I live in Florida and will be voting NO on Amendment 2 this November 4. Specifically, the proposed amendment does two things. It defines marriage between one man and one woman, and it also prohibits the recognition of any union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent to marriage. This means that not only same-sex couples are affected by this; all unmarried couples will lose their benefits and will not have their relationships recognized in the state. All couples, regardless of sex, gender, or whether or not they hold a piece of paper making their relationship “official” deserve rights. So, if you live in Florida, like me, vote NO on Amendment 2! Please.
I’m not in California, however, so I can’t help this one out with a vote. I am going to do what I can to help spread the word nonetheless. All of you in California, please Vote NO on Prop 8 this election day. This is so important, because if Prop 8 passes, all of those gay couples that have gotten married thus far in California will have their marriages reversed. And all of those gay couples that want to get married in the future will be unable to. Because Prop 8 would amend the constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.
I'm Britni, a snarky bitch and generally awesome person. I write about sex, love, and bullshit. If sex-positivity, discussions about BDSM and kink, queer issues, and topics that are completely inappropriate by society's standards make you uncomfortable, then this blog is not for you.
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11 Comments
i've always wondered the same. i understand how someone might not want to be with someone of the same sex, but why the hell do they care if someone else wants it? i've heard people say things like eww it's disgusting when boys kiss. but isn't it more disgusting when ugly people kiss? should we forbid marriage between ugly people?? or just forbid marriage in general to be on the safe side? also, i thought america was all about freedom..
Aw, the old old ladies are so cute. Will a ban actually delegitimize those who are already married? Do laws work retroactively like that? I don't know. I can't deal with people who are against this, honestly. As Jon Stewart put it, "Are they going to MAKE us marry gays? No? Then what's the big deal." It was something like that.
TWG: YEs, they will reverse the marriages that happened already.
Twg: Those old ladies have been together over 55 years and were the first legally married in California! They were huge lesbian and gay activists and huge in the community. Del Martin (the darker haired woman) just died, but at least she got legally married before it happened.
They are amazing, amazing people. Look into them.
http://www.sugarbutch.net/2008/10/8against8-del-martin-phyllis-lyon/
I am going to vote no on Prop 8 in California, but this represents a change in my thinking over the past ten years or so. So I can certainly see both sides of the issue and I don't think it's helpful to treat it as a no-brainer on either side. If it was simple it would not have taken a highly controversial split (4-3) court decision to legalize it in the first place, and it would not be on the ballot now.
A "no" vote will go a long way toward settling the issue so I am inclined to see this ballot measure as a good thing, especially in light of the previous history with Prop 22, passed by the voters in 2000. Prop 22 is the law which was struck down by the court in May, thereby legalizing gay marriage. I personally am dubious of the State Supreme Court's right to decide this important question — I think it should have been legislated (Gov Schwarzenegger vetoed two bills to do so) or passed as a ballot measure (in effect repealing Prop 22) in the first place.
And my understanding is that it cannot actually annul or reverse the marriages already in place. However it would mean that the state of california would no longer "recognize" such marriages, meaning they would have to rely on domestic partner legislation for tax and legal consequences.
To me, one of the strongest statements in favor of gay marriage has been the happy faces of couples getting married. So Britni, I think you hit the nail on the head with these images. It's a campaign message more compelling than any political argument.
Apollo: please, do share what the train of thought would be on the other side, since you said you can understand it.
I can only think of those folks either being homophobic or they cannot seperate church and state. If there is more… Do tell.
It's very much a no brainer. This county was founded to escape religious persecution and it's bullshit, yet those people and their silly books dictate how I can live my life? Yeah. I don't get it.
Promo, I intentionally didn't attempt to present any other sides of the argument — it's well represented elsewhere on the web, much better than I could do, who no longer agree with it. My point was that it self-evidently exists, and is widely held. In general, to dismiss the other side as brainless idiots is not conducive to dialogue, understanding and persuasion.
More importantly, my main point is that the human element outweighs any of the intellectual arguments I've heard. The happily married same-sex couples are the real argument. The rest, while interesting, turns out to be bullshit in comparison. That's why I say that Britni's post is "a campaign message more compelling than any political argument."
no on 8 for me, definitely.
Apollo:
Fair enough. Sorry if my response seemed attacking at all. It wasn't meant to be. I wrote the response on my phone since my internet went out at home, so it was a little more short than I'd have liked.
I'm glad we have your vote and that you changed your mind on the topic
Promo, no worries at all, and I do appreciate your kind follow-up.
And your initial comment was also another reminder that many folks are not only suffering real pain over this issue, but they're also mad as hell about it and don't see what the problem is.
I agree with you, Britini. I do not understand why people are so against it. If they're not gay, then gay marriage does not effect them in any way shape or form. I don't see why people are fighting so hard against it. They should put their energy into more useful things like bringing our troops home safely or curing cancer. Leave the happy gay couples alone!