Same-sex marriage supporters are urging people to "call in gay" Wednesday to show how much the country relies on gays and lesbians

[Terminator]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Some same-sex marriage supporters are urging people to "call in gay" Wednesday to show how much the country relies on gays and lesbians, but others question whether it's wise to encourage skipping work given the nation's economic distress. Organizers of "Day Without a Gay" - scheduled to coincide with International Human Rights Day and modeled after similar work stoppages by Latino immigrants - also are encouraging people to perform volunteer work and refrain from spending money.
Sean Hetherington, a West Hollywood comedian and personal trainer, dreamed up the idea with his boyfriend, Aaron Hartzler, after reading online that a few angry gay-rights activists were calling for a daylong strike to protest California voters' passage last month of Proposition 8, which reversed this year's state Supreme Court decision allowing gay marriage.
The couple thought it would be more effective and less divisive if people were asked to perform community service instead of staying home with their wallets shut. Dozens of nonprofit agencies, from the National Women's Law Center in Washington to a Methodist church in Fresno collecting food for the homeless, have posted opportunities for volunteers on the couple's Web site.
"We are all for a boycott if that is what brings about a sense of community for people," said Hetherington, 30, who plans to spend Wednesday volunteering at an inner-city school. "You can take away from the economy and give back in other ways."
Hetherington said he's been getting 100 e-mails an hour from people looking for volunteer opportunities, and that his "Day Without a Gay" Web site has gotten 100,000 hits since mid-November.
Despite Hartzler and Hetherington's attempt to fashion a positive approach, some organizers of the street demonstrations that drew massive crowds in many cities last month have been reluctant to embrace the concept, saying that it could be at best impractical and at worst counterproductive to "call in gay."
"It's extra-challenging for people to think about taking off work as a form of protest, given that we are talking about people who may not be out (as gay) at work, and given the current economic situation and job market," said Jules Graves, 38, coordinator of the Colorado Queer Straight Alliance. "There is really not any assurance employers would appreciate it for what it is."
Graves' group nonetheless is arranging for interested participants to volunteer at the local African Community Center in Denver. The agency said it could find projects to keep 20 people busy, but so far only 10 have pledged to show up, said Graves.
Scott Craig, a fifth-grade teacher at Independence Charter School in Philadelphia, had no problem requesting and being granted the day off. So many of the school's 60 teachers were eager to show support for gay rights they had to make sure enough stayed behind to staff classrooms.
About 25 teachers plan to take Wednesday off and to have their work covered by substitutes while they discuss ways to introduce gay issues to their students and volunteer at the local branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, Craig said. A letter telling parents why so many teachers would be out went home Monday.
"We want to get the conversation going in the community that gay is not bad," Craig said. "For kids to hear that in a positive light can be life-changing."
Join The Impact, the online community that launched protests last month over the passage of gay marriage bans in California, Florida and Arizona, has urged people to withdraw $80 from their bank accounts Wednesday to demonstrate gays' spending power, and to devote the time they might otherwise spend watching TV or surfing the Internet to volunteer work.
Witeck-Combs Communications, a public relations firm in Washington that specializes in the gay and lesbian market, published a study this year that estimated that gay and lesbian consumers spend $700 billion annually.
Bob Witeck, the firm's chief executive officer, said it would be difficult to measure the success of Wednesday's strike since gay employees occupy so many fields. And rather than suspending all consumer spending for the day, gay rights supporters would have a bigger impact if they devoted their dollars to gay-friendly businesses year-round, Witeck said.
"Our community leaders who are running book stores, newspapers, flower shops, coffee houses, bars and many, many other things are hurting right now, so paying attention to their needs during this hard time is an effective form of activism," he said.
Hetherington said he has been careful to design A Day Without a Gay - he came up with the name after the film "A Day Without a Mexican" and liked it because it rhymed - so no one feels excluded or threatened.
He has specifically urged high school students not to walk out of their classes and assured college students they won't be disloyal to the cause if they go ahead and take their final exams. He also has listed opportunities - ranging from writing letters to members of Congress about federal gay rights legislation to spreading the word about Wednesday on social networking sites - for gay marriage backers who cannot miss work.

