Via The Courage Campaign:

Dear Daniel --

When I graduated from high school in East Tennessee more than three decades ago, I knew a few things for sure. One was that I cared deeply about social justice. Another was that I was a homosexual -- and desperately did not want to be.

More than 30 years later, I am live-blogging the closing arguments of the historic Prop 8 federal trial today from a courtroom in San Francisco -- a city that I had once been afraid to visit for fear that people might think I was gay.

I'm one of the lucky ones. Unfortunately, many people still grappling with the ghosts and demons of self-loathing will not be able to see the trial for themselves. That's why -- when the U.S. Supreme Court banned cameras from the courtroom in January -- the Courage Campaign immediately launched into live coverage, blogging and analyzing every day of the trial for weeks.

More than 2 million views and 32,000 comments posted later, our Prop 8 Trial Tracker blog is relaunching today as a part of "Testimony: Equality on Trial" -- our year-long campaign to bring the Prop 8 trial into the lives of Americans.

I'm live-blogging the Prop 8 trial today because I know from personal experience that the testimony in this trial can literally change lives -- and transform America. With cameras once again being banned from the courtroom, we urgently need your support to relaunch the Prop 8 Trial Tracker. Will you contribute $25, $50, $100 or more today to help us keep it going? DEADLINE: Friday, 11:59 p.m.:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/TrialTracker

We need to make the Prop 8 trial a part of America's heritage. The arguments being made by attorneys Ted Olson, David Boies and their colleagues at the American Foundation for Equal Rights are as foundational to our freedoms as the speeches of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

That's why we launched Testimony: Equality on Trial, to enable Americans to reenact the trial and, soon, give their own personal testimony. Based on what I have witnessed and the reactions to our Prop 8 Trial Tracker, we knew that we had to create a long-term public engagement and education effort to get the story of this trial out to the American people.

Wednesday's closing arguments will again demonstrate the case for equality -- and the real reasons behind the opposition to equality. But it is just the start of what will be a long journey to the U.S. Supreme Court, where this case and our rights will ultimately be decided.

That's why we need your support urgently. Will you help us relaunch the Prop 8 Trial Tracker as a part of "Testimony: Equality on Trial" today? Please contribute $25, $50, $100 or more right now so we can bring this trial to the American people. DEADLINE: Friday, 11:59 p.m.:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/TrialTracker

Thank you for helping us tell the story of this trial so that we can shine a light on the bigotry that brought us to this point in our nation's history. We really can't do it without you.

Rick Jacobs
Chair, Courage Campaign

Courage Campaign Equality is a part of the Courage Campaign's multi-issue online organizing network that empowers more than 700,000 grassroots and netroots supporters to push for progressive change and full equality in California and across the country. To get involved in Courage Campaign Equality, visit "Testimony: Equality on Trial" -- our year-long campaign to bring the Prop 8 trial into the lives of Americans.

To get the truth out about the Prop 8 trial, please chip in what you can today: