Thursday, November 27, 2008

FKON protesting Prop 8

Durham's Future Kings of Nowhere has found a unique way to protest California's Proposition 8, and are hoping other folks join them in the national protest:


***If you're getting this it's because you are in a band or know someone who is. Please pass it along to anyone else you know who fits this description.***

Hey folks!

I'm not sure if you know this already, but on Dec. 10th, there is going to be a national strike/boycott/volunteer movement to protest the incredible injustice of Prop 8 and similar rulings that ban same-sex marriage across the country. As a musician, what I have decided to do (in addition to skipping out on my job for the day), is to record a short blurb that says something like this:

"Hi, this is Shayne from The Future Kings of Nowhere. You WOULD be hearing one of our songs right now, but we are joining with our brothers and sisters across the country in a nationwide strike to protest the injustice of Proposition 8 and similar rulings across the country that ban same-sex marriage....etc, etc." (for the full text of what I plan to say, see the bottom of this email)

My intent is to deliver this recording to the local radio stations and have them play it in lieu of any Future Kings songs they might otherwise have played on Dec. 10th. DJ Stevo has already agreed to help out with this at WKNC and I'm talking to folks at WXDU and WXYC about it now. I'm telling you all of this because I would really like for this to be more than one band going on strike for the day, and you are either in a band or know someone who is (or both!). Would your band be willing to go on strike for the day with us? I'll collect these blurbs (in mp3 format) from as many bands as I can and bring them to the radio stations to help spread the message about what is happening in the name of equal rights.

You can send the mp3s to me at futurekingsofnowhere@gmail.com. Or, if it makes it easier for you, I'll come to where you are and record you directly onto my laptop. It would only take a few minutes, and I don't mind traveling around to collect them. To set this up, either drop me an email at futurekingsofnowhere@gmail.com or call me at (919) 923-6230.

If you could, please please please forward this email to everyone you know who is involved in the music industry. Imagine what a powerful statement we could make if all of the local bands in the Triangle went on strike together for a day!

Thank you!

Shayne O'Neill
The Future Kings of Nowhere
futurekingsofnowhere@gmail.com


If you want some ideas for your blurb, the full text of what we plan to say will be something like this (I may edit it a bit from here, but this is the general idea):

"Hi, this is Shayne from The Future Kings of Nowhere. You WOULD be hearing one of our songs right now, but we are joining with our brothers and sisters across the country in a nationwide strike to protest the injustice of Proposition 8 and similar rulings across the country that ban same-sex marriage. Our country was founded on the idea of equal rights for all of its citizens, but it has not always lived up to that ideal. Only 40 years ago, it was illegal for black people and white people to marry one another. Fortunately, good people came together on both sides of the color line and fought for equal rights. Today a similar fight is going on over same-sex marriage. Our society holds marriage up as the end goal for relationships, as the ultimate expression of love between two individuals, which makes it horrible that we then refuse to allow certain people to participate in that expression, simply because of their gender. It's hard enough to find love in this world, and even harder to make it last. Why then, would we deny anyone the chance to try? For more information on what you can do to ensure that everyone in this country is provided the same legal rights, please go to www.hrc.org or call your local representative to let them know that you support same-sex marriage in North Carolina and the United States. Thank you."

No comments: