Join The Impact

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Amy Balliett
1.866.573.6776
amy@jointheimpact.com

Join the Impact Teams With the Aldo Castillo Gallery to Fundraise Art for Equality

CHICAGO – On Friday, February 13th, 2009, the Aldo Castillo Gallery will host an opening reception for its new Krzysztof Wasko exhibit at 5:30pm in Chicago’s River East Art Center. Set to run for a full month (February 13th – March 13th), proceeds from the Krzysztof Wasko exhibition will partially benefit Join the Impact, a non-profit organization that launched after the passage of Proposition 8 in California.

“Aldo Castillo is a prominent human rights activist, and Join the Impact is honored to make it onto his long list of organizations that he has benefited.” Says Todd Saporito, President of Board for Join the Impact. “We have made it very far with an all-volunteer crew of hard workers and are now raising funds in many unconventional ways to ensure that our membership gets the support that they need.” Saporito continues.

Aldo Castillo has collaborated with organizations such as Amnesty International, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, the Illinois Federation for Human Rights, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, and many more. His commitment to human rights has made him a household name amongst members of Join the Impact, making many excited about this week’s exhibition.

As a local Chicago painter, Krzysztof Wasko is a well-known and actively exhibited painter and photographer. He has been exhibited in galleries and museums in Poland, Canada, and the United States. He is also the co-founder of JakT Film Productions, showing that his love of art explodes to the silver screen as well.

“If you are looking for a cause to support, this one is the trifecta” Says Willow Witte, Co-Executive Director of Join the Impact. “With this exhibition, you have to opportunity to support an amazing human rights activist, an amazing artist, and the Join the Impact movement.” Witte concludes.

To experience this inspirational exhibit and join in the impact, you are invited to attend the opening reception and visit the gallery during normal business hours during the month-long exhibit. Hours locations and times are detailed in full, below.

What: Art Exhibition
Krzysztof Wasko, ‘LIFE RIDERS’
February 13th - March 13 2009

When: Opening Reception,
Friday, February 13th 2009, 5:30-8:30pm

Where: Aldo Castillo Contemporary Gallery
at the River East Art Center
465 E. Illinois St.
Chicago, IL 60611
tel. 312.222.0774 fax. 312.222.0775
www.aldocastillocontemporary.com
Contact: Ana Maksin, Gallery Director, ana@artaldo.com
Gallery hours: Tues. - Sat. 11am - 6pm & Sun. 12am - 5pm

_____________________________________________________________________

EQUALITY ON CAMPUS DAY!
STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY JOIN TOGETHER IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENT TOWARDS LGBT EQUALITY.

On January 27th, 2009, high school and college students across the country will wear the same shirt to school as a way to show unity within the community in the fight towards LGBT equality, particularly marriage equality. This is a visibility/fundraiser event geared towards achieving the following goals:

* Get students more involved in the fight towards LGBT equality.
* Raise the visibility of the LGBT movement towards equality by having everyone wear the same shirt on the same day. Students are encouraged to take group photos of everyone at their school wearing the Students for Equality t-shirt. Locations and time suggestions for group photos should be emailed to Eric Ross at eross@studentsforequality.com for better coordination. Students for Equality is encouraging students to submit the group pictures to their school yearbooks and newspapers.
* Have the event one week after the inauguration to remind Obama that we are not going away. We are expecting him to address same-sex marriage, and LGBT rights in general.
* Raise money towards fighting for the legalization of same-sex marriage in the courts. Students for Equality will be donating a portion of the proceeds to Lambda Legal since they are currently fighting the state of California to repeal Proposition 8. Lambda Legal has also fought for LGBT equality in many other cases, including overturning sodomy laws in the United States on a federal level. To see more landmark cases fought by Lambda Legal, go to http://www.lambdalegal.org/our-work/in-court/cases/landmark-cases.html.

