by Geoff Kors

Next week, people across the nation will celebrate love—Valentine’s Day—and the commitments we make to the ones we cherish. We also celebrate the fourth anniversary of the Winter of Love, when 4,000 same-sex couples got married at San Francisco City Hall. As we know all too well, those marriages were nullified, and millions of loving and committed same-sex couples are still denied the universal recognition of the love, commitment and responsibilities that come with marriage.

Will 2008 be the year of change? This year, the California Supreme Court is expected to decide on the legal right for same-sex couples to marry. We are at a critical moment, with a window of time between now and when the Court rules to make our voices heard.

As a defendant in the case, the governor’s role is particularly important. He has said that the Court is the appropriate place to decide on whether gay and lesbian couples can marry, and that he will respect the Court’s decision. At this critical moment, we need him to tell the Court that current law is unconstitutional and that all Californians should have the freedom to marry.

We need to be visible at this critical juncture. It is urgent that we let our voices be heard. We must, right now, generate conversations and get every Californian—from Supreme Court justices and our elected leaders to your colleagues at the water cooler—thinking about what the freedom to marry means for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Already more than 9,000 Californians have signed the open letter to the governor, posted on LetCaliforniaRing.org, urging him to ask the Court to declare the current law unconstitutional and allow all loving and committed couples to marry. Yes, the governor has filed his brief with the Court defending the status quo, but that is all the more reason to let him know that Californians will stand with him in ending marriage discrimination.

Your voice is critical. In addition to asking the governor to support the freedom to marry, we need you to create some noise! Take the next week to tell everyone you know that all people should be able to marry the person they love, and that you support the freedom to marry. Say it to your father, sister, cousin or aunt next time you’re on the phone. Say it to your colleagues in the break room or at the water cooler. Say it to your next door neighbor. It’s easy. Just say it.

Valentine’s Day is our day of visibility. It’s critical that we make ourselves seen and heard. Attend any one of the many events going on near you during Freedom to Marry week. Wear a Let California Ring T-shirt at these events, or hang up a sign in your window or office to prompt a conversation about what the freedom to marry means to you.

Don’t stop at Valentine’s Day! Keep prompting conversations and be visible all throughout this critical time. Thank you for everything that you do to support love and marriage. Every action you take makes a difference and fills me with determination.

Geoff Kors is the executive director of Equality California Institute. Let California Ring is a project of Equality California Institute, working in a diverse coalition of over 45 national, state and local organizations. For more information, visit www.letcaliforniaring.org.

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