Our hearts go out to the families in California who, because of Proposition 8, will for a while longer be denied important rights and responsibilities due them, and who will have to continue to fight against inequality and second-class status. This election brought many crushing blows to equality for gays and lesbians with Florida, Arizona, and Arkansas all passing terribly bigoted anti-gay policies.
For same-sex couples in California, what looks like to be the sure passage of Prop 8 (which, at time of publication, hasn’t fully been conceded yet) means if you have not married yet, you’ll have to wait longer. The marriages that have already taken place though are valid and equal under the law and they will remain valid. Proposition 8 contained no language indicating that the measure would be retroactive, so from what we can tell, your marriages remain valid.
The Prop 8 proponents used a $40 million campaign of distortion and it worked, and many people came to believe that Prop. 8 was about school curriculum and tax exempt status for churches. These deceptive tactics worked for the moment, but we know the fight is not over and very soon fundamental fairness will prevail. We will be fighting this battle until it is won, just like so many others. The ACLU, Lambda Legal, and NCLR, on behalf of Equality California and same couples, plan to file a legal challenge to Prop. 8, as does Gloria Allred on behalf of her clients. In addition, there is a growing understanding among Californians that this is fundamentally a question of fairness and equality, and there is clear generational momentum toward marriage equality, as young people are increasingly accepting of marriage equality for same-sex couples.
There will be a candle light vigil on the steps of the state capitol tonight from 5:00-6:00pm.
An Open Letter to Mayor Elect Kevin Johnson:
Dear Mr. Johnson,
On Wednesday evening, while you were celebrating yours and Obama’s victories, laying out your joy and plans for Sacramento on a couple different news programs, thousands of people took to the streets in our Capital City to mourn. I know you believe that marriage is between a man and a woman but anyone who doesn’t see the passing of Proposition 8 and the incredible, egregious assault on human rights as anything sort of a monumental tragedy is horribly misguided. Institutionalized discrimination, in any and all forms, is wrong. If, six months after the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education, the case that ended that ended the institutionalized discrimination against blacks in our public school system, the voters over turned the decision, would you be our mayor and would Obama be our president?
For you or anyone who has a hard time understanding why the institution of marriage is so important to us, understand that it is our relationships and our love for each other that has defined us. It is ultimately that distinction that makes us the minority we are. We are, like any other minority group, made up of all kinds of different people: men, women, young, old, rich and poor. However, our “otherness” is seen by the general population as about who we are drawn to spend our lives with and commit ourselves to. Being discriminated against in marriage, dehumanizes our community at the core of what makes us a community.
Unlike, in the historical struggles of other minorities in this country, whose parents have likely faced similar discrimination and can relate to the toils of their children, the men, women, girls and boys who make up the gay community not only likely do not have any close family members who share their burden, but many of us have faced incredible discrimination from our family members. We call on our elected officials and other high-profile people of influence and power to advocate for us because, in many cases, there is no one else to turn to for advocacy.
I am asking you and every one of our elected officials and appointed officials to actively stand up against the outcome of Proposition 8 and to vigorously work towards restoring rights and dignity to the gay community. No one should have to face discrimination and Proposition 8 writes it into our state constitution. Please help. We need you.
Hilary Hodge
Sacramento, California
Posted by: AllFiredUp | November 07, 2008 at 06:08 AM
Great letter, Hillary. I hope you sent it to him. Every official who has ever paid any lip service to fighting for justice and equality better start screaming about this injustice and not stop until it's rectified.
Posted by: Rachel Allen | November 08, 2008 at 06:58 AM