BLADAM - Entry - Proposition 8 isn’t just about civil rights, it’s about love and commitment

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Proposition 8 isn’t just about civil rights, it’s about love and commitment

Hi there,

I don’t tend to post much about politics in this blog, especially nowadays. But I have something I want to talk to you about that’s more than “just politics.” It’s about my friends. It’s about—with semi-apologies to Princess Bride—True Love.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Proposition 8, I’ll quickly fill you in: It’s a ballot initiative in California that aims to modify the state constitution to eliminate the right of people to marry the one they love if they’re gay or lesbian.

And let me tell you, it has warmed my heart to see gay and lesbian people I know tie the knot… people who are committed, monogamous, dedicated to their communities. People who care about schools, who care about our country and the world.

They just want to live out their lives in peace with their loved one. Pay taxes jointly. Have full visitation rights if one of them ends up in a hospital. And, for those whose partner is from outside the U.S., they want to stay in the house they’ve bought together in this very state.

They’re not out to “convert” anyone for goodness sake, despite what some people are trying to scare you into believing. In fact, I doubt they wish on anyone the challenges and hatred and sometimes even violence they suffered growing up. I haven’t met a single gay or lesbian person who sees this as “making a statement” or “forcing change” or anything like that. They just want to be able to love the one they’re with, and have their commitment be recognized fully by both the state and our country.

Perhaps you’re reading this and thinking to yourself, well sure, Adam. I agree with you. You’re preaching to the choir! We used to not let blacks marry whites. We used to not let people originally from Ireland (and elsewhere) hold jobs amongst us. Our country has been through so many dark times… the burning of “witches” and the baseless ruining of lives of suspected communists and so on.

Of course, we’re better now, right? More and more people, especially young people, know people who are “different” than themselves… work with them, laugh with them, love them.

But I fear that the Yes on Prop 8 people have created uncertainty where there should be clarity and resoluteness. So let me set the record straight (no pun intended):

This proposition will not change what kids are taught in school.
It won’t cost you any money. If anything, it’ll keep more jobs here and maintain / build more revenues via taxes.
Churches won’t lose their tax-exempt status. The court decision regarding marriage specifically says “no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs.”

*** Learn more about Proposition 8 ***

If you’re straight, voting NO on Prop 8 won’t change your marriage (or for you fellow single folks, your lack of marriage). Churches can still marry whomever they want. Parents can still take their kids out of school classes that go against their beliefs.

The only real thing voting NO on Prop 8 will do:
Let two consenting adults marry each other.

* * *

Please, let love prevail. Those of you who are eligible (and haven’t already voted), PLEASE VOTE, and vote No on Prop 8.

Thank you .

- Blathered by Adam on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 1:28 [ Permalink | Trackback ]
- Filed under Society • People and relationships • Politics
- Commented on by 22 folks so far. Scroll down and see for yourself (and join in the conversation!)

