As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, Proposition 8 was approved here in California, eliminating the right of same-sex couples to marry. And as you might expect, I am sad and angry, but ultimately resolved to continue fighting. If the newly filed lawsuits don’t overturn Prop 8, then for sure we will have a new initiative on the ballot in a couple of years to restore our equal rights.
There are some silver linings: state domestic partnership, while not equal to marriage, is intact; among various age groups, opposition to Prop 8 was highest among young voters; and on a personal level I am proud of my home county (San Mateo) for voting 62% against it.
Thom and I took part in a massive protest march in San Francisco last Friday (photo of us here courtesy of Julie). The march started at Civic Center and followed Market to Castro, ending at Dolores Park. What an amazing sight. This is the kind of passion and momentum we need to carry going forward.
One reply on “The fight continues”
You’re right. The fight continues. In fact, the passage of Proposition 8 may do more to energize the gay rights movement than anything has in years. The bigots who celebrated the passage of Prop 8 may want to consider the statement often attributed to Admiral Yamamoto after the Pearl Harbor attack: “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”
Guess what, folks. We were pushing for equal rights before, but now we’re really pissed. And we have time and young voters on our side. The bulk of the bigots already were heading for the door–hard to vote from the next life–but now the fight is on!