A little back story: This summer Laura married her partner of 10 years. The state made it legal for them to get married earlier this year and she and her partner Karla jumped at the opportunity. The ceremony was outside at a park and their families came together from all over the US to help them celebrate.
The speeches were sweet and loving, like you'd expect at any wedding reception but these had something different that I had never heard. They were filled with gratitude. Laura and Karla have been together over 10 years and were never able to get married before this year. They were GRATEFUL to finally be allowed to marry legally in California. Ironically the state had ordained Laura to PERFORM her own brothers wedding ceremony a handful of years ago, but she could not actually get married herself.
Fast forward to today when I asked her what she had been up to lately. She said during the week I'm here (work) and all my nights and weekends I'm at rallies fighting for my marriage.
Fighting for her marriage.
What she is referring to is Prop 8 that is going to be on the ballot here in Cali next month. This bill is practically sponsored by the Mormon church and basically it states (from the wiki site) "If it passes, it will add a new constitutional amendment to the California Constitution that will say "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California" and it will be known in law as the California Marriage Protection Act". Apparently if the state allows the "gays to have their gay" it will some how cause every single Mormon marriage to dissolve and all of their children will spontaneously combust.
Ya know, I thought conservative Republicans wanted less government involvement in our day to day lives? It seems to me that these fuckers not only want to be in my pink parts (abortion laws) but they want to be in peoples private homes and bedrooms as well. Lemme tell ya, you are most certainly not welcome in any of them. There is no place for you in there!
When I think about this I get so angry I can't drop enough F-bombs. I want to know HOW IN THE HELL does my two friends being married, having a houseful of rescued pets, sharing their holidays together and exchanging rings hurt these people? HOW? The TV ads claim that they will teach gay marriage in public schools if this legislation doesn't pass. I'm sorry, WHAT? First of all this wrongly implies that this is currently happening in schools and second, find me a public school teacher that would touch that subject with a 10 foot pole!
The worst thing about ignorance is that it is so blindly hurtful and, well, ignorant. Can you imagine the state walking into your home and telling and your spouse that your marriage is no longer valid? I'm sorry, but all those commitments you made and promises you spoke? Sorry, but I'm afraid the government doesn't think you deserve that. But by all means, those one out of every two couples who take it for grated and throw it down the toilet every year, they are safe, thank God. Cause those marriages? They are sacred.
Needless to say I'm voting no on Prop 8 in two weeks. Join me?
8. Is. Hate.
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2 comments:
I originally posted a comment on your myspace blog but now I'm here. So I just wanted to say that I think that this is very well written. I'm pretty much sick of the "moral majority" trying to keep rights away from anyone who has different views. My recollection of Jesus' words were primarily that we should love each other - not love only those who share the same beliefs. Hence my disillusionment with organized religion.
Anyway, I'm glad you wrote this. It's important. :)
This is me, your friend Laura. That was beautiful and awesome. You are a wonderful writer, Christy. This whole thing has me in a tailspin. It has become profoundly and acutely apparent to me that this is not even as much about marriage as it is about equality. Plain and simple, prop 8 is about discrimination and about treating gays and lesbians as second class citizens. I have never experienced this in the way I have recently when a "yes on 8" protester smiled at me and said "WE want you to have equal rights. WE just believe marriage is between a man and woman." I have heard this a lot - "WE want you to have equal rights, but..." It is beyond ignorant and hypocritical. This idea of "WE want you to have..." is so patronizing and smacks of this sense of Christian heterosexual entitlement. Who is this "WE" that has the power and ability to grant or deny my rights??? I will share some pictures with you from a rally that are really amazing... in the meantime, I hope you keep writing and if you want to come hold up a sign, I have plenty and it is really inspiring!
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