prop8: it’s not about being gay, or married.
this is one powerful piece of writing: An Open Letter to My Gay Friend; or Gay Marriage Is Not About Marriage.
the main point:
let’s establish something right at the outset. About the fundamental idea of marriage itself, straight or gay, I don’t give a shit. And as I said in a previous post, I’ve always been weary of same-sex marriage being the cause célèbre of the gay community. But the issue of marriage equality is something I have to support because gay marriage is not about marriage…
…Perhaps gay people are apathetic because we’re not hammering home the point that this is an important civil rights issue and, for the hundredth time, not about marriage. Look, it honestly doesn’t bother me that you don’t care about marriage rights, but, as a gay man who knows what it’s like to be teased, shunned, and discriminated against firsthand, it is your responsibility to care about civil rights.
There are people out there who want to change the law to designate an entire class of people as unequal to, as less than, every other class of people.
the poignant ending:
Small acts were what drove the civil rights movement: Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus in 1955; black students faced protesters when trying to attend a white school in 1957; people marched for voting rights in 1965. These small acts defied odds; these small acts helped to change the United States of America.
The rights, benefits, and acceptance that you are allowed and that you enjoy and that you take for granted as a gay man are the result of history—history created by regular people, just like you and me, who weren’t activists or politicians or crusaders. They were people who came out of the closet decades before us in a time when it was social suicide to do so; they were high school students who met opposition when they tried to start gay-straight alliances to foster tolerance at their schools; and they are the millions of people, gay and straight, who will vote no on Proposition 8 on November 4, 2008. The latter act is indeed a modest act, but one that will have far-reaching ramifications. One vote may be a footnote in our lives, but that footnote will explain how we stood up for what is fair, what is just, and what is humane. The story of lives tell our history; the footnotes give us depth.
why do i care so much about this, you might ask, as someone who a) isn’t into marriage and b) isn’t gay?
this is why. this isn’t about marriage, or about being gay. this is about equal rights. and i am into equal rights. for everyone.
again, please give even just $5 to the No on 8 campaign, even if you don’t live in California. letting this proposition pass is a cultural slide backwards that we can’t afford to take.
on a lighter note:
During his recent stopover at the Castro Theatre, John Waters quipped that if gays are denied the right to marry, then heterosexuals should be denied the right to divorce. –flavorpill
HA!
Filed in culture and random linkage, politics and news, things you can do | Tagged with prop8 |11 Responses to “prop8: it’s not about being gay, or married.”
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I just do not understand why people are so angrily opposed to same-sex marriage. How do two people who love each other getting married threaten anyone else’s marriage bond?
And you are right, this is about equal rights and if Prop 8 passes then we are legislating unequal rights based on sexual preference. That’s a slippery slope that could lead to unequal rights based on eye color, height, predisposition to heart disease, etc?.?
Hey, thanks for spreading the word! xoxo:)
I was pretty much “whatever” on this issue until today when someone posted about it on the norcal_etree list, saying just what you did; that it is a civil rights issue, not a gay or marriage issue. He also wrote
“After seeing that poll, I was shocked to learn that only 30,000 people have
contributed to the No on 8 effort so far (compare that to over 2.5 *million*
Obama donors).”
And now the polls are leaning toward yes because of all the money flowing in from right wing nutbags.
Daily Kos on this issue:
http://tinyurl.com/5ydume
Prop 8 ads:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyo.....668/630907
Above mentioned friend set up this site for donations but I am sure there are others too.
http://www.actblue.com/page/norcal_etree
Thanks, Greg.
update: No on Prop 8 just got a $1m matching fund for donations, so if you donate before midnight sunday 10/19, your donation is doubled….
great post and comments. I’m not from the States but we all need to do our bit to push for equal rights - we need to keep advancing with our societies. I think civil rights should be kept in the foreground of this debate, possibly my posts lean towards the unpicking about why people are against same-sex marriage, unravelling it as it were. But the meaning is the same, Vote NO, equality of all.
Here’s a danger we haven’t seen much talk about: Will Proposition 8 Legalize Polygamy?
so there have been a handful of pro-Prop8, anti-gay marriage comments submitted here that are awaiting moderation. they are not thoughtful; they are just bigoted. i’ve thought about it, about censorship of opposing voices, and i’m sorry, but and you know what? i’m not going to approve these comments. it’s fine if you want to disagree with me, but don’t spew your hate here.
i think equality in all people is the best thing for everyone!! what if someone said only same sex marriages could happen how would everyone else feel? People cant help who their heart loves, and if it happens to be someone of the same sex What in the world is wrong with that? If people have a problem with that then those people need to move back in time because there is no room for them in the 21st century!!!!
Do you believe the proposition was worded in a way to confuse voters? Why vote no to allow the civil rights and yes to say no to gay marriage. Eliminating the rights of any one group of people be treated differently from everyone else is unfair.
i had that discussion with some people the other night who said they were confused by the “no means yes” and “yes means no” sort of aspect of it - a no vote = yes for gay marriage, a yes vote = no for gay marriage. personally i did not find it confusing, but someone reported that they knew people who did and only realized AFTERWARD that they had voted the wrong way (ack!!). i’m not sure it was intentional on the part of the prop writers, but maybe it was.
i think that it is wrong to judge someone by the people that they love.If they want to marry guy or girl it is their business. Why does it matter to you if they get married or not? just let them be.