filigree, feathers, fur

Californians, please vote NO on Proposition 8
With all the talk going on over here in California about Proposition 8,

tafyrn and I have decided to do our part to speak out against this discriminatory and bigoted proposed amendment to the california constitution.

This is really, really hard for us to type, partly because it's an emotional topic for us, and because we tend not to talk openly about issues that are considered controversial (unless you know us pretty well), for a lot of reasons. However,

tafyrn and I have been becoming increasingly saddened and upset by what we see happening around us, and intend to pick our battles; this is one of those battles we're picking to stand up and shout about.

The text of the proposed law reads as follows:

This initiative measure is submitted to the people in accordance with the provisions of Article II, Section 8, of the California Constitution. This initiative measure expressly amends the California Constitution by adding a section thereto; therefore, new provisions proposed to be added are printed in italic type to indicate that they are new.

SECTION 1. Title

This measure shall be known and may be cited as the “California Marriage Protection Act".

SECTION 2. Section 7.5 is added to Article I of the California Constitution, to read:

SEC. 7.5. Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

One of the many problems we have with this proposition is that it pretty directly conflicts with the U.S. Constitution. As many of us know from way back in history class (emphasis in bold italics ours):

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Let's look at this from a perspective of those who practise religions: This proposition, if made into a law, will prohibit many religions from exercising the right of their clergy to marry whomever they wish. Sorry, folks, but NO single religion has a monopoly on the word "marriage", so if you restrict the rights of certain people to marry, you certainly will be messing with the free exercise of peoples' religious beliefs.

And Amendment 14 states:

Section 1.

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

States can't just pick which people are going to have their rights or privileges granted to them. If Proposition 8 is made into law, this would deprive same-sex couples of life, liberty, and they would not have equal protection under the law.

Aside from that, so many of the arguments against same-sex marriage sound so much like the ones against interracial marriage (look up "interracial marriage" and "miscegenation laws") that it makes Taf and myself sad and ashamed, because many people in this country have not learned at all.

Sheesh. Marriage should be protected from bigoted people who want to change the definition of marriage to suit their hurtful views.

For the reasons we've just shared, and others, Proposition 8 is NOT RIGHT. It's NOT RIGHT to deny same-sex couples the right to marry. If people want to marry each other, they should have that right, whatever their gender is!

We hope this inspires people who feel similarly to speak out against Proposition 8 as well. Last we read, most Californians are against it, but by a small margin, and it's closing (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gaymarriage23-2008oct23,0,4937128.story). We're also trying to think of ways to spread the No-on-8 message.

When will people here understand? Separate is not equal!

Advertisement