In the wake of the passage of Proposition 8 -- the California initiative that reversed the ability of gay men and lesbians to marry in that state -- some activists began calling for a protest that would carry economic heft.

Modeled after the "day without a Latino," in which Hispanic immigrants called in sick to protest immigration laws, the "day without a Gay," planned for today, was supposed to show how vital to the economy members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community were.

But one activist is trying to turn that anger into something useful by encouraging gay people who weren't going to work to, instead, give back to the community by making it a day of volunteer service.

Sean Hetherington, 30, of West Hollywood, Calif., is now a stand-up comedian, but he worked in a restaurant when Latinos staged a boycott in 2004. In that situation, he said, he saw many people who couldn't afford to lose even a day's wages lose that and, in some cases, their jobs.

"It didn't go well," he said. "The truth of the matter is [that] this is the worst economy I have ever seen. This is an insane time for gay people to be planning a boycott."

He thought the protest could have more impact if, instead of people just staying at home, they made it a chance to help someone. "Let's at least do it in a positive way," he said.

His idea has taken off. There are volunteer opportunities all across America, such as baking cookies for firefighters in California, wrapping Christmas presents for family and children's services in Minnesota, and stuffing envelopes for the American Civil Liberties Union in Philadelphia, all listed on Web site www.daywithoutagay.org. None were listed in the Pittsburgh area.

Members of the gay and lesbian community in Rome, Italy, are looking for people to stage a sit-in outside the U.S. Embassy.

For those who don't feel comfortable taking time off work, Mr. Hetherington suggested using their lunch hour to write a letter to their U.S. senators to support the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act.