Gay rights advocates aim to reveal petitioners' identities on Web site

[LostInTime]

The Register-Guard
By William McCall
The Associated Press

Gay rights supporters from Massachusetts say they plan a Web site to post the home addresses and phone numbers of people who sign petitions to block two gay rights laws passed by the 2007 Oregon Legislature.

''We all know there's a lot of homophobia out there,'' Aaron Toleos said, ''but this puts a face on it.''

[Thundra]

This is so awesome!  I wish that we had done this in Oregon.
Putting a face and name on the enemy, instead of allowing the cowardly way out of smiling to your face while they stab you in the back is a great, great idea.
If nothing else, it will lead to more face to face confrontations and maybe even cause a split in some families, since lots of men don't support LGBT rights, but lots of their wives do.
I relish the thought of being able to confront acquaintances, co-workers, neighbors and the rest over their vote against inclusivity for BLBT persons. And, hopefully, it may even anger some people to violence and turn this into a real civil rights issue. People should be angry and ready to fight. If you are not willing to fight for your rights, than you don't deserve any IMNSHO.

[Sheila]

The website will be put in effect if they get the 55,000 signatures for SB2 and the 55,000 signatures for HB2007 that were signed by the Governer this last year. I know a lot of people here in Eugene and it would be a pleasure to discuss the issues with the people who signed the petition. I really hope it doesn't come down to this and they don't get the signatures. Turmoil is not good and I would rather have peace among us and that we can comfortable work and play side by side. They said that in Massechusetts some of the people who signed their petitions and found out that it was going to be made public actually crossed their names off. If you don't believe in a cause don't sign up for it. We do have the option of abstaining.
Sheila

[candifla]

yea, i have to agree with sheila on this.

having the right to a private vote should be guarded at all cost, no matter the topic, otherwise, then people just would not vote because of peer pressure.

it could easily go the other way, where the mass are in favor of your cause, but because of fear of being outed, they abstain and the fearmongers win.

bad bad idea.

[Thundra]

Nope, I disagree. I welcome the turmoil as you put it. I look forward to the violence and the confrontation. For too long have we set back and followed an example of passive resistance, and where has it got us?  Nowhere. Every revolution comes with pain and suffering, and this one is no different. Until people are willing to fight and die, ala Stonewall, nothing substantiative will happen. People not willing to fight for their rights, deserve no rights IMNSHO.

[Hazumu]

A stroke of genius!  Take away the shadows from which they strike, make them stand up for their convictions!

And I seem to remember another recent news article where someone alleged that LGBT foes hired professional petition gatherers, and the petition-gatherers used deceptive tactics such as having two petitions -- one innocuous and one suiting their anti-LGBT agenda.  The petition gatherers would either have people sign both, mumbling something about then both being on the same issue, or talked people into signing the innocuous one, but then handed them the anti-LGBT one to sign instead.

This website would be great in that the above deceptive tactics would backfire heavily...

Karen (bookmarking the website...)

Posted on: September 03, 2007, 09:03:15 PMWell, whaddayaknow -- here's the fraud story on the above website, with all the juicy details!

http://knowthyneighbor.org/fraud.html

-K

[buttercup]

Nope, I disagree. I welcome the turmoil as you put it. I look forward to the violence and the confrontation. For too long have we set back and followed an example of passive resistance, and where has it got us?  Nowhere. Every revolution comes with pain and suffering, and this one is no different. Until people are willing to fight and die, ala Stonewall, nothing substantiative will happen. People not willing to fight for their rights, deserve no rights IMNSHO.

Spoken like a true suffragette!