Announcements
August 8th, 2013: After 2.5 years with Courage Campaign, I’ve accepted a position as Campaign Director with UltraViolet! UltraViolet is dedicated to fighting sexism and expanding women’s rights everywhere. UltraViolet is just over one year old, with already over 450,000 members and a rapidly expanding list of successes. I’m excited to join as the first staff member on the West Coast. Sign up for e-mail updates here, Like UltraViolet on Facebook here, and follow @UltraViolet on Twitter here.
August 7th, 2013: I registered for the 2014 AIDS LifeCycle a week and a half ago. It’s a 545-mile, 7-day bike ride from SF to LA to raise money and awareness to end HIV/AIDS. Today I hit the halfway mark of my $3,000 fundraising goal. I am so grateful to family, friends and colleagues. Off to get the other $1,500.
August 6th, 2013: With today’s news that Jeff Bezos is buying The Washington Post, recent news that the Boston Globe is being sold to Red Sox owner John Henry, and last month’s announcement that the Tribune Company is splitting off its newspaper divisions, combined with word from sources on the inside, it looks less and less likely there will be a sale to the Koch brothers. This was a long campaign, and I remain watchful, but it looks like we may have reached the finish line.
July 31st, 2013: Off to Seattle to help train the rest of the Progress Now state online organizers in the wonderful ways of ActionKit.
June 26th, 2013: This morning, the Supreme Court ended Prop 8 (ruling that the proponents of the measure don’t have standing to represent the state of California when the duly elected officials decline to do so, thus dismissing the case) and struck down the Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional. I am beyond elated. When you devote years to a cause and not only live to see the finish line, but to see a victory at the end of it, there is no feeling like it. Congratulations to loving, committed same-sex couples who have been waiting so long to see their equal rights, respect, and dignity.
June 20th, 2013: Off to San Jose for Netroots Nation. We’re throwing a big opening party at the Tech Museum. Hope to see everyone there. You’ll be treated to my setlist.
June 6th, 2013: I moved to San Francisco! I live in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, overlooking the gorgeous Panhandle park, with a runner’s paradise 4-mile stoplight-less run through Golden Gate Park to the Pacific Ocean. I’ll be joining the rest of my Courage Campaign colleagues in the Golden State.
May 8th, 2013: The New York Times and The Huffington Post cover our ad campaign to save the Los Angeles Times and seven other papers from sale to the Koch brothers. Targeting is Los Angeles DMA, running on LATimes.com and NYTimes.com, totaling over 200,000 impressions.
April 21st, 2013: The Sunday New York Times features our work, on the front page in print edition, to save the Los Angeles Times and seven other papers from sale to the right-wing Koch brothers. The same day, the Wall Street Journal covers the campaign.
April 2nd, 2013: Several updates at once. On March 14th, I headed up the launch of a major campaign to prevent the sale of the Los Angeles Times and the rest of the Tribune Company (including the Chicago Tribune, six other papers, and a variety of other media) to the right-wing Koch brothers. On March 31st, we designed and submitted a print ad to the Times, funded by our members and DailyKos readers. Check out the CBS Los Angeles coverage of it. Their ad department refused to run it, “citing” lack of sources and contact information. Went back and added six different citations from — get this — the Times’ own reporting regarding the Koch brothers’ right-wing intentions. On April 1st, we delivered over 110,000 signatures to the Times headquarters in downtown LA. The Times relented and the ad ran in today’s paper. Goes to show what happens when you fight back.
November 7th, 2013: From a work standpoint, big election with big success. We pitched in up to the north in Washington, won Referendum 74 and brought marriage equality to Washington with nearly 54% of the vote. We won Prop 30 to raise taxes on wealthier Californians and re-fund progressive priorities with 54% of the vote. We beat the horribly anti-worker Prop 32 going away. And we elected a 2/3rds supermajority in both houses of the California Legislature for the first time in 100 years. Oh yeah, and the President was re-elected! A good week. Time for vacation in Vancouver with friends!
November 1st, 2012: Off to Seattle with a dozen Courage Campaign volunteers to get out the vote to approve Referendum 74 and bring marriage equality to the great state of Washington!
October 28th, 2012: I finished my second marathon, the 2012 Marine Corps Marathon and set a new personal record! Here’s a photo of me looked elated.
