A Smarter Same Sex Marriage Strategy: Pressuring Your Friends

I just returned from a lunchtime press conference held by Cleve Jones, Rick Jacobs, union officials, and other leading supporters of overturning Prop 8 and legalizing same-sex marriage. The location of the press conference, however, seemed to puzzle some of the reporters in attendance: the sidewalk in front of a gay-friendly, union-friendly, new, Hyatt-affiliated hotel on the Sunset Strip. 

But after listening to Jones and Jacobs, I think their strategy makes sense. Same-sex marriage advocates have gone after same-sex marriage opponents; the effect of those protests is in dispute, but some of those protests, as Jones acknowledged, have backfired. A more productive strategy -- one represented by this press conference -- is for same-sex marriage supporters to put pressure on their friends. The message: prominent people and businesses must speak out in support of marriage equality. One can't simply be gay friendly and remain silent in these times.

Thus, the press conference in front of the Andaz Hotel. The same-sex marriage supporters, who have been urging the Hyatt chain to sever ties with Doug Manchester, a major Prop 8 donor who operates the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, called on the Andaz to join them and speak out against the San Diego franchisee.  Jacobs also made an appeal to Penny Pritzker, the top Obama fundraiser whose family owns the Hyatt chain, to speak out on the subject and isolate Manchester.

This approach -- asking business owners that believe in marriage equality to speak out and act upon their convictions -- is more likely to produce progress for same-sex marriage supporters than protesting at the homes and business of same-sex marriage opponents. The key advantage: it's easier to pressure people to do know what they already know is right than to shout at folks who don't agree with you. This is Coalition Building 101, and a sign that same-sex marriage supporters have learned lessons from Prop 8 and are on their way to repealing Prop 8 next year.