I borrowed my title from this tweet

ApproveRef71 Who likes chocolate? http://bit.ly/t3veM

The linked story is about a veteran-turned-Seattle chocolatier who has taken personal initiative to help promote the Approve Referendum 71 campaign in the way he knows best: making and selling mouth-watering chocolates.  The whole article is well worth the read.  I’ll tell you why this brought tears of joy to my eyes after you read this snippet

Equality Chocolates officially debuted today at Suess Chocolates & Pastries, 2909 E Madison Street, Seattle, WA. A portion of the proceeds go to support the Approve Referendum 71 campaign to keep the domestic partnership law….

Immediately following World War II [Chocolatier Dennis] Haupt’s grandmother opened a chocolate shop to support herself and her family because their other means of support had either been seized by the Russians or destroyed by bombing raids.  His Grandmother’s chocolate shop quickly became a central point for political and community organizing during reconstruction.  People would argue about their various points of view, but when his grandmother rolled out her chocolates, “you could hear a pin drop,” Haupt said, “Chocolate is peace.  Everyone loves chocolate.”…

While I sat in the store enjoying a sampling of the three scrumptious types of heart shaped Equality chocolates, white, dark, and milk chocolate, several customers came in for their daily treat.  Haupt asked each customer, “Would you like to support our cause by buying chocolate? If you buy these equality chocolates 60% of the sales goes to support the [Approve] Referendum 71 campaign.” There was not a single customer that declined. His question also prompted political discussion, “I plan to vote Approve,” one man  said.   When Haupt returned to our table I asked, “Is this what it was like at your grandmother’s shop?”  He responded with a big smile.

By the way, Haupt earned his US citizenship by serving with the US military in Afghanistan for 6 years.  The man has earned his creds.  But the reason this story moved me was Haupt’s phenomenal example of personal advocacy.  We all know that Referendum 71 is as much a referendum on the inertia of domestic partnership supporters as it is on domestic partnership itself.  Haupt is a great example of busting through personal inertia and taking the initiative.

Of course we don’t all have chocolate shops to help us get the word out, but our imaginations are the only limit to the ways we can support the campaign.  Here are a few recent ways people have taken personal initiative to support the APPROVE Referendum 71 campaign.

  • A Seattle resident (who wishes to remain anonymous) has told me that she’s turned her daily 1-hour walk into a mini canvass.  She prints out 100 copies of whatever handout suits her fancy that day, then offers them to other walkers with a cheery “Do you know about Referendum 71?”
  • I stuck a “Six simple things you can do” flier to my car window and actually did several of those 6 things.
  • Columbia City Bakery got the equality comistables ball rolling with their Equality Cookies.
  • A Referendum 71 campaign volunteer made this excellent, concise video.
  • People are writing letters to the editor of their local newspapers, telling neighbors why they will APPROVE Referendum 71.
  • Of course many people are working with the campaign directly in the traditional manner, phone banking, doing outreach and donating much-needed cash.  These are highly effective ways to help the campaign.

    Tell us your story of taking personal initiative to support Washington’s APPROVE Referendum 71 campaign, whether phone banking, getting your straight friends involved in the campaign, or something completely new and innovative.  If you’re not in Washington, tell us what you’re doing to advance equality in your neck of the woods.