A Hero in the Struggle for Marriage Equality

Today in San Francisco City Hall we celebrate the life of an extraordinary woman and a true civil rights pioneer.

As we gather to remember the life of Del Martin, in the very same building where she was recently married to her spouse of more than 50 years, we commemorate her service by vowing to continue to fight for the causes she championed for so long and so well.

Del Martin was an activist, a mother and grandmother, a leader in the fight for equality and, most importantly - the spouse of Phyllis Lyon. I was honored to be present at the marriage of Phyllis and Del nearly four years ago, when they were the first couple married in San Francisco's remarkable "Winter of Love."

Just a few short months ago, I was touched when Phyllis and Del asked me to preside at their marriage ceremony, held after the California Supreme Court confirmed that separate is not equal, and that marriage equality is a right and privilege guaranteed to all Californians.

It felt like our whole city was there to bear witness to the remarkable love, life and work of Phyllis and Del. The two of them lived their lives out loud. They are heroes in the struggle for marriage equality.

Today we celebrate the life of Del Martin, and we gather to support Phyllis Lyon, at a moment when everything they worked for is under attack.

Thanks in large measure to the struggle and sacrifice of Del and Phyllis, gays and lesbians can finally legally marry in California.

But Proposition 8 on our state's November ballot seeks to eliminate that right. This attack is led by those that wish to permanently enshrine discrimination in the California constitution - in defiance of the decision by the California Supreme Court to affirm marriage equality.

The theoretical debate about marriage equality is over. This fight - the fight against Proposition 8 - is about our friends and neighbors, our teachers and students, our firefighters and family members. This fight is about equality for them and their continued right to enter into loving and committed relationships.

Proposition 8 would turn back the clock and eliminate the ability to marry for millions of our fellow Californians.

That's why, today, we shouldn't leave flowers in memory of Del Martin. We can honor her service best by helping defend the cause she championed her entire life - equality for all.

Del and Phyllis started the struggle for marriage equality in California. It's up to us to finish it.

Follow Gavin Newsom on Twitter: www.twitter.com/GavinNewsom

Comments

[Davwbaird]

I must add that the influence of these true heroes has been felt around the world for the past 50 years.

[Davwbaird]

Both Del and Phyllis had a profound and life changing influence on me and the movement. For two years between 1967 - 1969 they mentored and encouraged me to be one of a new generation of activist that set the ball rolling in the second phase, along with them, to realize this moment in history. I was honored to serve on the board of the Council on Religion and the Homosexual for a brief six months before my fateful move to Seattle. Seattle was not to be the same as a result. It is well documented in "Gay Seattle".

Dave Baird now 65 and living in Olympia Washington.

Gavin thanks for your tribute to two of the greats of our movement.

[MsMeryMac]

Prop 8 = Hate!

Allowing voters to deny civil rights to a minority = a tyranny of the majority. The way some people are talking, you'd think they would agree that white men in the post-Civil War south should have voted on whether or not blacks could be citizens.

Please run for statewide office Mayor Newsom, so I can vote for you!

[Milash]

I saw a yes on Prop. 8 commercial last night and was totally disgusted by it. The things they were saying were mean, hurtful, and discriminitory. Church and State should be separate. I will be voting against this measure in November. Equal rights for all taxpaying citizens. Period.

[StarkRavingNakedEmperor]

Del Martin, brave pioneer and activist for Gay and Lesbian rights for over 60 years--R.I.P.

[StarkRavingNakedEmperor]

Mayor Newsom--you are a bright and shining light in what is too often the selfish cesspool realm of American politics! Your leadership, audacity and hard work in the fight for full civil and human rights for those in the GLBT community are exemplery and greatly appreciated. I have enjoyed hearing your interviews on AAR. I am looking forward to your bid for national office--the presidency of the United States at some point in the future. Keep Up the Great Work!

Bloggers-NOW IS THE TIME! Even if you dont live in California--this is YOUR fight too! As California goes, so goes the nation. We must fight to preserve this landmark decision and similar measures in other states if we are to have any hope of having the right to marry for ALL American citizens implemented on a Federal level for all states within in our lifetimes. I have included some links here so that we may put our money where our mouths are and help our GLBT sisters and brothers in their crucial time of need. Provision 8 must be voted down! If you can GET ACTIVE, please do so! If not, any amount of a CONTRIBUTION can help support those who are-- for example, keeping advertisements on the airwaves in California. Together, we can defeat this measure!

EDUCATE and DONATE:

http://www.noonprop8.com/home
https://secure.ga4.org/01/equalityforall

http://www.hrc.org/10459.htm
https://secure.ga3.org/03/ca_marriage_pac

Thanks!

