Do Unto Others…

As you would have them do unto you.

If you believe that California voters went too far on November 4th when they took the right of marriage away from gays and lesbians, you can share your frustration at a local protest (click for times and locations…they are all over the country) today.   I’ve heard so much about this issue in the last week and a half.  Much more than I heard before the vote.  I think the passage of Prop 8 took many of us here in California by surprise.  I know I didn’t really think it had a chance.  Not that I think California is the most progressive place (I lived in Stockton for many years, I know better), but I did not think a majority of voters would allow their personal preferences and religious views to take rights away from others.

For the life of me, I cannot understand how people get so worked up about gay marriage.  I cannot understand how someone else joining into a committed relationship, deciding to spend the rest of their life with someone, declaring their love to the world, and yes, enjoying the legal protections of marriage, hurts anyone else.  I cannot understand what two people loving each other does to harm my marriage, or anyone else’s.  If my marriage were that fragile, it would be much more threatened by other people divorcing, I would think, not other people getting married.

As Steven Colbert (I think) said, legalizing gay marriage doesn’t mandate it.  No one is going to force you to enter a gay marriage.  Relax.

~DoSoEvAyMo
Looks like I’m going to a protest today, huh?

UPDATE – Just got home.  It was pretty cool.  About 400 people, which isn’t too shabby of a turnout for the suburbs.  It was truly heartening to see so many people, and the cars driving by honking their horns were so supportive.  My favorites were the PG&E truck, the Macy’s delivery truck, and the US Postal Service truck.  My absolute favorite, though, was the poor old woman whose car was being towed, still laughing and waving as they drove by, with the driver honking his horn in support.  Very cool.  Shoulda brought my camera.

Now I’m going to take the rest of the day lazy and slow, and hope I can keep this cold at bay.  Ted’s still suffering from it, and I woke up in the middle of the night last night with a pretty fierce sore throat.  Blech.

14 Comments

  • michelle of bleeding espresso

    Good on you! I’m not in the States, but I didn’t think Prop 8 had a chance of passing CA either. I’m one of those who think the word “marriage” should be removed from all legal/civil documents. I like the idea of civil unions for everyone (with full legal rights, i.e., a contract, i.e., what it really is) in the governmental context and marriage left to religious ceremonies.

  • KelliAmanda

    I’m hoping to have a blog post soon (if I’d ever just sit down and write it!) regarding the official views of the LDS church and, of course, the fallacy in their arguments.

    I have to say, too, that I nearly laughed when I saw that one of my Mormon cousins, who is not yet old enough to vote, joined the Facebook group “Stop persecution of the LDS church for prop 8!” It does no good to argue with them when they are so deeply indoctrinated in the church’s teachings, but I wanted to say, “Ummm…y’all asked for it.” Did they not see that coming? Jeesh.

  • John Smulo

    I wouldn’t have thought that Prop 8 had much of a chance either. Though looking back now, I think the YES campaign was very vocal and organized–especially via churches; while the NO campaign only seemed to put out a few ads. It also seemed like the GLBT community went in the “closet” on this. The commercials they produced were more about what if heterosexuals couldn’t get married. I got the point, but that really wasn’t the heart of what the NO campaign was about.

    I wonder if there would have been more committed gay and lesbian couples sharing stories of discrimination, and their feelings about not being able to marry, if there would have been a different outcome.

  • Ted

    I’m glad you went to express your support for same-gender marriage. Like you, I wonder how the marriage of two people affects my own marriage. And the answer, of course, is that it doesn’t. People get married for a variety of reasons, and not all of them are for love. I mean look at Anna Nicole Smith who married that old fart for his money. Sure, she said she loved him, but it’s pretty clear what she loved more. We got a lot of gossip fodder out of her drama, but even with all that, it had no effect on my marriage — nor did it seemingly denigrate the “sanctity of marriage” because of the age difference between the two.

  • Shannon

    I was quite surprised that CA Prop 8 passed. I always think of California as being very progressive in that light. It must have felt good to be a part of a group standing up for the rights of those who just want equal opportunities 🙂

  • Cherry

    I found out about the protest too late today. I was on an 8.5 mile hike out on the peninsula when one of the girls in the group mentioned it. She’s from “your town” too.

    Her and I got to talking about the whole thing and we both got so mad. I swear, I’m still ticked off and shocked this passed. I didn’t think it had a chance and look what happened! Whenever I hear anything about it, I get such an emotional response.

    The other day I heard on NPR some little sound bites of people’s reactions and why they voted the way they voted. One guy who voted YES (idiot) said he didn’t want his kid to be taught about “the gays” in school. This guy actually believed that stupid ad! Can you believe those ads worked? Totally ridiculous. Apparently the No on 8’s campaign strategy of telling the truth didn’t work. Only emotionally triggering lies work. Ohh and I’m so steamed!

  • Cherry

    Sorry! I got a little worked up, up there and didn’t say anything about your cold!
    Hope you are getting some good rest now and are feeling stronger tomorrow! Silly Ted sharing his germs! I guess it’s something those husbands and kids like to do.

  • J

    Shannon, the Bay Area is progressive, and parts of Los Angeles, but the far north, the central valley, and large parts of the south are as right wing as you’d ever want to see. And within the progressive areas, there are still groups who feel differently. Which is their right, of course. But I don’t think their right to feel differently means they get to push their feelings over onto the rights of others.

    Cherry, I know, those ads were insane, and really made me mad.

    And the cold is slowly getting worse. 🙁 I think maybe I’ll have some soup now.

  • Autumn's Mom

    I’m sorry your sick! Taking some vitamin C, hoping I don’t get it. I’m glad you guys went out today to show your support, wish I’d been paying more attention, I’d have come too. We saw some people in Sac today with signs but didn’t see where the rally actually was. I hope we get this right soon.

  • Donna

    If I had not been coming off 3 sleepless nights, Spence and I would have gone (I just couldn’t get out of bed this morning). Honestly, I was surprised there was one in our burbs out here – but it shows hope and promise for a good fight. 🙂

    We were both very upset that it passed. Folks in my neighborhood were standing at the corners with YES on 8 posters on election eve. And there were lots of cars in my parking lot with Yes on 8 cards in the windows. I am definitely saddened by that as well.

    And yes, Cherry, those adds really ticked me off as well.

    Anyway, I’m tagging you (J) for a meme – good blog fodder. http://donnazchaos.blogspot.com/2008/11/meme-post.html

  • OmbudsBen

    The only good thing out of this wretched reactionary mess has been people’s rallying aginst the bigotry. I do think it’s just a matter of time before this bit of inequality is gone, like “whites only” signs or denying women the vote; the majority of young people do not support the measure.

    I also like it that people are protesting at Mormon churches. Bigots think they can deny others’ rights and it won’t hit home for them. So the Mormon community came out hard with their hate campaign and ran ads to deny others’ rights, assuming their own world will go undisturbed. It would serve them right to have to look at protester’s outside their churches waving signs and reminding them of their bigotry.

    *steps off soap box.*

  • dewey

    But Jules! We must protect marriage! If we let gay people get married, then soldiers will come into our straight homes and rip our marriage certificates up and send our spouses to those camps where people learn to be gay! And think of the children! If gay people with kids can get married, then those kids will go to school and demand the new Gay Curriculum that teaches them all how to be gay! Then our kids will be brainwashed to come home, kidnap our marriages, and hold them hostage! WHAT THEN JULES WHAT THEN?