On Nov. 4, California voters passed Proposition 8, a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, which had been legalized months earlier by the state supreme court. More than a week later on Nov. 11 an Internet-based movement called “Join the Impact” organized protest rallies against the amendment in every state. But many local activists preferred to sleep in.Forgive the lack of interest, but it accomplishes nothing to march in Louisiana against a California law. These protests were lazily organized and badly conceived, and the gay and lesbian rights movement would be better off focusing on broader issues.This is not to say protests and marches don’t have their place.In 1978, another California ballot measure was proposed, the Briggs Initiative, which would have banned gays and lesbians from working in the state’s public schools.As dramatized in the recent movie Milk, activists working only with land line telephones were able to gather anti-Briggs crowds of thousands, and their efforts ultimately paid off in the defeat of the initiative.But this revealed the time for anti-Proposition 8 rallies was before the vote, when changing minds could have changed the election. After the fact, photo-ops and self-righteous Facebook status messages are so much sound and fury.”Join the Impact” did rally attention and organization all across the country. It would be much more productive to focus this nationwide attention on nationwide concerns.Overturning Proposition 8 would only affect the laws of one state, but there are several steps Congress and the President could take to protect gays and lesbians everywhere.Passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act would make it illegal to fire gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.The Matthew Shepard Act — which Congress passed in 2007 but was ultimately defeated by the threat of a presidential veto — would define crimes motivated by sexual orientation and gender identity as federal hate crimes and provide federal money and law enforcement resources to investigate and prosecute them.It is well past time to roll back the military’s ridiculous “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which prevents gays and lesbians from enlisting in the armed forces, and dishonorably discharges gay and lesbian servicemembers.And finally, if we really care about protecting marriage, the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act should be on the table. This would permit the federal government to extend benefits to same-sex couples nationwide and allow federal and state governments to recognize same-sex unions obtained in other jurisdictions.This list doesn’t come out of nowhere — all four proposals are explicitly endorsed on President-Elect Barack Obama’s transition Web page.So instead of writing petulant Facebook messages, write an angry letter to your congressman.Instead of assembling at the Louisiana capitol to protest some other state’s law, assemble in Washington and demand legal protections for citizens of every state.And instead of whining about California voters who were “supposed” to be socially liberal, hold the incoming president to his liberal promises.There is every chance the federal government in 2009 could ensure that all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people enjoy the same basic security in their employment and their persons that many heterosexual people take for granted.All Americans, single and partnered, would reap the benefits. California’s marriage ban may or may not stand, but the outrage it generated has the potential to revolutionize gay rights nationwide.That’s a movement worth getting out of bed for.– Contact Matthew Patterson at [email protected]