The Fight Goes On

For many Californians, our celebration of the election of Barack Obama as our next president was tempered by sadness and even anger at the passage of Proposition 8 here at home.

We exalted at the election of the nation's first African-American president. Our hope for change and healing in America has never been higher and no modern leader has proven that he deserves our faith and support more than President-elect Obama.

Yet -- here in California, we became the first state in the nation to use our constitution to strip rights away from our fellow citizens. Our lesbian and gay friends, family members and neighbors woke up the morning after the election with fewer rights than they had enjoyed the night before.

There was so much for Californians to celebrate on election night. We protected a woman's right to choose. We passed our long-awaited high-speed rail bond. We even helped improve the safety and quality of our food supply by passing Proposition 2.

But like as many have noted with a certain irony -- on the same ballot that we were granting more "rights" to chickens, a slim majority of voters were stripping rights away from our fellow Californians.

This cannot stand. This will not stand.

We have witnessed spontaneous demonstrations -- and what we need above all is a sustained commitment to a strategy that will see this fight through to victory. In just a few short years we've seen support in California for this kind of measure fall from 62 percent supporting the Knight Initiative to just 52 percent voting Yes on 8. That's not enough progress -- but we are moving in the right direction.

The National Center for Lesbian Rights has been helping, along with a broad coalition, to lead the charge. Take a look - and please, stay in the fight.

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

Comments

[kassandrasduplex]

Too bad the American corporate media didn't give this much publicity to the even larger anti-war protests of 2003...
funny, the editorial bias here.

[Ms Fu]

It doesn't exactly help Newsom's case to compare the rights of chickens to gays and lesbians. Are homosexuals now caged and exploited for their commodities? Dramatics have done little to benefit anyone. It is not fair to malign those of us who voted Yes on Prop 8 - the ballot had both a Yes and No option. What, I can't practice democracy now? I wasn't the one who put the proposition on the ballot. Besides, this is the second time CA voters have voted on this issue. If the Supreme Court overturns this again, I will begin to question its ability to stay fair in the face of pressure.

[sandrarita]

Apples are not oranges and Prop. 2 is not Prop. 8. I voted for Prop. 2 because I believe that sentient living beings should not be treated cruelly, regardless of whether they are to be killed for human consumption. I voted against Prop. 8 because I believe in equal treatment under the law. If Gavin Newsom sees fit to compare the two, just because they both passed, he appears to discount the lives of other sentient beings, and I would never vote for him - I don't live in SFO so I don't have have that choice.

[whereigo]

This is a video response I directed this past weekend with regard to the passage of proposition 8. It reflects my view that this is an issue of human beings, human rights, common sense, and common decency. It's about loving your neighbor and doing unto others. We're so much more alike than we could ever be different. It's possible that there's enough trouble in this world without us adding a little more discrimination to the place that's supposed to be the standard-bearer of freedom and equality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f8YE3YtAUU

I'm 26. I'm a [hu]man. I'm my father's son, my mother's son, and my sister's brother. I make media for a living. I like sports. I love my family, my friends, and the idea of more perfect union. I've been learning recently what it means to be a real man. I'm also straight. And against hate.

[pons1595]

The LDS church contributed a significant amount of money and effort to endorse PROP 8 in California via its network of church, media, and community outlets enshrining discrimination under the law for thousands of Californians and their families.

"In general, no organization, including a church, may qualify for IRC section 501(c)(3) status if a substantial part of its activities is attempting to influence legislation (commonly known as lobbying)."

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/review-the-501c3-status-of-the-church-of-latter-day-saints-the-mormons

[laurij]

What you are failing to disclose is that individuals, who just happen to be members of the LDS church donated to prop 8. The LDS Church did not "order" people to give money. Are you telling me that because I may belong to a religious group that I can not donate to a candidate or cause that I believe in? Why are you not telling the truth? This is a deceptive tactic. I would really like to have an intelligent dialogue regarding this issue but so far all I read is emotion. It reminds me of the kid in the store who throws a fit because they don't get the toy they want.

[mjb5406]

Except that the Mormons tithe... they are "forced" (for lack of a better word) to contribute to their religion. To quote one article:

"Mormons must pay 10 percent of their gross income to remain worthy of Celestial Glory."

What does that tell you? They were, by way of Mormon teaching, "ordered" to support any cause the Mormon religion sees fit to support. In this case, members' money was used to support Prop 8 in clear violation of the IRS statutes regarding religion's involvement in politics.

[Nikola Tesla]

"Suffragettes carried out direct action such as chaining themselves to railings, setting fire to mailbox contents, smashing windows and on occasions setting off bombs."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffragettes

[MagisterLudi]

Go for it. You''ll do well in general population, I am sure of that.

[JohnBisceglia]

My biggest problem with Mayor Newsom and EVERY POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVE ALIVE in the United States?

You - and we - ALLOWED the PROCESS of a PROP 8 to occur.

Our country ALLOWED the PROCESS of a vote on my civil rights, and the civil rights of countless LGBTIQ families, with and without CHILDREN. Some young children in CA walked outside one day and experienced adults....­society...­..arguing and fighting about their family's worth. Then one day they woke up and discovered that THEIR FAMILY was VOTED AGAINST.

What kinds of psychological damage has happened to this children? Will we know for years?