Comment from Jon NC [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	Its nice to see this post. Alot of people have been coming out against it. There is also a proposition(i want to say it is 3 or 4) in Florida that is basically the same that unfortunately is not getting any where as much attention. I am not going to link to it, but it is really sad to see some of the ads that the Yes on prop 8. - Posted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 10:17 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from Irish Jewelry Atlanta [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	I’m Irish, and I recall the images of emplyment signs of long ago that had a footer “No Irish or Blacks need apply”. We have come a long way indeed. This is another hurdle that needs to be overcome. If everyone could just live and let live, I can guarantee an improvement to our world. - Posted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 14:37 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from member ryan [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	I would suggest people to vote No on Prop 8. Marriage does not distinguish between race or ethnicity, why should it distinguish between sex. - Posted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 15:12 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from Matt Hendrickson Madsion, SD [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	I personally don’t care one way or the other, but I am reminded of what “Kinky” Friedman said when asked about supporting gay marriage… “Why shouldn’t they have the chance to be as miserable as the rest of us?” - Posted on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 14:52 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from member Adam San Francisco [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	Jon, Irish, Ryan, thanks for the support! And Matt, that is a funny quote. I am voting Kinky in 2016! :D - Posted on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 14:56 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from member Malk'Zameth [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	that is one issue that never fail to depress me really, every time I end up finding someone (every time a different someone) that believes that there is no inequality! That firmly believes that everyone is having equal rights by prohibiting same-sex marriages. Their thinking goes like this: `marriage is the right to elope someone of the opposite sex, gay and straight man alike have the right to marry someone of the opposite sex, hence they have the same right!’ Then I try to explain them the whole `Love vs Virginia’ thing, the `separate but equal’ mentality and how saying this is tantamount to saying `whites and blacks have the same right, they can both marry people of the same color, hence no discrimination!’ They always try to explain to me that these are `different issues’ staunchly defending interracial marriages while attacking homosexual one. And I live in Paris, France! These people are not some backwater rednecks, they are normally incredibly smart people and are my friends. :/ so… how did prop 8 turned out? - Posted on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 12:53 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from Jon NC [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	Well, all the propositions in Arizona, Florida, and Arizona have been passed. I vaigly remember hearing about some loop hole in the California one but not sure. I read this at school and almost left because I was about to cry. I am getting really pissed off at people who are against this and trying to take basic human rights away from me and the rest of the lgb community. BTW, if it wasn’t clear I am gay. - Posted on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 13:38 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from Dana Carlyle TN [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	Very bummed that California voted against the GLB community and citizens. I don’t understand the prejudice, I just don’t. I hope we find a way to overturn or legally challenge this. - Posted on Friday, November 7, 2008 at 2:03 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from member mikefast USA [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	It was voted down in california. - Posted on Friday, November 7, 2008 at 15:48 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from member jon heckman North Carlina [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	Are you sure, everything iv read says it has been passed. I just searched gnews and it still says so. Even the organization against prop 8 says that. - Posted on Friday, November 7, 2008 at 15:57 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from member Adam San Francisco [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	Alas, Mike, Jon is right. It passed. - Posted on Friday, November 7, 2008 at 16:20 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from Bob Smith [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	Some people argue that being gay is not a choice and that people are born gay and it is who they are. Whether you believe this or not is irrelevant. Most people act on their sexual orientation. All this non-sense of comparing homosexuals to minorities is an insult to minorities. You CANNOT change the color of your skin or your sex. You may not be able to choose the orientation of your sexual preference, but you can act upon it. If a heterosexual chooses to not pursue an individual of another gender they would be no different than a homosexual who chooses to not pursue a partner of the same sexual orientation. Marriage between a male and a female has a social benefit. Gay marriage does not. And don’t let yourself be fooled into thinking that homosexuality is a new thing. Homosexuality has been around for thousands of years. Accepting it into society is no more open minded and progressive than accepting and allowing Dennis Rodman to marry himself. I’m certain this will offend a lot of people, especially homosexuals. That’s OK with me because I become offended when I see homosexuals acting upon their choices. Call this a close minded posting. Label me what you will. No one is able to offer anything other than a ‘feel good’ reason for why gay marriage should exist. - Posted on Friday, November 7, 2008 at 22:02 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from member Adam San Francisco [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	Hi Bob, thanks for weighing in here. Marriage between a male and a female has a social benefit. Really? What about folks who don’t want children? Or people like Britney Spears whom the courts have deemed as unfit parents? When given a choice between unfit (or non-) parents vs. two loving gay parents, why is it in society’s interest to approve the former but not the latter? I’m not offended. Just rather baffled. I’ve still not seen any logical societal argument in favor of banning gay marriages. If anything, society would hugely benefit by having more stable households, more loving homes for children, and so on. - Posted on Friday, November 7, 2008 at 23:25 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from member rockya [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	Let’s do it differently: get government out of the marriage business altogether. Proponents of prop 8 and the like are “good enough”. Fine. Accept your good enough. The government marries no one. Any two people are eligible for civil unions. If you want to get “married”, it’s between you and your church. One of the most progressive benefits I saw offered was at AOL. In addition to same sex domestic partner benefits, they offered opposite sex domestic partner benefits. You didn’t have to be married… just make the same level of commitment. - Posted on Saturday, November 8, 2008 at 17:03 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from member jon heckman North Carlina [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	Yeh because we have seen what the church controlling stuff does. And for years it hasn’t been between a church, you can go online and be able to marry someone. - Posted on Saturday, November 8, 2008 at 17:16 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from member rockya [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	exactly, that proves the farce of the system. - Posted on Saturday, November 8, 2008 at 17:31 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from member jon heckman North Carlina [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	Uh… i think we look at that 2 different ways. I don’t think the church would control marriage (hell, id like 2 see the church go away but w/e) - Posted on Saturday, November 8, 2008 at 18:12 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from member rockya [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	"the church” is a farce, given that there is no monolithic church. people already go “church shopping” to find churches that support their views on divorce, birth control, letting them marry someone outside their faith, etc. if government were out of the business of sanctioning marriage, and you thought marriage was important, you could find a church to marry you. - Posted on Saturday, November 8, 2008 at 18:19 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from member jon heckman North Carlina [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	There is more to it than just the word “married” there are the benefits, legal protection (visiting in a hostpital), ect. And as we have learned from the past… SEPARATE IS NEVER EQUAL so unions would not work. In fact in with the latest election, you can’t adopt unless your “married”, whether ur 2 guys, 2 girls, a guy and a girl, w/e. - Posted on Saturday, November 8, 2008 at 18:23 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from member rockya [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	That’s what I mean about getting government out of the business of “marrying” people. Government offers one thing to all: civil unions. That’s it. Whether you’re straight or gay, you get the same package of benefits. Including taxes, visitation, adoption, immigration. A federally or state-sanctioned notion of marriage ceases to exist. Heck, the U.S. Constitution doesn’t even contain the word “marriage”. - Posted on Saturday, November 8, 2008 at 18:30 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from k00kykelly San Diego, CA [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	For anyone interested, check out Join the Impact - Protest Prop 8 on November 15th! http://jointheimpact.com/ - Posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 15:15 [ Permalink to this comment ]
Comment from Mark [ BLADAM Profile \| URL ]	I’m straight, but a lot of my neighbors are not. I’m sure paranoia was the main reason the this failed. Live and let live, I say! - Posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 20:01 [ Permalink to this comment ]

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