Proposition 8 - Fight Back And Use It
So, like every other person in our alphabet soup of a community this past week, I'm a touch infuriated.
The California Supreme Court has not struck down Prop 8. It stays, and we're showing our anger through protests and screaming and interviews on the nightly news. This is all well and good - but I have to wonder if maybe we should simply back off of gay marriage as a cause for a while.
More after the jump.
I'm not saying that gay marriage is not a worthwhile issue. It really is, and I understand the reason that it's such a huge deal within our community. However, I think we have to back off of gay marriage - just for a little while. It feels like it's become such a huge focus in our community that we aren't worrying about some of the other issues we face. For example, the transgender aspect of our community gets pushed so far back with this huge focus on marriage. What about hate crimes legislation? What about securing health care rights for transgender people? When will the focus on those issues come?
This isn't to say that we should ignore marriage and Prop 8. Far from it; we should use Prop 8 to propel our community forward. Use this moment of anger to give our community a new energy. Don't focus on California; focus on the fact that a state in the heartland, Iowa, has legalized gay marriage. Focus on the fact that there is an all-inclusive hate crimes bill going through the rigamarole of the US Congress right now. Focus on protecting our community before we worry about marriage.
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Just recently, the California
Just recently, the California Supreme Court has been in the news. The California Supreme Court has been ruling on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, a controversial law passed in November. Proposition 8 makes it so that the state of California will not recognize gay marriage, but will allow civil unions, which will have the exact same legal weight. The Prop 8 decision is that is has been upheld, as the Justices including Chief Justice Ronald George felt it didn't violate the Constitution. Next might be whether you can go to a loan company for quick cash. Who I can get my cash now from, though isn't up to the California Supreme Court. The proposition 8 has been the hot topic nowadays, we cannot blame why it seems to be a big deal in the community since it talks about the moral values that we are ought to practice. We should not tolerate immorality, maybe that is the reason why Proposition 8 receives many critics
I am trans, I am poly (and
I am trans, I am poly (and therefore same sex marriage wouldn't solve my marriage wants/needs), I am not anywhere near an age I want to get married, I don't have many gay friends at the age where they want to get married, and I obviously care a lot about the trans community.
And I do not think we should back off marriage. Because I think that a movement that is millions strong should be able to work on more than one cause at a time. And even if it's not in the news AS much, things are happening. Bills are being discussed, testified for, voted on.
Yeah, marriage is in the news a lot. It's a really big deal. And if it gets people to care who normally wouldn't care? I am all for that. The adage "any publicity is good publicity" is not necessarily true sometimes. Look back at the ERA and you'll see that. We don't need a Phyllis Schlafly shaped wrench thrown in the works about "men" in womens' restrooms. Sometimes when something passes with little fanfare it can be best.
Also, prop 8 was huge. This is the stuff of history books.
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