September 20th, 2012: The 2nd annual Spirit of Courage Awards in Los Angeles went great, proud to be a part of this year’s team. We honored my friends at the You Can Play Project and Attorney General Kamala Harris — outstanding, deserving folks. We raised hundreds of thousands to fund our work. And I had a blast hanging with cute hockey players next to the Batmobile at the Petersen Automotive Museum of LA.
June 7th, 2012: Off to Netroots Nation in Providence. Worked on several panels and the California Caucus run by our team at Courage.
May 9th, 2012: Yesterday, we fought hard but lost Amendment One in North Carolina. Today, President Obama came out in favor of same-sex marriage. Amazing whirlwind.
May 4th, 2012: Off to North Carolina to get out the vote with friends, our Courage vols, and the Campaign to Protect All NC Families.
April 16th, 2012: Updated the Selected Writing section with some work from over the past year.
April 7th, 2012: I went on Mike Signorile’s show on Sirius/XM OutQ 109 to discuss ballot initiatives relating to same-sex marriage in North Carolina, Maryland and other states, why the conventional wisdom about chances for victory in both states is wrong, and why decisions by leaders in the LGBT movement to not fully invest in winning in North Carolina and Maryland are mistaken. The audio can be found here.
April 3rd, 2012: With Prop8TrialTracker.com’s Jacob Combs, I co-wrote and published a preview piece in The Huffington Post regarding the DOMA hearings in the First Circuit Court of Appeals.
April 2nd, 2012: The Advocate magazine published an op-ed I wrote regarding chances for defeating North Carolina’s anti-gay Amendment One, and why the conventional wisdom about those chances are wrong.
March 18th, 2012: I ran the 2013 Los Angeles Marathon, finishing in 5 hours and 4 minutes! The time was a bit higher than I would have liked, owing to IT band and knee issues forcing me to stop and stretch more frequently than I usually do — but finishing it is what counts. Here’s a photo of me at the finish line. Thanks to the 70 people who contributed $2,485 to sponsor me, helping fund Courage Campaign Institute’s work for full LGBT equality. Team Courage Campaign’s 46 members who ran either 13.2 miles or the full 26.6 miles raised over $40,000 overall, in just our first year fielding a team — amazing!
Earlier in the week, I registered to run the October 2012 Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC with my cousin.
February 7th, 2012: I published a piece in The Huffington Post on the decision by a 3-judge panel from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to rule Prop 8 as unconstitutional. It spent about 36 hours as the top Google News result for the search terms “Prop 8” and “Prop 8 trial.”
December 6th, 2011: I’ll be speaking at the Netroots New York conference on December 17-18th. The topic will be “After Marriage: What next for the LGBT Rights Movement?” Full schedule along with a link to registration can be found here.
October 19th, 2011: Looking forward to moderating the “Building a Blogger Network” panel at Campaigns and Elections Magazine’s Campaign Tech conference on November 12th in DC. For more details, here’s the conference site and here’s the panel on blogging. The hashtag for the conference is #CampaignTech.
June 8th, 2011: Two updates. One is that surgery went off without a hitch, and my shoulder is getting better week by week. In a few weeks I start physical therapy. The second is that I’ll be at Netroots Nation in Minneapolis next weekend. See you all there!
May 13th, 2011: A personal update since folks have kindly been asking — I sustained a grade 5 AC joint separation (translation, tore a few ligaments which led to my collarbone not being where it should) playing ultimate frisbee. Unfortunately it requires surgery. Today I go under the knife to repair it, and will be 3-4 weeks in a sling then a few months of physical therapy. All I can say it, don’t lay out too often for a disc during practice!
January 13th, 2011: Yesterday was my last day with Progressive Strategies/OpenLeft.com. I will be starting Monday as the Director of Online Programs for the Courage Campaign, an online organizing network that empowers more than 700,000 grassroots and netroots activists to push for progressive change and full equality in California and across the country. In this role, I will be managing online actions for Courage with a special focus on LGBT equality organizing. I will be working from DC.
If you want to reach me to discuss organizing collaboration or any of Courage’s actions, the best way to do so is to e-mail me at adam DOT bink AT couragecampaign DOT org.
December 2nd, 2010: I’ll be back managing Courage Campaign Institute’s Prop8TrialTracker.com, covering the Prop 8 Trial arguments in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the movement around repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” from now until December 25th.
October 22nd, 2010: This morning the Washington Blade published an op-ed I wrote regarding how GOProud, a new organization that claims to “represent gay conservatives and their allies”, is contributing to an unsafe environment of anti-LGBT bullying through their actions. It’s titled “It Gets Better. Except with GOProud. Then It Gets Worse.” You can read the op-ed at the Washington Blade’s website by clicking here.