[Islanders6466]

Thank you Mr Newsom for this article, and thank you Huffington for posting it. Our deepest sympathy & supportive prayers to Phyllis & Del's friends & family. We may have lost an advocate on Earth, but we have gained an Angel by our side & in our hearts to continue the fight for equality for all...

"Live & let live/Treat others as you wish to be treated/Life is too short/Let love be your guide"

[LiberalDemIda]

You are a hero, Mayor Newsom. The Supreme Court of California did the right thing. Proposition 8 is hypocritical and it should be soundly defeated.

If the backers of Prop 8 in California want to ban same-sex marriages then I DEMAND they add language that divorce should be banned simultaneously.

After all, isn't Prop 8 all about protecting the sanctity of marriage? Would then the act of divorce not be a threat to that very same sanctity?

Oh, and for those self-proclaimed Christians against gay-and lesbian marriages - Jesus forbade divorce too. He was asked and he answered {paraphrasing}: "Moses, succumbing to your cries said that if a man wished to divorce he would give his wife a letter of divorce but I say unto you, in the beginning, God created man and he created woman. What god has brought together, let no man take apart." Remember that when you begin preaching against same-sex marriages. Jesus took the "till death do us part" bit seriously.

Don't inject your christian-like views into other people's lives unless you're willing to practice what you preach, and what you preach is done so in its entirety. Otherwise, you're a hypocrite and your argument loses all credibility.

GObama/Biden '08/'12!!

[Maxwell511]

This proposition is another attempt by the the right wing, who despise government intervention into their lives, to try to intervene government into other people's lives. The vast majority of Prop 8 supporters have never met a gay person (who is out) and probably never will. Worry about your own life and leave every else alone.

[VikingQuest]

"Worry about your own life and leave every else alone."

Sounds like a great idea to me, stop using my money for section 8 housing and welfare then. Let those people worry about their own lives right?

[Maxwell511]

Viking Quest: I thought this was a Prop 8 blog, not a section 8 blog. So are you for Prop 8 or against it? Or are you just using a Sara Palin tactic to spout out an off point argument. Or a Karl Rove tactic to twist a statement on one issue to be a statement on another wholly unrelated one.

Since you raise it, at least the section 8 argument is one that has some relevant issue to your life, which is whether the government transfers your money to others. That is a different debate. Proposition 8 passage will have no measurable financial effect, or any other rational effect, on you whatsoever.

Whether there is section 8 housing or not, "those people" and "you people" should have enough to worry about rather than whether gay people can get married.

[LeftRight]

The difference between the two is that in the case of Prop 8 it's a group of people trying to get the govt (in the form of the State of California) to violate the First Amendment to the Constitution (in the form of making the state obey what is thought to be Christian religious laws). In the case of Section 8 and welfare it is a matter of the govt (in the form of the Federal Govt) obeying the Constitution (in the form of looking out for the general welfare, under the theory that if we are all better off, then we are ALL better off!!)

[jp916]

As someone who is lucky to live in Massachsusetts and has gone through this fight all I can say is...DON'T GIVE UP!!! The other side will continue to pound you until you feel that you have no fight left. The outcome will be so worth it.

We need more people like Mayor Newsome and our Governor, Deval Patrick.

[calichef2003]

Amen Gary! Why aren't you running for Governor, then President? We need more politicians like you who stand up for equal rights. Keep up the fight, dude.

[JohnJames]

Thank you, Mayor Newsom. Very sad news.

[HHarvey]

The pollsters already tried calling me about Prop. 8. I answered all their inane questions for fifteen minutes then told them they would lose. No on proposition 8!

[piotr]

why there's supposed be tolerance only for gays and lesbians, how about plenty of other human sexual behaviours? Be truly tolerant, not just for the actually promoted two flavours of love.

[JohnJames]

Huh?

[waltontynerross]

Hi Gavin, remember me? I'm one of your constituents here in San Francisco. We are very proud of your work on gay rights and gay marriage, and our fingers are crossed on the citywide health plan, too. But could you kindly stop running a national "look at me" campaign and come home and fix some of what is so obviously wrong with what should be the best city in America? You know, things like a lack of sensible traffic signals, putting more cops on obvious beats to cut down on rampant panhandling and drug dealing in our parks, getting serous about the homicides that have started to skyrocket, doing something real about public transportation to cut back on cars downtown. Act like a mayor instead of a playboy for a change...

[HHarvey]

While I agree with you Walton I think this is off topic.

[Steamboater]

Right walton. I was in SF this past weekend for the Folsom Street Fair and the panhandling is awful. You can't walk a block on Market etc without someone trying to hit you up for, not a few coins, but dollars and cigarettes.