“The younger generation was very involved in the election this year,” says Eric Ross co-founder of Students for Equality. “This event is a way for them to stay involved in political activism, and not just unite in the fight for marriage equality, but for LGBT equality as a whole.”

Designs for the shirt were submitted by students and voted on by visitors of the Students for Equality website. The winning design was announced on January 1st, 2009 and people wishing to buy one of these shirts to raise money in the fight of revoking Proposition 8 can do so by going to www.studentsforequality.com. People can also go to the same website to find out information about future events sponsored by Students for Equality.

______________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact
Amy Balliett
amy@jointheimpact.com
www.jointheimpact.com
1-866-573-6776

Early Numbers Show Join The Impact’s Light Up the Night Illuminates 1 Million Lives!

NATIONAL – On December 20th, thousands of volunteers from around the country organized national candlelight vigils in honor of the many rights lost on November 4th for gay and lesbian couples across the country. Light up the Night for Equal Rights brought attention to the lack of rights afforded to one in every ten citizens of the U.S. and to the recent brief submitted by the Yes on 8 Campaign, which asked that 18,000 same-sex marriages be revoked in California.

“The Yes on 8 Campaign said they wanted to protect marriage and families, yet now they are trying to force the divorce of 18,000 families. How could this possibly protect anyone?” Asks Amy Balliett, co-founder of JoinTheImpact.com. “Today we shed light on this hypocrisy while also educating the masses about our struggle. Tonight’s vigils helped to show the honest side of the LGBTQ community and the truth of our struggle.”

With huge success, hundreds of cities held vigils in heavy trafficked shopping areas with the goal of reaching 1 million people with the message of equality during the holiday season. Members of Join The Impact created “5 Rights Holiday Cards” that shed light on just five of the many rights that the LGBTQ Community do not receive. Along with passing out these cards, attendees wore shirts and signs declaring “2nd Class Citizen,” which is the symbolic status that many community members feel exists, resulting from the lack of equal rights.

“Tonight, our volunteers gave 1 million people an opportunity to understand who the LGBTQ community really is and put the struggle into a new context,” says Willow Witte co-founder of Join The Impact. “Our volunteers helped put a face on the movement and awoke people to the fact that ten percent of U.S. citizens are denied equal protections under the law.”

Like the November 15th National Day of protest that Join The Impact orchestrated, Light up the Night was an opportunity to turn the negative affects of Proposition 8 into something positive. “This movement will not end until full equality is achieved,” Balliett says. “Proposition 8 awoke a sleeping beast. Our community is more united than ever as our base and allies continue to grow.”

“It doesn’t stop here,” Witte says. “November 15th was the beginning, and was about visibility. Light up the Night was about reach-ability. Wait until you see what have in store for 2009!” Balliett concludes.

Upcoming events for Join The Impact include a national DOMA protest on January 10th and the national demonstrations during Freedom to Marry Week in February. To get involved, join “The Impact,” (http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com) the social organizing tool that helps volunteers from around the country come together and make an impact!

_______________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2008

Contact Amy Balliett
www.jointheimpact.com
1-866-573-6776
amy@jointheimpact.com

JoinTheImpact.com Joined by National Grass-Roots Orgs and Media to Light up the Night for Equal Rights

NATIONAL - On December 20th, thousands of volunteers from around the country with take to the streets and Join the Impact yet again! In response to the rights lost on November 4th, and recently to the Reverend Rick Warren invocation pick, members of the LGBTQ community will come out by the thousands to “Light up the Night for Equal Rights.” Joining the cause are national groups like the HRC, the Courage Campaign, and Marriage Equality USA, and international news sources like LOGO, 365Gay.com and LezGetReal.com.

A recent LOGO press release states, “As members of the LGBT community and allies gather across the nation, LOGO will keep its audience up-to-date that evening with an “on-air candle” directing viewers to the latest news from 365gay.com, the online source for the latest LGBT news, opinion, video blogs and streaming video news.”

