Proposition 8: Discrimination or Preservation?

As some of you may know by my blog profile, I am from California. California is obviously not a swing state like Pennsylvania, so many of my friends were surprised to learn that I did not change my voter registration status to Pennsylvania and instead chose to vote absentee in California. I know, I know my vote "doesn't count" in California cause its already a blue state and I could make a difference by voting in a state like Pennsylvania...

The reason I chose to stay registered in California is Proposition 8.

So what is Proposition 8 you ask? Here is the official description and summary of Proposition 8 as prepared by the California Attorney General :

ELIMINATES RIGHT OF SAME–SEX COUPLES TO MARRY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

- Changes the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California.
- Provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

Summary of Legislative Analyst’s Estimate of Net State and Local Government Fiscal Impact:

- Over the next few years, potential revenue loss, mainly from sales taxes, totaling in the several tens of millions of dollars, to state and local governments.
- In the long run, likely little fiscal impact on state and local governments.

So the, why am I so passionate about proposition 8, or rather that it NOT be passed? As a resident of California I think it is completely insane to change the state constitution so it promotes, establishes, and validates discrimination. Proposition 8 has been coined, "The California Marriage Protection Amendment". So allowing gays the right to get married somehow affects other people's marriages? Allowing gay people to marry one another is worse than a "right" that heterosexuals take for granted all the time with drive through weddings in vegas? Is marriage a right, or rather is it a privelidge that is only fit for heterosexuals? I also personally know people who have finally been given the chance to marry their partners after being together for many many years and I refuse to see this right and their happiness stripped from them.

So I decided to take the time to see why people support Proposition 8 and looked at a pro- prop 8 website.

The website I looked at in support of proposition 8 is titled, "Protecting Marriage: Restoring Marriage and Protecting California Children"

Supporters of Proposition 8 say that it restores what California voters already agreed on with Proposition 22 by 61% in 2000 which was overturned by "an outrageous" California Supreme Court by allowing marriage between people of the same sex. The California Supreme Court allowed marriage to be defined not solely between a man and a woman this past June and since then over 11,000 gay couples have wed. Proposition 22 is completely identical to the wording (14 words to be exact) of Proposition 8. In addition to restoring Proposition 22, supporters of Proposition 8 want to bring attention to the overturn by what they call an "activist" Supreme Court and thirdly:

"It protects our children from being taught in public schools that “same-sex marriage” is the same as traditional marriage, and prevents other consequences to Californians who will be forced to not just be tolerant of gay lifestyles, but face mandatory compliance regardless of their personal beliefs."

While I agree that an overturn of a proposition by the California Supreme Court should be discussed and fought, I think that in this case the CA Supreme Court acted in a way to say that CA does not support discrimination. I do understand how supporters of Proposition 22 would be mad about this. However the last point of "protecting" children from being taught that same-sex marriage is the same as traditional marriage is really concerning to me. What is there to protect children from? How does gay marriage affect all of the heterosexual marriages in the world? My parents are heterosexual and the fact that gays and lesbians are allowed to marry doesn't make my parents love each other more or less or take away from what their marriage means to them. With statistics saying that 50% of heterosexual marriages end up in divorce, don't you think it could be argued that heterosexuals are abusing the "sanctity of marriage" by not taking it as a serious commitment?

The fact that Proposition 8 supporters say that this will force Californians to be tolerant of gay lifestyles and basically that they must treat gay people and couples the same as heterosexuals is what makes this proposition more than just an issue that will fiscally or socially affect Californians; Proposition 8 states that Californians stand for discrimination and hate just like many southern states showed before the Civil Rights Act. To deny any person a right that is allowed to others is not only wrong on a moral level, but NOT what the United States Constitution supports. ALSO it is complete fiction that proposition 8 has ANYTHING to do with educating children about marriage, gay or not, in schools. Not ONE word in Proposition 8 mentions education and, "no child can be forced, against the will of their parents, to be taught anything about health and family issues at school. California law prohibits it." Therefore it is no surprise that many top educators, California teachers, and the CA Superintendent of schools are voting NO on Proposition 8.

I understand that people have different values, opinions, and religious views but as a Californian with values, strong opinions, and personal religious views I refuse to allow myself to be associated with what is nothing less than discrimination. This is not about religious discrimination or the protection of children-Democracy is about dissent and challenging government, but NOT about taking personal beliefs that discriminate against others and writing them into law, or even worse, into the California State Constitution.

So if you are a CA voter or know someone who is, take the time to talk to them about this proposition and what it really is all about!

One of my favorite NO on prop 8 ads:



This video is in SUPPORT of Proposition 8 and personally scares me: (It shows why and how young people support prop 8)