Dear Friend and Reader,
Wednesday, San Francisco’s city officials and civil rights groups filed two separate cases to prevent Proposition 8 from taking effect. The Proposition, which passed on Nov. 4, takes away same-sex marriage rights in California.
Black and Latino voters joined Mormons to aid in passing the proposition, a statistic that saddens racial minorities who empathize with this current civil rights battle and recognize their recent achievements in electing Barack Obama as president. Richard Kim of The Nation writes:
If exit polls are to be believed, some 70 percent of African-Americans voted Yes on 8, as did 52 percent of Latinos and 49 percent of Asians; each of these demographics went heavily for Obama, blacks by a 94-to-6 margin. Los Angeles County, heavily minority, went 50-50 on Prop 8. These results have shocked gay activists, who knew from earlier polls that black voters favored Prop 8, but they were seeing much smaller margins, closer to 50 percent.
California is the first state to approve a ban after the state Supreme Court decided in favor of same-sex marriage, and this is a primary argument that the law suits are focused on. Howard Mintz explains:
The legal challenges filed Wednesday argue that a ballot proposition can’t be used to amend the state constitution when it strips away an established legal right, in this instance the equal right of gays and lesbians to marry. In court papers, gay marriage supporters insist such a provision can only go to the voters after being considered by the Legislature. As a result, they’ve asked the Supreme Court to block Proposition 8 from going into effect.
It’s looking likely, at this stage, that existing same-sex marriage licenses will not be taken away. There’s been a stay on issuing any new ones.
As the situation takes a hopeful turn in California, a candlelight vigil was held in San Francisco, attended by 2,000 people. My friend Linda Capato (the real kind of friend, not the McCain kind)В was there, and told me this:
It was really powerful,В it felt like my community was still really strong and hopeful…everyone’s so upset about this, and to not have that community support — I don’t know where I’d be to be honest.
So many folks were there, new couples…people with signs that had pictures of their wedding days…it’s pretty powerful to hear all the community leaders who are gonna fight…it was awesome,В but sad,В but empowering.
I don’t think I could sum it up any better than that.
Yours & truly,
Rachel Asher
Seems CBS changed the article at the previous link…… At any rate; there was a powerful demonstration outside the Mormon Temple in Westwood, then demonstration and march through West Hollywood and into Hollywood.
I’m inclined to believe that part of the reason Prop 8 passed was because of the wording of the Prop itself. A friend who worked the polls said many people asked questions trying to understand, but of course, poll workers cannot help in this regard.
Then there were the scare-tactics used in Prop 8 ads – that keeping our state consitituion AS IT ALREADY IS would somehow begin to endanger children who are yet to grow to adulthood.
My kids were both incredulous that Prop 8 ads clearly said gay-marriage would be taught in CA public schools should Prop 8 NOT pass. You’d think we could get Prop 8 thrown out on false advertising alone. There is no cirriculum in CA schools that teaches about marriage at all. Why the “No on 8” ads didn’t address this directly and loudly is beyond me.
May we all try to be vigilant and aware about our prejudices. Cause we all have them . . . We all have that deaf ear to shit we just don’t want to hear. Things that offend our sensibilites, remind us of people who have hurt us and experiences we have had that caused us pain. It is so true that the oppressed becomes the oppressors when they get power. I have noticed this trend my whole life: rich-poor, men-women, women-children, people-animals. We must never think, no matter how progressive our thinking, that we are immune to shutting out the voices that threaten our understanding, and thus our identities.
Impressive Equal Marriage Rights demonstration going on in Westwood (LA) this evening.
http://www.truveo.com/Raw-Video-Prop-8-Protest-in-Los-Angeles/id/3570335481
http://cbs2.com/local/prop.8.protest.2.857600.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-protest7-2008nov07,0,3827549.story
I just received a note from my brother who lives in Oakland, CA. His words are encouraging. We can only hope it is overturned.
The only bleak part of the day was the passage of prop 8 (the defense of marriage act.) fortunately the margin was very small and it’s unlikely that it will pass the pending federal court case that has already been filed. the bottom line is you can’t amend the state constitution without a 60% vote in the legislature and the state constitution guarantees that you can’t strip a minority population of rights. so there!
Jerry Brown has always been “cool” – I’m sure he will do his best with this one.
My life experience says “not surprised” that the oppressed have reached out to oppress others.
What we call “civil rights” is still a teeter-totter ride and will be for some time to come.
Until we look at these issues from a different perspective – until we separate spiritual “marriage” from legally binding financial arrangements, until we step outside the self-centered emotions surrounding the issue, until we take a new look at love, committment, our caretaking interest in others and the history that brought about what we today call “marriage” – and take the government out of our bedrooms and other intimate chambers like my vagina – the chasm will remain.
xo