Time to Make History, Moorhead

By Joshua Boschee
Staff Writer

Hold on to your hats, folks, and get ready for a roller coaster like you’ve never experienced before. Thanks to the wisdom of the Republican majority in the Minnesota legislature, we are at the beginning of a campaign that will unify many and divide others. Regardless of a state law that already exists that defines marriage as between one man and one woman, the Republican leadership, at the eleventh hour, decided to look for political points from its base, rather than resolve the budget issues they were faced with during the entire session.

As an optimist, I tend to find the silver lining in each tragedy. The ensuing anti-marriage campaign will allow Minnesota the opportunity to, once again, be a leader when it comes to issues impacting our country. With major polls to date highlighting that Minnesotans do not favor a constitutional amendment that limits the definition of marriage, marriage equality supporters have a great deal of momentum early in the campaign. It is up to each and every one of you to help sustain that momentum and provide the endurance needed for the next fourteen months.

Enter Minnesotans United for All Families’ Community Action Training. Minnesotans United is the coalition of LGBT and other social justice organizations, faith-based communities, businesses, labor organizations, elected officials from all political parties, community leaders, families, and individuals throughout Minnesota that believe marriage and family are about love and commitment. The coalition is bringing their community action training to Moorhead and other communities throughout Minnesota to educate, engage, and empower people and organizations to get involved with the campaign.

As someone who is overtly politically active, I should remind you all that I haven’t always been this way. While, I have always been involved in student organizations and community service projects, it was only a little over three years ago that I attended my first training to be a local organizer. Disclaimer: By attending a community action training, you will not become overtly involved in the issue related to the training. Rather, you will gain additional information to share with your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, and those that you may worship with about the issue. I have an addictive personality, which is not healthy when it comes to my love of pumpkin pie and social activism.

This community action training will be a great jump start for anyone looking to develop and enhance their communication, organizing, or leadership skills. Past trainings I have attended have provided the opportunity for attendees to learn the best practices for writing letters your local newspaper, how to use social media to share your message, and effective ways to engage others in a discussion about the issue. So whether you are a wall flower interested in the marriage equality discussion or a political guru looking for the next political rush, this training will be a great opportunity for all of us to learn, connect, and share.

It is important to note that it will be volunteers and community members throughout greater Minnesota and in border communities that will be integral in defeating next November’s constitutional amendment.  Do you want to wake up on Nov. 7, 2012, knowing that you were a part of making history in Minnesota and the United States, or look back regretting that you didn’t do your part to support all families in Minnesota?

Questions and comments: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

If you go:
What: Moorhead Community Action Training
When: Saturday, September 17th, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Where:  TBD – check Facebook event or http://www.outfrontmn.org.
For more information: http://tiny.cc/Outfront