Last time I wrote a diary, I was happily posting pictures of my wedding in June. My wife and I were one of the first same-sex couples to get married on that first day. We've been doing great, and the fabric of society as we know it hasn't collapsed, nor have any straight couples suddenly turned gay because of it. So, we're all surviving each other's marriages, no hole opened up and swallowed "traditional" people.
You may know that anti-gay marriage folks, largely funded by the Mormon church are winning on a ballot initiative--Proposition 8--which would rewrite the California Constitution to prohibit same-sex couples from marrying. It would likely negate my own happy marriage. It's nothing less than legalized discrimination, a sort of 21st century Jim Crow Law for gays.
And it's winning.
More below
I'm panicked. Literally. I find myself holding my breath for long periods of time, and I'm constantly cringing every time I hear the outrageous lies on TV and radio by the Yes on 8 Haters. They're claiming that Californian schools would be forced to teach kids about gay marriage (false) or that churches could lose their tax-exempt status (false). California law is clear on both these issues, but the lies are spreading, and they're working. Prop 8 is up 5% in favor. Holy Hell.
I've got my signs up, my bumper sticker on my car, have talked to my family and friends about the importance of this issue, and I'll be donating 50$, which is all I can afford right now, to the No on 8 folks, but I can and will do more. I'm a writer, so I've got some letters to write. I am going to tell people about my own marriage, about how much it has meant to me to be married. I'll use ethos, pathos, logos (like I teach my students to do), and I will send letters to the editor, write editorials, and send as many emails as I can. At least one letter a day to a different newspaper. It's not much, but it's what I can do.
Here's the one I wrote the Press Democrat, where my wife and I were featured on the front page the day after our marriage:
Four months ago when California began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, my partner and I were one of the first couples to legally marry in the state. That was June 16th, and the following day, my wife and I were featured on the front page of your newspaper. We were so ecstatic to finally be legally recognized in our state. Despite some hysteria from anti-gay groups, the fabric of society hasn't disintegrated, and no one has suddenly turned gay. We seem to be surviving marriage equality just fine.
Lately my wife and I have been sickened by the Yes on 8 campaign, which is largely being funded by the Mormon church. Their T.V. ads suggest that gay marriage will be "imposed" on Californians regardless of personal beliefs. This is ridiculous on its face. How can a marriage be imposed on someone? It can't. You have your marriage and I have mine. They're separate, and they're personal. Your marriage no bearing on mine, and mine has no bearing on yours. But this is the kind of nonsense that is driving the debate. What happened to the separation of church and state? Are we really going to turn over this issue of civil rights to the church, a church I don't even belong to? I am a law-abiding, tax-paying American citizen who works hard, served her country in uniform, and treats people with kindness and decency. There is no rational argument in American democracy that would justify acceptance of this kind of bigotry.
It is important that Californians understand what is at stake in this election. If Proposition 8 passes, it will amount to nothing less than legalized discrimination against same sex couples. It is unprecedented in American history to change the constitution to deny rights. Is this a slippery slope that Californians are ready to slide down? If we change our state constitution to discriminate against one group, what's to stop other ballot initiatives discriminating against other groups from passing? Stop and think about it. Proposition 8 is Jim Crow for gay people. The long, discriminatory practice of "separate but equal" was wrong before, and it's wrong now.
Despite Yes on 8's outrageous lies, churches won't be affected, and no one will be sued "for personal beliefs." California law is very clear on those two issues. Don't be fooled. These ads are designed to make otherwise compassionate people afraid of folks like me. My marriage doesn't hurt you, but voting yes on Prop 8 will definitely hurt me and many other people who just want to live their lives with dignity. Please vote no on discrimination and vote no on Proposition 8.
Humboldt Jodi
Five things you can do to help save our rights:
- Reccommend this diary so it gets seen by as many people as possible.
- Click the above link and dontate to the cause. We're being outspent and need every dollar to fight these vicious ads.
- Write letters to editors, specifically in California. Personalize your letter, and tell stories of yourself or people you know.
- Contact every single person you know in California and tell them about this issue and why it is imperative that they vote no on Prop 8.
- Volunteer.
I know we can defeat this if we work hard and don't let up. Thanks for your help, and thanks for reading.
HJ
Edited to Add: I understand folks who quibble that Jim Crow laws aren't an exact comparison to Prop 8, but my comparison was to highlight the "separate but equal" similarities. I changed the title and cede the finer points to my critics.