Opinions

Day two on the No on Prop 8 campaign

By Daniel Wherley, No on 8 Field Organizer
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund

It was day two on the job with the No on 8 campaign. I had just been assigned to help lead volunteer recruitment at one of the largest street festivals in the Silverlake neighborhood of L.A. known as Sunset Junction. My job was to support a team of ten other volunteers to canvass the crowd with clipboards for volunteer shifts and donations.

I head out for the action eager but unsure of what to expect. Will this swirling mass of thousands of LGBT and non-LGBT hipsters, indie music lovers and motley progressives care enough about Prop 8 to volunteer or give money?

I was moved and awed by the crowd’s response. Not only were people pledging to vote No on 8, but many were giving time and money too. In a single day, we signed up over 100 people to call undecided voters, staff volunteer recruitment phone banks and fill other unglamorous but highly impactful volunteer shifts. And over the course of the entire festival, we raised over $2,300! I had never thought we could raise so much money from complete strangers. It was clear that this historic struggle for the freedom to marry was one that mattered to many.

There was also an incredible feeling of camaraderie amongst our recruitment team. People really had each others backs. When a couple of our action trainers fell sick, several experienced volunteers stepped up to fill their place. When one volunteer was struggling to sign people up, another would buddy up with them to give recruiting tips and support. Wherever there were holes that needed to be filled, people were ready to do what was needed to make this day a success.

It was an energizing day of commitment and persistence that I won’t forget.