KnowThyNeighbor.org

NAME, NAMES, NAMES

List of signers published.

The names of the Massachusetts voters who signed the anti-gay marriage petition are now available online at www.KnowThyNeighbor.org. 

NOTE: We began experiencing heavy traffic as soon as we went live and this has resulted in some slow searches.  We are working on a solution to the problem.

New website is launched.

You will also notice that our website has been completely redesigned.  In addition to a lot more information, we have added a special "People are Talking" section that invites website visitors to add their own content:

• Blog - There is an invitation to the blog on every page of the website.  More than 3,000 comments have already been posted.
• Stories page - We have pulled stories from the blog and from emails and published them on the site.  Submit YOUR story using the provided form.
• Talk Back line - Call up and leave a message in support of marriage equality and we will publish it on the site as an mp3 file - (978) 560-0618.

Fraud affidavit form.

Many of the names that you will find on the list may have been fraudulently obtained.  If you were a victim of fraud, there is a Fraud Affidavit Form you can download and fax or mail back to us. KnowThyNeighbor.org will be coordinating with MassEquality to make sure these fraud reports are forwarded to the appropriate government officials including your respective state representatives and senators.  If you know someone who was frauded, make sure they get a copy of the affidavit.

Talk to your neighbors!

Having direct access to the names of those who signed the anti-gay marriage petition provides you with the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations with people who may not fully understand the implications of the proposed amendment on the lives of same-sex couples and their families.  Take this opportunity to reach out in thoughtful and respectful ways to those around you.  A face-to-face conversation with someone you know can be a powerful way to break through the superficial barriers that separate us.

This is a historic moment in time for the gay community.  We must look to each other and into ourselves for the courage to speak up in defense of what we know is right and healthy for America: the recognition of full marriage rights for gay and lesbian citizens.

We must do this for ourselves who have been granted Equal Rights in Massachusetts, for the future generations which need us to protect these rights, and for those generations of gays and lesbians which have come and gone never having known what it means to be considered equal.

Tom Lang & Aaron Toleos, Directors

Boston Globe Poll

The Boston Globe is sponsoring a poll on the following question:

Do you think a question on banning gay marriage should be on the state ballot?

No, the state courts have spoken on the subject.

Yes, the proponents have gathered enough signatures and are following the process.

The poll is entirely unscientific and unlikely to produce data of any importance.  Nevertheless, petition sponsors have sent out an email blast asking people to "Please visit the Boston Globe website and vote YES in this poll today."

Want to vote?  Here's a link to the poll.

Aaron Toleos, Director

Must Watch TV!

Here's the Fox Undercover petition fraud segment for those that missed it when it originally aired.

Former paid petition worker Angela McElroy reveals the bait-and-switch tactics she was taught by her employers and demonstrates just how easy it is to steal signatures (she averages one bait-and-switch every two minutes in the video) and states petition workers can make as much as $1,200 on a good day!

Also watch for...

• Attorney General Tom Reilly casually explaining that he is powerless to do anything about the fraud and stating that perhaps we should pass some laws against it (hmmm, yeah that sounds like a good idea).
• Evelyn Reilly of the Massachusetts Family Institute (petition sponsors) claiming that her organization was totally unaware the company they hired to oversee signature collection, Arno Political Consultants, had a national reputation for using fraudulent tactics (they might want to do a basic Google search the next time they hand someone what must have been hundreds of thousands of dollars).
• Senator Augustus discussing his petition anti-fraud bill.

Take-aways from this video: (1) The initiative petition system in Massachusetts is a disgrace; (2) The petition sponsors hired a sleazy, out-of-state company to do their dirty work while grandstanding to the media that they were running a grassroots, citizen-driven campaign; and (3), Tens of thousands of fraudulent signatures may have been collected.

Aaron Toleos, Director