For those of you who don't know, there is a hotly debated issue being voted on next Tuesday in California. Prop 8 is an initiative measure that would amend California's Constitution to eliminate same-sex couples' right to marry.I thought it was interesting and awesome that two prominent companies have come out in opposition of this proposition. I applaud Google and Apple for taking a progressive stand on this issue and highlighting the fact that this is a civil rights and equality issue, rather than a political one.
Also, here is a short list of other people/groups that have donated and/or spoke out against Prop 8: Brad Pitt, League of Women Voters, all ten of California's largest newspapers editorial sections, California's Teacher Association, Steven Speilberg, and many others.
8 comments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIMpo6gcNmg
^ One of the most adorable videos on this subject. I just can't help but chuckle when he says "YEEEEEESS!"
It's Prop 102 in Arizona...doesn't get Brad Pitt's attention, but it's the same, sad thing...
I was just coming online to write a blog about this same topic. I appreciate what you have to say and am hoping that Prop 8 gets a strong No in CA.
Really there is nothing sad about banning gay marriage. With a passing YES, it doesn't eliminate their rights to be together, but it does eliminate something that is normally recognized as a religious practice. If the gay community feels that they are being discriminated against, then they need to look at some of the other religions other than christianity. Some factions of Islam practice polygamy, but its illegal. Some cults practice ritual sacrifice, but its illegal. The gay community needs to recognize that there are others that are being discriminated against, and just suck it up!
Thanks for the comment Anonymous. In the spirit of conversation and community, I would ask that you post you comments with your name so that we can know who we are responding to.
My guess is that you wont be coming back to read my response, so until you prove that wrong, I'll keep my response short:
You are correct, a yes passing of Prop 8 in CA will not prohibit gay people from being together. But it will prohibit they ability to marry which has quite a few draws backs like not being to file joint for taxes, not having joint rights for finical decisions, and not allowing one partner the opportunity to make decisions for the other in a life threatening situation... just to name a few. These couples deserve those rights.
In regards to this comment:
"The gay community needs to recognize that there are others that are being discriminated against, and just suck it up!"
I would being willing to bet that you are a middle to upper class white person who knows nothing about discrimination. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to say such an offensive and ignorant comment.
For further reading, please check my friend's Robin's blog post regarding Prop 8 here: http://robinkrill.blogspot.com/2008/10/ca-prop-8.html
What gives other people the right to come into our home and tell us who we can and can't marry? If our marriages affect them so much and their kids then we should ban couples from divorcing if they have children because it is damaging to mental state of children and has been proven! If they ban gays we should ban divorce!
My Thoughts-We need to come up with a new proposition...
A Proposition that frames all the same legal benefits as marriage with a different name than “marriage” would go much further in dispelling all of the emotional arguments that have polarized during the Proposition 8 ballot issues. I think that we would gain the most momentum by formulating a new Proposition and stick to arguing for the same civil rights given in a conventional marriage. Under the constitution, we would have much stronger footing fighting for civil requests that do not intertwine with matters of Faith and religion. I don’t think that the conservative Christians that protested “gay marriages” really cared about the validation of the lives of gay men and women but felt defensive over issues that are not that important to the gay community. It is my observation that there is not a general awareness regarding the differences between Domestic Partnerships and the civil liberties afforded in a conventional "marriage". I think there would be an easier fight to reframe “marriage” as a “civil union”, with federal and state equalization of the rights in a conventional "marriage" only calling a gay version a different name. If some other term is used that stays away from all of the conservative Christian "buttons" that triggered the extreme polarization of the Prop 8 issues the civil rights would most like prevail.
Steven
schillcrest@aol.com
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