The Courage Campaign wants to send a message to Ken Starr and the people who want the California Supreme Court to forcibly divorce more than 18,000 couples who married in the state. Do you know anyone who may have their marriage nullified? Or would you just like to express your support for those couples who may be forcibly divorced?

Please take a picture with a plain 8.5″ by 11″ piece of paper that sends a special message, like: “Please don’t divorce us,” “Please don’t divorce my mothers,” “Please don’t divorce my friends, Name and Name,” or “Please don’t divorce Californians.” Print it out, or write it clearly in big, block letters. Then email your pictures to: PleaseDontDivorce@CourageCampaign.org

There are interviews you skim, and then there are interviews you read—all the way to the end. This week’s issue of the Advocate declaring “gay is the new black” nailed it, and Robin Tyler has an important message that will hit home at this moment in history—a moment that could be the tipping point of our movement. Robin Tyler and her wife, Diane Olson, were the first challengers to California’s ban on same-sex marriage in February of 2004.

by Bronson Page

Brothers and sisters, we are off-topic, and losing style points.  This is not a Marjorie Christofferson issue.  It’s not an El Coyote issue.  It’s a civil rights issue.  We need to remember that and keep our eyes on the ball, lest we devolve further into angry mobs for whom nobody could feel compassion.  Attacking an elderly woman in Palm Springs?  Seriously, that’s despicable.

Defending our position against all sorts of fire-breathing ignoramuses has really crystallized this issue for me.  I’m clever, but I didn’t go to law school, and I can’t say it any better than this,

In a dramatic, closed door lunch meeting, the owner of a renowned Mexican eatery in Hollywood expressed regret in her decision to donate $100 to the “Yes on Prop 8″ campaign, but her remarks before a group of about 60 members of Los Angeles’ LGBT community fell short of an outright personal apology.

“I’m sick of heart that I’ve offended anyone in the gay community,” said Marjorie Christofferson, co-owner of El Coyote Mexican Cafe for 17 years. “I have had, and do have family, friends, and people I work with of course who are gay…and you are treasured people to me.”

The tall, frail Christofferson stood in the center of the group. She appeared to be shaking during her prepared remarks which lasted about 3 minutes. Her daughters flanked her to prevent her from fainting, according to a restaurant employee. At several points during her speech, Christofferson simply became too emotional to continue.

El Coyote has become the latest casualty in the local outburst against the passage of Proposition 8, an anti-marriage amendment to the California State Constitution. Dozens of e-mails and websites, including the popular online local guide, Yelp.com, have urged boycotting the legendary cafe in recent days.

Christofferson, who is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, insisted that her donation was personal, and reflected her religious faith.

“I’ve been a member of the Mormon Church all my life,” she said. “This was a personal donation. In like fashion, any employee here would be free to donate, worship or support anything of their personal choosing. Over the years, El Coyote has financially supported many charities and thousands of dollars most particularly have been given to the gay interests and charities. The restaurant does not support any political group.”

In the only question taken by Ms. Christofferson after her remarks, and before those gathered, I asked her directly if she would personally make an equal donation to the campaigns to repeal Proposition 8.

“I cannot change a lifetime of faith,” she said.

Moments later, the same group which had been invited for lunch and margaritas grew increasingly verbal, apparently reacting to the lack of a direct apology from Ms. Christofferson, and she left the building in tears.  The group continued to meet for another 30 minutes, before dispersing for what appeared to be a looming boycott. One demonstrator was already shouting outside.

Still, there were some dissenting voices in the room. One woman compared the angry gathering to Nazi Germany, when Hitler’s military singled out individual Jews in a witch hunt for their religious beliefs. “Why are we singling out one restaurant?” the woman asked. “Are you ready to go up against every single restaurant in the city?”

Should the gay community boycott El Coyote?

Openly-gay restaurant manager Billy Schoeppner, announced that El Coyote would make two $5,000 contributions, each to the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center and the Lambda Legal Defense Fund.  He also asked those gathered to suggest any possible or practical ways the legendary establishment could avert a full-on boycott and PR war by the Los Angeles LGBT community.

Another manager, Arnaldo Archila, outrightly denounced Ms. Christofferson in a forceful statement.

“We don’t share her views as the management,” said Mr. Archila, a native of El Salvador. “They don’t press us to do anything that we don’t want to do, and we never talk about politics or religion. I don’t understand why we got connected to something going on at the top.”

Other restaurant employees also spoke, including a waitress who tearfully worried what would happen to the 89 families that receive some financial support from El Coyote if a boycott were to occur.

Mr. Schoeppner told me privately that in addition to making contributions to the aforementioned charities, that the restaurant was planning to take out full page advertisements in the LA Weekly and Frontiers Newsmagzine to avert a boycott.

“I understand boycotts and protests have been planned. Let me personally take the responsibility for your pain and anger,” said Christoffsen. “El Coyote is no part of what I have done. The only people you will truly hurt are the hundreds of families of mixed origins and sexual diversity who rely on El Coyote to feed their families.”

No cameras were permitted in the rear dining room where the meeting was being held, to the chagrin of some bloggers.  A demonstration was set for Thursday night.  Watch the video of Ms. Christofferson’s speech, and my follow up question.

The past few days since Proposition 8 was passed have been remarkable. What’s surprised me most are the number of women I know who are pretty united in their anger and sadness over the passage of the anti-marriage amendment to the California state constitution.

Ying, in Utah, writes:

“Even from this wacko state that I live in, there are many that are opposed to “8″ and just this last weekend, LDS Mothers Against 8 rallied in SLC.”

Last night, a text from my friend Alexis:

“RU coming 2 the rally? We have 2 show them that they can’t take away our rights.”

My mom writes:

“I can’t even imagine the hurt you and Bronson must be feeling today after California citizens voted to pass Prop 8. You and Bronson are in [our] thoughts and prayers.  We pray that together we will seek to find a peace that brings us to open a dialogue respectful of one another’s values.”