October 22nd, 2010: As of this post, the chat and video described below have raised $5,485 from over 100 contributors. A remarkable show of support for a pro-equality ally and for LGBT leaders coming together in unity. If you haven’t contributed, please consider doing so. Log Cabin Republicans have endorsed Rep. Murphy’s opponent and it’s a critical fight to keep our fiercest DADT repeal advocate in the House.
October 21st, 2010: Today we launched an important video highlighting how despite the divisions seen in the headlines, LGBT leaders can unite around a common purpose. 8 LGBT leaders from online to offline and insider to outsider roles came together to film a message of support for Rep. Patrick Murphy, who is in a tough re-election fight in Pennsylvania. Rep. Murphy kept his promise to lead the fight to pass repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell out of the House of Representatives. He got our back, and so now we’re getting his by putting aside differences and coming together to support an important equality supporter.
The video was launched in conjunction with a live chat with Rep. Murphy today, hosted simultaneously across 5 LGBT-oriented blogs (OpenLeft, AMERICABlog, Pam’s House Blend, The Bilerico Project, and Good As You). As of this update, the video/chat effort has raised over $3,000 from 57 supporters for Murphy’s campaign since 1:30 PM EST. The effort has been covered by outlets ranging from The Advocate and Politico to the EDGE Network and a multitude of LGBT blogs.
Conception and execution of the video, chat, and ActBlue page came from myself, AMERICABlog’s Joe Sudbay and Courage Campaign’s Rick Jacobs. Video production by ManattMedia.com.
October 16th, 2010: I sat down for another podcast interview with Same Sex Sunday, again with Courage Campaign’s Rick Jacobs and Arisha Michelle Hatch, to discuss NOM’s second bus tour and the disaster it ended up becoming. The bus tour was through California to urge Latinos to support Carly Fiorina for Senate. You can listen to the audio here.
October 8th, 2010: Today I finished my tenure managing Courage Campaign Institute’s NOMTourTracker.com, a project of the popular Prop 8 Trial Tracker blog, which I took over to cover the NOM’s California tour in support of Carly Fiorina for Senate. I posted some reflection thoughts on the tour here. In addition, all coverage of the California tour, including all of my posts on the tour and photos/video, can be found here.
October 6th, 2010: I will be guesting on the front page at Crooks and Liars through the November election, focusing on Blue America-endorsed candidates and other strong progressives. You can view all my C&L posts at this link.
September 27th, 2010: I will again be taking over site management of Courage Campaign Institute’s NOMTourTracker.com, a project of the popular Prop 8 Trial Tracker blog, to provide coverage of and respond to the “Vota Tus Valores” bus tour in California run by National Organization for Marriage, Susan B. Anthony List and other conservative organizations to urge Latinos to support Carly Fiorina for Senate. The bus tour will run through October 6th. Check out NOMTourTracker.com for my blogging and the tour coverage.
September 19th, 2010: I sat down for a podcast interview with Same Sex Sunday, a new podcast focusing on important news events and opinion in the LGBT community. We talked about the NOM “Summer for Marriage” tour, the NOMTourTracker.com blog, Courage Campaign’s “Testimony: Equality on Trial” project, and where our movement is going in combating NOM. Joining me was Rick Jacobs and Arisha Michelle Hatch from the Courage Campaign. You can listen to the podcast with streaming audio here.
September 13th, 2010: Tomorrow afternoon I’ll be giving a training session on working with bloggers and new media at New Organizing Institute’s LGBT Bootcamp in Alexandria. The Twitter hashtag to follow along with commentary is #LGBTBootcamp.
August 23rd, 2010: Today is my last day with NOMTourTracker and Prop 8 Trial Tracker. As part of of my last day with the blog, I facilitated a P8TT community open question-and-answer session on the Prop 8 legal proceedings with Shannon Minter from National Center for Lesbian Rights. I also wrote a reflection piece on my time there, which can be found here. Going forward, I’ll continue to blog at OpenLeft.
July 25th, 2010: I will be taking over site management of Courage Campaign Institute’s NOMTourTracker.com, a project of the popular Prop 8 Trial Tracker blog, to provide coverage of and respond to the anti-equality “Summer for Marriage†bus tour run by National Organization for Marriage, for the next several weeks.
