Saturday, November 15, was a great day not only for the gay community, but for America as well. We are unequivocally doing the right thing by speaking out against the injustice of Proposition 8. Although supporters of Prop. 8 have claimed of late that we need to "stop whining" and "get over it," we know that America is, if nothing, a place for dissent. Our country allows the expression of all points of view. More importantly, the Founding Fathers were wise enough to establish our government in such a way as to protect the fundamental rights and liberties that each of us is entitled to, in the spirit of our Constitution.
In May of this year, the California Supreme Court properly affirmed that the right to marry extends to same-sex couples, as well as opposite-sex couples. Claiming that the decision was the result of renegade, activist judges, a small group of people who despise us because we're gay went and rounded up enough other haters in California and got them to sign on to the effort to put Prop. 8 on the November ballot. Then, with fearmongering, outright lies and loathsome deception, not to mention tremendous financial support from churches and other organizations that preach hate and intolerance (such as the Mormon Church and the Knights of Columbus), they convinced a slim majority of Californians that we're not good enough for first-class citizenship in this state, even though are tax dollars are.
Make no mistake, this is not "democracy." Although the will of the people is one of the foundations of our great country, the Fathers realized that certain human rights are so fundamental that they must always be protected. Such sentiments are much closer to the heart of documents like the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights than the will of a simple majority. Equal protection under the law is sacred, codified most succinctly in the Fourteenth Amendment and supported by a long and venerable history of judicial decisions.
On Saturday, thousands upon thousands outraged by this injustice came out to city halls across the nation to protest this unprecedented stripping of rights from gays and lesbians. It was extraordinarily heartening to see families of all stripes at the rally in San Jose: gay and straight, old and young, many with children. These individuals are taking a stand for fairness, for justice for all. They realize that my marriage to my husband in no way affects their own marriages, and are sickened to see that attempts to legally discriminate are supported by far too many people in this state that we like to think of as the most enlightened of all.
Although petitions have been filed with the state Supreme Court to overturn Prop. 8, and we hope that these are successful, it is critical that we continue the fight for equality on all fronts. We cannot let this energy dissipate until justice has been won (again). If you care about the protection of civil rights, if you think that writing discrimination against a minority into law is wrong, if you believe in the principle of the golden rule, if you truly love your neighbors and respect people as people, please do what you can to help in the fight for rights. It is not simply rights of gays and lesbians that we are fighting for, it is for the affirmation of America as the land that espouses freedom and justice for all.
There are many actions you can take, some as simple as writing letters or a check. You can also start up your own blog. Other methods involve demonstrating in person, or reaching out to communities to help people understand that we are not perverts or child molesters, but rather lawful, patriotic Americans who simply want the same things for ourselves that everyone else enjoys. The following websites are especially helpful in learning more about what you can do to help, and to find out about demonstrations in your area:
Gays and lesbians need to be as open about who they are as heterosexuals are, on a daily basis. This includes holding hands in public, talking among your co-workers about what you and your significant other did over the weekend, setting up joint accounts and other financial arrangements that leave no doubt that you are a couple. The more we integrate ourselves into society and show the world that we are in no way different, the less willing people will be to say vulgar things about us, or try to harm us physically, emotionally or spiritually. When we are invisible, we are most vulnerable.
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