Joining LOGO and 365gay.com is the LezGetReal network of bloggers where JoinTheImpact co-founder, Amy Balliett, was recently invited to act as a guest blogger. “The girls at LezGetReal have shown amazing support for this event by both getting the word out and stepping up to organize in their cities where needed,” says Balliett.

Lending their support are grassroots organizations like the Courage Campaign and Marriage Equality USA, and the national Human Rights Campaign. “Marriage Equality USA has done a great deal for this movement and for JoinTheImpact.” Balliett says. The HRC reached out to Balliett to let her know they were spreading the message and have even added Light up the Night to the home page of their highly trafficked site, hrc.org.

The Courage Campaign added a spark of genius to the event with their “Milk + Love” movement stating, “We want people around California who care about marriage equality to bring their friends and families to see “MILK”, and then convert the emotional resonance of the film into the candlelight vigils following the screening.”

Light up the Night was an idea sparked by one of the many members of JoinTheImpact who utilized the membership platform to put his voice into this movement. The goal of the night is to reach one million people with the message of equality by educating the private sector. Volunteers will take to their local shopping districts on Saturday night and host candlelight vigils in response to the rights lost on November 4th. The recent announcement of Rick Warren’s presence as the invocation speaker at the upcoming inauguration has fueled this need for education. Attendees of the vigil will be asked to shed light on the many rights not afforded to one in ten US citizens. They will do this through passing out educational holiday cards, and wearing their message of “2nd Class Status” for all to see.

“Many don’t even know what basic rights we are fighting for. Few know that ninety percent of the population receives necessary protections under the law that are restricted from members of the LGBTQ community. If we truly are an equal and free country, then everyone would have the same legal protections. Until then, our lack of rights leads to a second class status. This event will shed light on our struggle and bring the conversation of equality to the dinner table this Holiday season.” Balliett concludes.

To get involved with Light up the Night, please visit http://www.jointheimpact.wetpaint.com and find your city page to learn about the vigil in your area.

_______________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2008

Contact:
Amy Balliett
1-866-573-6776
amy@jointheimpact.com

National Day of Prop 8 Protests Leads to National Night of Candlelight Vigils

On December 20, 2008, members of Join The Impact will mobilize again to “Light up the Night for Equal Rights.” This will be a national demonstration shedding light on the rights lost with the November 4th passage of Proposition 8 and the rights still nonexistent for one in every ten U.S. citizens. Join The Impact, a net-roots organization of gay and allied (LGBTQ) activists, is responsible for the November 15th National Day of Protest, which emerged after the passage of Proposition 8 and mobilized hundreds of thousands in what has been dubbed “Stonewall 2.0.”

“On November 15th, over 300 cities worldwide joined together to protest the passage of Proposition 8 and unite in one voice for full equality. December 20th proves to be another historic event that will build bridges of understanding while continuing the conversation of full equality during the Holiday season,” Amy Balliett, co-founder of Join The Impact says. “We cannot let our movement lose visibility during this crucial time. To gain full equality, we must show the nation who we are and what our struggle is all about. Light up the Night is an amazing opportunity to share our stories and gain allies during this season of love.”

Participants in Light up the Night have been asked to bring a source of light (candles or glow sticks) to local shopping districts, and come together in silent protest. Join The Impact is encouraging all involved to remain peaceful and choose between silence or respectful holiday salutations and singing. They are also encouraging people to let their clothing speak out about their lack of equal rights with “2nd Class Citizen” t-shirts.

Though opponents of LGBTQ equality say that the community is fighting for “special rights,” Join the Impact members hope that this event will shed the light of truth on the LGBTQ struggle. Informational holiday cards will be passed out explaining just five of the many rights that are afforded to heterosexual U.S. citizens, but not to members of the LGBTQ community. Some of these rights include adoption, shared property, inheritance, job protections, and civil marriage. “The government was meant to protect all law-abiding citizens, yet ten percent of those citizens are not afforded these basic legal protections and rights. This has caused many to feel that they have a second class status in the eyes of our government,” Balliett concludes.

