As any of my regular readers know, J and I are fighting the good fight against Proposition 8 here in California. Recent efforts are certainly helping our cause, but the proponents are taking new and dirtier directions with their actions. They have been writing to the major donors to the No on 8 campaign with threats that if they don’t offer comparable donations to the Yes on 8 campaign, they will be “outed.” Here is an excerpt from the letter they are sending:
“Were you to elect not to donate comparably, it would be a clear indication that you are in opposition to traditional marriage. You would leave us no other reasonable assumption. The names of any companies…that choose not to donate…to ProtectMarriage.com…will be published.
…We will contact you shortly to discuss your contribution.”
I honestly don’t understand why these people are so hateful. I just don’t. When J and I got married this summer, straight marriages did not fall apart at the seams. In fact, the world didn’t change much at all. Our county made some money off of us; we got equal protection under the law. It was, in the words of Martha Stewart, a good thing.
I do have a bit of hope for the years to come. As a teacher of eighteen-year-olds, I have begun to see less and less opposition to same-sex marriage, even with the most conservative amongst them. The generation that is coming up now has grown up with real gays and lesbians in their everyday consciousness. They know we aren’t a threat to them, nor to the fabric of society. They have a harder and harder time understanding why their parents and grandparents are so focused on keeping our rights away from us. When I talk to these students, even the most conservative of them, they get it. This gives me hope that in our lifetimes, we will say marriage equality for all, but we have to keep fighting, and we have to get these young people to speak out.
I am convinced that we’re going to beat Prop 8, and I’m convinced, too, that after this happens, many other states are going to begin the slow process toward making marriage legal. We’re on the cusp of something amazing here, and I am so glad to have played any part in it.
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If you’re interested in participating in Write to Marry day, go here.
i have my fingers crossed for you guys in CA! i have faith though, that it will turn out for the good, but please don’t stop fighting!
thanks for all your help with No on 8! I’ve been working with the SAn Jose No on 8 office a lot. I’m attending 5 rallies tomorrow, and have organized a rally in SAn Jose on Sunday – we’re hoping to get anywhere from 50-200 people! yay!!!!!
Im glad we have the new No on 8 ads running – they seem more impactful. Im getting so sick of the yes on 8 deception, lies, extortion, blackmail… ugh they are so ugly.
thanks again for all your help!
I have the same hope for my kid’s generation. My youngest is 12 and while we were driving around on Saturday we saw Yes on 8 groups at certain street corners with their signs and he asked me what that one was about. I realized that we have never talked about it! I was pretty matter of fact with my explanation and told him that those who oppose it largely do so due to religious beliefs. At the end he says: “Why do people care who anyone marries? You are voting No on that, right?”
YAY!
We’re keeping our fingers crossed for you too!
Check out our Write to Marry post at Green Dads.
We got a negative comment on the post, third one down, giving all the arguments for why same sex marriage is not equal.