Date: Wed, 29 Nov 1995 00:38:05 -0800 (PST) From: Richard Isaac Subject: BIGOT BUSTERS (WA): Recent Developments (fwd) Date: Wed, 29 Nov 1995 00:31:21 -0800 (PST) Subject: BIGOT BUSTERS (WA): Recent Developments RELEASED TO LOCAL AND NATIONAL PRESS 11/28/95 Press Release November 28, 1995 FROM: Bigot Busters/Decline to Sign Committee 1202 E. Pike St. #1110 Seattle, WA 98112 CONTACT: Jean Clough H): ***-**** Patrick Hogan H): ***-**** W): ***-**** Hot Line: 767-2457 FOR RELEASE: Immediately RE: 1. Training of new volunteers stressing non-confrontational, polite interaction 2. Recent incidents The Decline to Sign Committee (also known as BIGOT BUSTERS) recently completed its fourth training this year for new volunteers. The three- hour event was held on Sunday, November 19th in Capitol Hill, in Seattle. The group now has approximately two hundred trained members who can be dispatched to public areas in and around King County in order to "counter-petition" against anti-gay Initiatives 166 and 167. The group is alerted to signature gathering activity through a widely publicized hotline staffed by trained volunteers. Trainees were instructed in how to employ voter education "at the point of sale," (i.e. wherever signatures are being collected), which boils down to the use of pamphlets and succinct statements to encourage people not to sign the initiatives. With the help of the 45-page "Decline to Sign" manual and a video with examples of "good and bad" interactions (both produced by Bigot Busters), new volunteers learned the do's and don't's of counter-petitioning. According to a training hand-out the do's include: polite, courteous interaction; keeping a discrete distance from petitioners; and, if possible, intercepting any "angry allies" who may be bothering the petitioners--and by deescalating tensions, preventing things from getting out of hand. Among the don't's are: obstructing or interfering with access to the table or person holding the clipboard; arguing; or any other behavior that could be construed as abusive or intimidating. Says trainee Terese Vanaria, a home health aide for people with AIDS, "I had read in the papers that Bigot Busters had been accused of harassing the [initiative] 166 people, but the theme of the training which was stressed over and over again was being polite, staying several feet away from petitioners and not interfering with anyone who doesn't want to be interfered with." During the training, participants became familiar with some polite yet firm responses to standard questions, statements and even insults that Bigot Busters were routinely faced with in last year's successful fight against anti-gay initiatives I-608 and 610. They also got a chance to practice as trainers posed as petitioners and potential signers. "We teach people to recognize who they are dealing with," says Patrick Hogan, the group's director. "We use a 1 to 5 continuum as a useful way to categorize people in relation to their attitude on gay and lesbian issues. Ones and fives are activists on either side and threes are the people in the middle who haven't made up their minds yet or don't have an opinion. We try to reach the threes." Volunteers are instructed not to interact with the petition carriers at all. Says Hogan, "they're just as convinced of their mission as we are of ours." Hogan stated that none of the recently reported confrontations between signature gatherers and initiative opponents actually involved Bigot Busters. "Whenever there have been heated situations, the anti-gay groups have pointed the finger at Bigot Busters, but the truth is that invariably the problem interactions have involved people other than trained Bigot Buster volunteers." Hogan urges any one who wants to counter-petition to maximize their effectiveness by getting trained. Interested people can call the Decline to Sign Hotline at 767-2457. Vicky Kleinman, a Bigot Buster veteran of 2 years and a trainer, encourages anyone who thinks he or she may have a hard time keeping calm not to counter-petition. "If you start arguing with people who disagree with you, you'll get stressed out, and people passing by may think you're a jerk and they'll sign anyway. It could definitely hurt the effort," says Kleinman. In the training, and in their manual, Bigot Busters/Decline to Sign Committee affirms the free speech rights of both sides, asserting that informing voters of the negative aspects of the initiatives is an integral part of the political process. Kleinman concluded that as long as counter-petitioners follow the do's and don'ts, "[I]t's actually fun and easy to do...basically we tell people that these initiatives promote discrimination and discrimination hurts everyone. Most people listen to that. They may not agree [with gay issues], but they don't want to oppress other people." Kleinman who is married and straight joined the group with her daughter Erika, a lesbian. ###