Join us at Earth Day, April 25!

Please join us (and invite your friends to join us) for our second big community service event!

The Mama Bear Alliance Earth Day Beach Cleanup
Crown Points Shores South, Mission Bay
Saturday, April 25, 9 a.m.

All families are welcome—gay parents and straight parents alike. Beach cleanups are a great way for even very small children to feel the power of making a difference in their community. Come meet other progressive moms (and dads), pick up some cool Mama Bear Alliance gear, and celebrate Earth Day.

Bring: water, sunscreen, and signed waiver for every child under 18. Download it here:
http://www.creektobay.org/images/stories/pdf/c2b09_waiver.pdf

Directions to clean up site--3700 Crown Point Drive, South Crown Point, Crown Point Drive off of Ingraham Street, San Diego 92109. From South or East San Diego, take I-8 to the Sports Arena Blvd. exit, make a right onto West Mission Bay Drive and continue straight to Ingraham Street. Cross over 2 bridges then go right onto Crown Point Drive. Several large parking lots will be on the right-hand side, please park in the south lot. From North San Diego, take I-5 to the Sea World Drive exit, make a right onto Sea World Drive and continue straight to Ingraham Street. Cross over 2 bridges then go right onto Crown Point
Drive. Several large parking lots will be on the right-hand side, please park in the south lot.

In other equality news, if you are interested in playing a bigger role in the local equality movement, check out Camp Courage, coming to San Diego April 18 – 19. The movement needs people like us—people who know this fight is also about building a more loving, accepting world for our kids to grow up in. Check it out at http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/s/ApplySanDiego

The Mama Bear Alliance is developing some wonderful new ideas for ways to promote equality in our neighborhoods and help us raise children to be accepted and accepting, including storytime at local bookstores, reading groups for parents, and more service. Would you like to join the steering committee? We need you! Email mamabearalliance@gmail.com.

What the Mama Bears Said; breaking news about Marty Block

At the San Diego Eve of Justice Vigil, Wednesday, March 4, at the Hall of Justice

We are members of the Mama Bear Alliance, a grassroots group of San Diego families united for marriage equality!

Mama Bears are regular moms: we drive minivans and Priuses; we take our kids to soccer and dance class; we are Christian, Jewish, and Hindu. We work, serve our communities, and care for our families. Some of us are gay; some of us are straight. We are fiercely loyal to our friends and our children, and we believe in Equality for All!

What happened in California last November with proposition 8 brought out the Mother Bear in each of us. How dare anyone use scare tactics to suppress the basic freedoms of California families--our families, our friends, our neighbors!

When we saw anti-equality demonstrators on the street corners in our neighborhoods, we pulled the minivan to the curb, got the kids out, and stood up for equality!

And on Election Day, we took our kids and our homemade signs and stood on the street corner in the rain asking our neighbors to vote No on 8!

We did it because we want to set an example for our children: if someone comes to take away your human rights, or your friends' human rights, you reach down deep and find your big voice and say NO as loudly as you can!

And we are here today to set an example for our children: when history gives you the chance to stand up for love and equality, you say YES as loudly as you can!

As parents, we say that the children of California DO NOT need hurtful ballot initiatives that divide our communities and tear apart families.

The children of California need clean air, clean water, health care, and good schools with caring, well-paid teachers.

Our children need parents--mama bears and papa bears--who tell them yes, we accept you, support you, and love you just as God made you.

Our young people should grow up knowing that they will have a full chance at life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—including love and marriage--whether they turn out gay or straight.

For our children, as mothers, we stand with the movement for marriage equality. The tide is turning! Overturn Proposition 8!

***

ps. Special to Mama Bear letters who live in Assemblymember Marty Block's district (including Del Cerro and College area), Assemblymember Block (D) who had pledged to vote for AR 5 (Ammiano) putting the Assembly on record against 8, "took a walk" in legislative parlance and failed to show for the vote on this issue. We need to find out why, and encourage him to do better in the future. Call his office: (619) 462-7878; http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a78/