Prop 8 Started a New Fire in the GLBT Community

After California voters passed Proposition 8 on November 4, which took away the rights of gays, lesbians to marry, the LGBT community and their straight allies took to the streets of Los Angeles and West Hollywood, in protest after protest, demanding the repeal of the ballot measure. The fallout from the amendment has also sparked numerous boycotts that forced many “Yes on 8” contributors like L.A. Film Festival director Richard Raddon into the unemployment line.

But one very positive aspect of Prop. 8 which has been severely overlooked is shakeup the passage of the measure caused within the GLBT community, which has spurred the rise of more and more activists, including many from the younger generation, who are looking to use their power to turn the tables. One outcome development has been the birth of new activist groups. One is the group, Demonstrate Change, founded by Dave Valk, a 21-year-old senior at UCLA, and Joe Townley, a 30-year-old Internet entrepreneur. Another, Vincent Jones, a 32-year-old staffer at Common Cause, is now expecting to do more outreach in the African-American community, which took a great deal of blame for the passage of Proposition 8.

In the interim, the California State Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments from gay-rights lawyers as soon as March. The lawyers are asking the court to overturn Prop. 8 and legalize same-sex marriage in this state once again based on many factors, but primarily that a change in the state’s constitution must be approved by a 2/3 vote in the state congress prior to being put up for public vote, which Prop 8 was not.

However, the GLBT community is not waiting for the courts to decide. Valk, Townley and many people like who support equality have been gearing up for protests in January and February, as well as a possible March on Washington in April. Thousands of other gay activists in Los Angeles, including young and old, are also organizing grassroots movements to fight for equality.

What can you do? If you do nothing else, talk to people. Be a pro-active supporter of equality. If nothing else, talk to someone in your family. Make sure they know how this has affected you and your rights as a tax paying citizen. Let them know you do not accept being less than equal! If we all change one mind, we have doubled our numbers. Communication is key. Let’s break stereotypes and show those who oppose us that just as they are, we are human. Don’t push people away, think inclusion. Let’s all work to help insure our equality. It has been proven that it will NOT be handed to us…so let’s work!

Thoughts of a Mormon that Supports Same Sex Marriage

The noisy expelling of air that I had heard from the other room was not a shriek of terror—mirroring my own emotion—but a yelp of joy.

Thousands of people just lost a human right—and this person has the gal to shout with delight?

I became slightly nauseated as I realized where I was—BYU.

Brigham Young University, the university owned an operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS church)—you know the mormons.

The church whose members were responsible for 4 out of every 5 dollars which funded the advertising campaign in support of proposition 8.

The church that told its California members to get out and knock doors in support of prop 8.

It’s also the church that I happen to belong to.

And from the flavor of this post so far, I’m sure you’ve probably gotten the feeling that I’m not coming down on the same side of this issue as most of the rest of the church membership.

Call me a heretic or a heathen if you want, but I just can’t seem to get my head around the idea that gay marriage actually hurts anyone. Gay people already live together, adopt children, and raise families. What exactly is it that you are trying to prevent here, the ability for gay people to visit their partners in the hospital, or denying one partner custody rights if a couple separates?

Read the entire post at The Young Turks!

Critics of Gay Rights Hurt Cause with Hateful Rhetoric

Paul Summers, of Rogersville, you and Duke McDonald make it very easy to be a gay activist in this area, because in effect, your own words speak volumes as to the need for discrimination protection for gay people in Springfield.

Paul, you exclaim your agreement with and commend Duke McDonald, a city lawyer, who spouts hate and denounces civil rights to a whole class of people, because he believes their sexuality is a sin. He justifies this by his book of faith and his religion. This is not teaching family values, as you so eloquently put it; this is absolute prejudice and discrimination.

Read the entire post at News-Leader!

U.S. Opposses U.N. Declaration for Equality

From the Huffington Post:

Alone among major Western nations, the United States has refused to sign a declaration presented Thursday at the United Nations calling for worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality.

In all, 66 of the U.N.’s 192 member countries signed the nonbinding declaration _ which backers called a historic step to push the General Assembly to deal more forthrightly with any-gay discrimination. More than 70 U.N. members outlaw homosexuality, and in several of them homosexual acts can be punished by execution.

Read the entire post by clicking here.

Gay Marriage Debate Back In Court

The legal battle over gay marriage is back on the front burner again today, as the first briefs in the lawsuit over the validity of Proposition 8 are due to the California Supreme Court.

California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, who opposed Proposition 8 but is legally bound to defend the state’s laws has stated he believes the estimated 18,000 marriages should remain valid. He has also said he plans to “defend the proposition as enacted by the people of California.”

Also expected to be filing a brief is the Protect Marriage Coalition, which put Proposition 8 on the ballot. This brief is to be presented to argue that the court should invalidate the marriages.

The issue facing the justices is whether Proposition 8 was a constitutional revision, instead of a more limited amendment.

A revision of the state Constitution can only go before voters after a two-thirds vote of the Legislature or a constitutional convention. Proposition 8 was put on the ballot after a signature drive. With that being said, it should be cut and dry, but we’ll have to wait to see.

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