. When Minnesotans realize that this amendment hurts real people, when they understand another point of view and when they see just who is impacted by this amendment, they are more likely to vote NO.
To my friends that asked me, “Mark, what do you want for your birthday?” I joked, “A resounding defeat of the marriage amendment!” Of course, that gift doesn’t just come from my friends. It comes from strangers. From other Minnesotans that stand up and say NO to writing discrimination into our state constitution.
When they’ve asked me, “No, really, what do you want?” I’ve made one simple request: Please make a donation to my Fundraising Page celebrating me, my journey, my efforts, this blog. There’s no greater gift to me than the support and love of my friends, my followers and strangers across this great state that have stood with me.
So what’s ahead for the next year of my life? I don’t know. Had you asked me that question last year at this time, I could never have predicted the journey I was about to embark on. What I do know is that I hope to celebrate the defeat of this mean-spirited amendment. I also know that, no matter what, my friends, family and loved ones will stand by my side, as they have throughout this year.
For those that are not yet convinced that you have the power to influence and make change, I leave you with my favorite quote from Margaret Mead:
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.
Here’s to an exciting new year. I can’t wait to unwrap my present on NOvember 6th.
-Mark
First guest blogger: My friend Dee Dee
It’s been almost a year since I’ve started this blog journey. In that time, I’ve seen so much good in people. Unfortunately, I’ve also seen a lack of understanding from many amendment supporters. In today’s guest post, one of my closest friends shares her thoughts on that one simple word, understanding.
un·der·stand·ing noun
1. mental process of a person who comprehends; comprehension; personal interpretation: My understanding of the word does not agree with yours.
2. intellectual faculties; intelligence; mind: a quick understanding.
3. superior power of discernment; enlightened intelligence: With her keen understanding she should have become a leader.
4. knowledge of or familiarity with a particular thing; skill in dealing with or handling something: an understanding of accounting practice.
5. a state of cooperative or mutually tolerant relations between people: To him, understanding and goodwill were the supreme virtues.I don’t know when I first heard the term “gay,” but if you look up the term in Webster’s, it’s actually not such a bad word. However, whenever I heard the term as a child and young adult, I pictured someone that I’d have nothing in common with. Running into a gay person was right up there on my list of things to avoid along with running into an axe murderer. Flash forward a few years… Who would have thought one of my closest and best friends would be gay? Or how much we’d have in common?
Before coming to Minneapolis to work, I had only ever known one gay person. I’ve been here for over 12 years and now I know more than I can name. And do you know what? They are normal people!! They come in all shapes and sizes (although most of the guys I know wear smaller jeans than me :)). They are human beings and they have as much in common with you and I as they have differences.
I’m not here to change your mind about what you think is right or wrong. I’m here to challenge you to listen, learn and truly understand before jumping to conclusions. Do you know someone who is gay? Have you heard their story? Better yet, ask them if they’d rather be straight if given the choice. I can guarantee you most would rather not be on this road.
I know one thing for certain. I am a better person because I know Mark. He has a big heart, incredible work ethic, he pushes me to take risks and he finds ways to build my confidence. The best thing about him? He accepts me just the way I am, so it’s the least I can do to accept him for who he is and understand the courage it took to not be ashamed.
I consider myself very blessed to be surrounded by a group of friends that respect and understand me. We may not always agree on all things, but when it comes to something as core as equality, they’ve stood by me through all of this.
To Dee Dee, thank you for the courage to write this post. For everyone out there that wonders whether something as simple as telling your story and letting people know the real you can make a difference, tuck this one away as a reminder.
And to Dee Dee, thank you for your friendship and advocacy. They mean the world to me.
Blog Milestone: September 29, 2012
As of September 29, 2012, www.MinnesotaForEquality.com has officially logged over 20,000 unique visitors! You might recall that less than a month before, I had shared another blog milestone: 10,000 unique visitors. As you can see, interest is picking up for the campaign, but we don’t have a lot of time left.
With 37 days left to go, we don’t have much time. I will continue to keep fighting right up until election day in the hope that Minnesota will be the first state in our entire nation to defeat one of these things. Yes, history and polls tell us that it’s going to be tough to defeat (I’ve even heard some say “impossible”), but I believe we’re well on our way. Through telling our stories and having conversations, we’re changing hearts and minds every single day.
This experience has been such an exciting journey, and I know it’s not over yet. To everyone that has emailed me, reblogged me, donated to my fundraising page - thank you.
We’re Minnesotans and we won’t back down. Not now, not ever. We can defeat this thing, and with your help, we’ve got a great chance to beat the odds.
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Tweets
- Check out what a visitor to the site asked me to pass along to Father Mike Tegeder. RT if you agree. #minnesota #voteno
http://t.co/4iqhrFX211/09/2012 - #Minnesota nice? Yeah, we #voteno twice! Congratulations to to Minnesota for standing on the right side of history!11/07/2012
- #Minnesota #marriageamendment 78% reporting. #voteno at 50%; yes side has 49%. It's going to be a while before we call this one...11/07/2012
- #Minnesota #marriageamendment 47% reporting. Spread narrows. #voteno side still at 49%; yes side has increased their support to 47%.11/07/2012
- Check out what a visitor to the site asked me to pass along to Father Mike Tegeder. RT if you agree. #minnesota #voteno