Though Join The Impact is still at its infancy, it has gained many members and allies in this movement, ensuring that it remains an organization by and for the people. With the combined hard work of many amazing volunteer organizers and members, one thing is certain: December 20th will prove to be another great step in the movement for full equality in the United States.

Those interested in joining the impact on December 20th should go to http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com and find their city page for more information.
_______________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4th, 2008

GAYS AND LESBIANS NATIONWIDE CALL FOR “A DAY WITHOUT GAYS”
Economic Strike and Boycott Coincides with International Human Rights Day

Los Angeles, CA - In response to the recent passage of several anti-gay initiatives, the call has gone out for A DAY WITHOUT GAYS, a nationwide strike and economic boycott by all gays and lesbians and their allies for Wednesday, December 10, 2008, which is also with International Human Rights Day.
“A DAY WITHOUT GAYS will urge the LGBT community and our allies to ‘call in gay’ to their place of work by taking the day off or shutting down their businesses,” said David Craig, one of the event coordinators. “We are also encouraging them to refrain from buying, spending money or supporting the economy in any way. Finally, we are asking them to get involved, either by volunteering or by signing petitions to repeal anti-gay initiatives in their home state.”

A DAY WITHOUT GAYS will focus on the fact that the LGBT community contributes $700 billion dollars annually to the U.S. economy (interestingly, the same amount as the recent federal bailout package) and as such, should not be treated as second class citizens.

“Even though these are troubled economic times, we have to ask ourselves how much our rights are worth and whether or not you can put a price tag on equality,” Craig added. “California alone will lose more than 683 million dollars in revenue over the next three years that it would have made on gay couples getting married.”

On November 4, voters in California approved Proposition 8, which took away the fundamental right of gay couples to marry. Voters in Arizona and Florida passed ballot measures which restricts the definition of marriage to a union between a man and a woman. In Arkansas, voters banned unmarried couples from fostering or adopting children in a measure targeted at keeping gay couples from adopting.

“In dozens of states, you can still get fired for being gay or lesbian,” added Craig. “That’s unacceptable. And we want gays and lesbians to take this day – International Human Rights Day – to illustrate the point that until all are equal, none are equal.”

The name A DAY WITHOUT GAYS was inspired by the film A DAY WITHOUT A MEXICAN and the nationwide strike in 2006 called A DAY WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS that protested against proposed immigration laws.

A DAY WITHOUT GAYS has joined forces with JoinTheImpact.com, which organized the rallies and protests at city halls nationwide on November 15, 2008.

For more information about A DAYWITHOUT GAYS, please visit our website
For interviews and additional information, please contact us at adaywithoutgays2008@gmail.com

_________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release
“PROP 8 - THE MUSICAL”
OPENS TODAY ON FUNNY OR DIE
WRITTEN BY MARC SHAIMAN, DIRECTED BY ADAM SHANKMANFEATURING JACK BLACK, NEIL PATRICK HARRIS, JOHN C. REILLY, ALLISON JANNEY, KATHY NAJIMY, CRAIG ROBINSON, ANDY RICHTER, MAYA RUDOLPH, RASHIDA JONES, LAKE BELL, SARAH CHALKE, MARGARET CHO, JENIFER LEWIS, NICOLE PARKER

Los Angeles — December 3, 2008 — FunnyorDie.com, the funniest place on the web, presents an exclusive new video, “Prop 8 - The Musical.” The video was shot last Monday in Santa Monica, CA, and was conceived and written by five time Oscar nominee Marc Shaiman (“Hairspray,” “South Park-Bigger, Longer & Uncut“) and directed by Adam Shankman (“Bedtime Stories,” “Hairspray”).
“I am grateful for the invitation from Funny or Die to use their website to express myself the way God likes it best: through music, lyrics and humor,” says Marc Shaiman. “Who could have imagined that such a dark moment in California’s history could result in the fantastically fun week making this video. The day of filming was, I think, one of the purest, fun days we have all spent, and if not for the sharp thinking and hysterical leadership of Adam Shankman, it would all still just be in my head — I only wish I’d written it 2 months ago. Damn,” he added.