To the YES ON PROP 8 crowd who are already feeling their heartbeat quicken due to my last sentence.........NO - having to realize GAY PEOPLE EXIST does NOT qualify as "psychological damage"......nor dies having to educate your children that GAY PEOPLE EXIST.

At this point a sane heterosexual man may have bought a gun and taken people OUT if this happened to HIS family. It is a THREAT to families.

But gays have been VERY patient so far with society. The tide is turning, and we have decided to use a powerful NON-VIOLENT approach. So consider your apathy and/or "problem" with marriage equality this April 15th.

.



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[Nikola Tesla]

Americans can choose how to vote, but they cannot choose the consequences.

[Eric8869]

RIGHT!

[Felicty]

PICTURE IT!

Thousands upon thousands of new people attending services, eating, talking, smoking, speaking on cell phones, and leaving behind NO MONEY.

Would they have the courage to ask us to leave?

[tre]

Worshipers at Mount Hope Church in Lansing, MI have learned that, indeed, the fight DOES go on, literally.
They have also learned that as long as groups like Bash Back continues doing things like this there will be more anti-homosexual laws passed.

[RogerTheShrubber]

I don't personally agree with Bash Back's approach, but the implication of your post is incorrect: Anti-gay laws have been and will continue to be passed regardless of how hard or in what ways the gay community "fights back." Your post implies that demonstrat­ing/fighti­ng back is the cause of the discrimination. History shows that's incorrect.

[tre]

Groups such as Bash Back will generate more support for anti-homosexual laws. They do not generate any sympathy for their cause. But, they will generate sympathy for Christians who are now being persecuted for simply standing up for our faith.

[Nikola Tesla]

Let Fascism Reign!

[Felicty]

I think a good protest would be for all of us to attend church every Sunday and, when the collection plate is passed, a NO on Prop 8 card should be dropped into the plate instead of money.

We can do this until all the churches close due to lack of income.

[tre]

Please do attend Church! And pay attention to what the Preacher says! God did say:

Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

So you might actually come to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

[Felicty]

Jesus is your sucker, not mine. Nobody died for MY sins.

[Eric8869]

Jesus never once mentioned homosexuality - not once.

[mjb5406]

IMHO, this transcends the whole religion issue... it's really about "Do unto others...:", the so-called Golden Rule. My issue with religion here is that not everyone believes in a Supreme Being, or a savior, or anything like that, and for any religious group to funnel their money into forcing non-believers to accept their archaic way of thinking is wrong (if not illegal).

And, of course, the Bible thumpers will quote Leviticus until they get hoarse... but I still maintain that the actions implemented by Prop 8 go against everything the Bible espouses... universal brotherhood, salvation, etc., etc. Those that claim they cling to the Bible's teachings yet are openly homophobic are kidding themselves... God will see through their hypocrisy!

[VikingQuest]

Or you could just raid the church and cause a giant scene like many gay groups have.

[Nikola Tesla]

And the Suffragettes, and the Civil Rights Marchers.

[Eric8869]

Notice how they all claim vitimhood so easily at a little protest????? after all the death and destruction religion has caused all over the world - especially for gay people.

Oh boo hoo if you have to deal with a protest.

[NonLeftist]

Or trample the free speech rights of those who are against it.

[nonamie]

It would seem to me if marriage between a man and woman is so sacred and true, then we should perhaps be working on banning Divorce!!!

[NonLeftist]

That is a great IDEA! Vows should MEAN something right? Divorce, except in extreme cases is a lazy way out of a problem.

[republifornian]

kinda like abortion huh?

[kkurman]

interesting thought, but consider that the Catholic Church has had such a ban in place for centuries and see what its gotten us, a Protestant movement that has led to the extremest views that passed Prop 8. How about we ban state sanctioned 'marriages' altogether and go to a civil union for all that pertains to all legal issues and everyone can take their 'marriage' concept to their own church, family and community where they can be as exclusive as they want without affecting people with a different belief system? It might help the dialog if the supporters of Prop 8 stood to loose something THEY hold dear by refusing rights to people they didn't even know and the consequences of which would not even affect them.

[lemmonesque]

2010. governor's mansion. be there.

[luckiboy]

Every cause needs a symbol. That's why we've launched WhiteKnot.org. We hope to get the white knot ribbon as ubiquitous as other cause ribbons.

The white knot represents support of the rights of gays and lesbians to marry. Showing support for this shows belief in equal rights and non-discrimination for all people.

Visibility is our goal. Whether you are gay or straight, please show your support by wearing the knot and telling people why you are wearing it. It may seem like a small thing, but imagine the white knot gaining the pervasiveness and instant recognition of the AIDS Ribbon. We can do it!

Wear your white knot to church, to school, to work, to lunch. We will be encouraging celebrities to wear knots during interviews and on red carpets. We will show those who would deny gays and lesbians their fundamental rights that the majority is in fact on our side--on the right side of history.

[knowwhatimsayin]

One interesting and so far unreported story about Propostion 201 in Arizona which pased and now defines marriage as one man and one woman in the constitution: 95% of those voting in Colorado City voted against the amendment. Colorado City is of course the breakway polygimist town that Warren Jeffs used to rule over. My guess is that they didn't like the idea of "one woman" only--not that they are enlightened otherwise. BTW Obama got less than 2% of the vote there.