Prop8 update + Internet Censorship: PIPA and SOPA

First: Prop 8.

In Other News: Update on Prop8 (the ban on Gay Marriage) in CA

So I've had several people ask me where we stand on Gay Marriage in California. Here's the latest update I've gotten in my email:

California Supreme Court to Weigh in on Standing

Tomorrow, November 17 at 10 a.m. PT, the California Supreme Court will issue its advisory opinion on the issue of standing in our case.

Background: After the Ninth Circuit heard our case, it decided that it needed some clarification on state law. Because the Governor and Attorney General of California both found Prop. 8 to be unconstitutional, it's currently unclear whether the proponents of Prop. 8 have the legal qualifications to appeal our historic District Court victory.

Once the California court issues its opinion, the Ninth Circuit will determine if the Proponents have standing. If it finds that the Proponents don't have standing, the District Court decision stands. Alternatively, if the court does find standing, it can rule on the merits of our case.

Here's the great news: No matter what happens, we win. Either the Federal District Court ruling that declared Prop. 8 unconstitutional stands as is. Or, our case proceeds on its merits with the strong likelihood of reaching the U.S. Supreme Court. Because there is no reason to justify discrimination against gay and lesbian Americans, we are confident that the higher courts will affirm our District Court victory.

~*~

In the most laymen's terms, this is what has happened:

    *  The ban against gay marriage passed by 3%
    *  Several couples got together to sue the state of CA in order to get the ban taken down.
    *  Said couples win the case and the ban gets taken away.
    *  Judge puts a hold on allowing gay couples to get married in case someone wants to appeal his judgement.
    *  A few people decide they want to appeal the ruling.
    *  They take the case to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and have a trial.
    *  Before the judges can make their ruling, it occurs to them that the people who are trying to appeal the case, my not actually have the legal right to.
    *  9th circuit judges ask the Supreme Court judges on their opinion before they give their ruling.
    *  Supreme Court is going to give their opinion tomorrow on if the guys trying to get the Gay Marriage Ban put back up have the right to legal right to.
    *  Once the 9th Circuit has the opinion of the Supreme Court, they will either: A) Tell the guys who filed for the appeal that they don't have the right to and the original ruling to let gays get married is the correct ruling (YAY! Gays can be married now!!) or B) will allow them the legal right to appeal and THEN give their ruling on if gay marriage should be legal or not in CA.
    *  IF they allow the people to appeal the case, not matter WHAT the 9th circuit's ruling is, the case will go to the Supreme Court (the last court you can appeal to) for judging.

And there you have it. Make sense now?

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Second PIPA & SOPA

This is at court RIGHT NOW.

vimeo.com/31100268

This video explains PiPA in very basic terms and the same sort of idea applies to SOPA, but, (just to tell you here) in brief, the legislation, if passed, would essentially hand the Internet over to corporations, allowing them to sue and shut down any website that so much as hosts a link to copyrighted material.

Internet Service Providers could be forced to block social media sites, search engines could be required to delete results, and startups could lose their funding — all on the whim of the copyright holder.

Perhaps most distressing of all, however, is the fact that this bill, in true Orwellian fashion, does nothing to prevent actual piracy. The only thing it will succeed in doing is turning the Internet into a dystopic plutocracy where people are no longer free to share ideas and be creative for fear of running afoul of Big Business.

Despite what some would have you believe, the hearings are offensively lopsided, with pro-SOPA voices far outweighing those opposed. A slew of tech companies including Google, Yahoo!, Mozilla, Twitter, and AOL, have undersigned a full-page ad in today's New York Times opposing SOPA, but it's doubtful their voices will be heard by those who need to hear it.

That means it's up to you to get this terrifying, jobs-killing, Internet-breaking bill off the table for good. Here are a few things you can do:

Sign a Petition.

PETITIONS against these things can be found:

www.change.org/petitions/stop-…
wfc2.wiredforchange.com/o/9042…
americancensorship.org/
act.demandprogress.org/sign/so…

Sign one, sign two - SIGN THEM ALL if need be.

Because if we don't stop this and the laws get passed, we'll lose sites like Facebook, Youtube, Tumblr and on and on and on.

So do your part and put an end to this nonsense.

-Raven

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