“After being so angry and confused about this horrible and unconstitutional public shaming, it was amazing to go out there and do what we do best in protest: sing and dance,” says Adam Shankman. “It was the fanciest piece of community theater I’ve ever seen. The whole thing came together in one day. It was beautiful. No lunch breaks or egos. I’m grateful to everyone who participated,” he added.The running time of “Prop 8 - The Musical” is 3 minutes. (A full credit list is below).

At the end of the video, Prop 8 the Musical encourages viewers to visit JoinTheImpact.com, the site responsible for the November 15th National Day of Protest to repeal Proposition 8. JoinTheImpact.com is now working to become a clearinghouse of sorts for grassroots events related to the Gay Rights Movement. When asked about their take on the Prop 8 Musical, JTI co-founder Amy Balliett said “I can’t stop laughing and want to show everyone this great video! I am honored that the creators added the call to action on their video to visit JoinTheImpact.com. This movement is about uniting as one and it has amazd me to see just how united, creative, and inspirational our community and allies can be!”

Funny or Die (www.funnyordie.com) is an award-winning website that has become one of the top destinations for comedy on the web. Over the past three months, the site has averaged over 6 million unique visitors per month, and over 100 million video streams per month. With hundreds of exclusive celebrity videos and a steady stream of huge viral hits, Funny or Die has become the “place to be seen” for comedic celebrities, and the obvious destination for a daily comedy fix. Funny or Die’s founders are Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy. Judd Apatow is one of the site’s principal partners.
###
Press Contact:FunnyorDie.comCarolyn ProuskyCPPRCarolyn@prouskypr.com(323) 656-8047

________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Amy Balliett & Willow Witte
1-866-573-6776
amy@jointheimpact.com
willow@jointheimpact.com

Exactly one week since Amy Balliett and Willow Witte announced a national call to action for the LGBTQ community to protest Proposition 8 and to fight for equal rights across the nation, the community has come together at global numbers exceeding 1 million (According to early estimates from National Social Pages, and the JoinTheImpact.wetpaint.com social network). “We will come out tomorrow in numbers this world has not yet seen,” Says Amy Balliett, co-founder of JoinTheImpact.com. “Rain or shine, our community will take to the streets to get the word out that equality is a human right and one that we will not stop working toward until it’s afforded to all citizens,” Says Willow Witte, JoinTheImpact’s other founder and organizer.

300 Cities around the country will participate in a simultaneous protest against Proposition 8 and for equality. Founders of JoinTheImpact stress that this must be a peaceful protest and say that it’s main goal is to bring the conversation of equality to a national stage. The movement launched on November 7th, 2008 and by Monday November 10th it went international. Now all 50 US states and 10 Countries world-wide have joined the IMPACT. Each protest will begin at the exact same time and will include prominent speakers such as local activists, government officials, celebrities, and religious leaders. These speakers will carry the message of equality as well as one that encourages the entire community to unite for this cause.

JoinTheImpact founders hope that this world-wide event will drive the community into a very necessary Civil Rights Movement and have already joined forces with many other prominent organizations to keep the conversation of equality at the forefront of our nation’s mind. The future of JoinTheImpact includes continued national demonstrations on the 10th of every month for their 10 months 10 lives changed initiative. This includes working joining forces for December 10th’s Day Without a Gay, a January 10th international protest against DOMA, and a continued forum for open and respectful debate. Please join the IMPACT locally and nationally, to find out how 10 conversations can make the impact that leads this nation into equality!