[CTR man]

Only in California.

[10-42Adam]

Interesting proposal. I wonder how well it'll work?

[TXCharlie]

I'm sure everyone will welcome this - less traffic on the freeways is always a good thing.

[Rhino]

Okay. This isn't logical. If you have "everyone" call in sick- including hetrosexuals- then it's not really showing anyone anything. Sounds to me it's just an excuse for liberals to not work. Well, those few that do actually work.

I mean real jobs, Jenna.

[countybear]

A "Day without Gay" to me would be living one single day without getting news about homosexual activists 'shoved down my throat', (to turn a phrase).


By the way, did you hear that a military F/A 18 crashed into a San Diego neighborhood? Did you hear that a Taliban commander was killed by Afghan forces in Afghanistan yesterday? No.. didn't think so.

[IndianaFuzz]

A "Day without Gay" to me would be living one single day without getting news about homosexual activists 'shoved down my throat', (to turn a phrase).

Well the reason you keep having it rammed down your throat is that Terminator keeps picking out these articles! You can learn more about the gay community's issues from him than watching the LOGO network!

[IndianaFuzz]

I'll rehash what I wrote to someone else about this "gay flu" idea....... It only really works if the people that call in sick are openly gay, or that use the sick day to come out to their co-workers. Otherwise no one even knows that they are calling in sick because of that. What they (the organizers of "day without a gay") are trying to do is make people see how many GLBT people are in our communities, and to see the worth of these people. But instead, a gay person does more good by being open and just doing their job well. A closeted gay officer does nothing to shape people's attitudes about gay cops by secretly taking a sick day. But if your department has an openly gay officer that is a well respected officer because he or she does a damn good job, then that is a much, much bigger positive P.R. situation than any planned "gay day off". Hell, having gay people take a day off work might even feed some people's opinions that gays are worthless. I understand the intentions of this "day without a gay", but it's just not a good or effective idea. I think some people think you have to make grand gestures (like this proposed sick out) to leave an impression on people. I, rather, think that more effective is to just be one's self and be a positive example of whatever message you want to put out there, regardless of who or what you are. If more people did that, the message would get across. The problem with grand gestures is that often they either are big successes or big failures. This one looks like a big failure.

[PapaBear]

Some misdirected individuals think that a "day without gay" is going to immediately alter the opinions of most Californians who voted for Prop 8. Not by the hair on their chinny-chin-chins! In fact, almost all of those folks I know and have talked to about this think it is a good idea. Might be able to go do some shopping with regular sales folks...

[Ducky]

I just hate how the activists talk like they're speaking for all of a group. I don't know of even ONE activist, on ANY front, that I agree with. Most are so extreme that they turn their own group against them, yet they retain the ear of the media. No thanks, I'll speak (or not) for myself - I don't need a mouthpiece.

[MacLean]

I don't think doing anything that pisses people off or makes them resent you is going to accomplish anything for anyone who wishes to radically change a widely held belief system.

Regarding any topic!

[Terminator]

Well the reason you keep having it rammed down your throat is that Terminator keeps picking out these articles! You can learn more about the gay community's issues from him than watching the LOGO network!

It's not like I go searching all different sites for crazy news. I get all of my articles from one site: www.Fark.com.

[countybear]

I'm thinking of calling in "Republican" on inauguration day...

[snuffy2202]

Good idea, countybear!

[adroitcuffs]

I'm thinking of calling in "Republican" on inauguration day...

ROFLMAO, I like it!! Hell, let's schedule a "Day Without a Republican". Then all those sucking off the government teat can do something for themselves for a day...

[Jenna]

I'm thinking of calling in "Republican" on inauguration day...

If all the Republican LEOs do that, Bob Loblaw will have to protect Obama all by himself!

[MacLean]

If all the Republican LEOs do that, Bob Loblaw will have to protect Obama all by himself!

You seriously have to begin to wonder how many Secret Service agents have considered calling in Republican.

[CTR man]

Sounds like a great idea to me.