Opposition to Gay Marriage in CA

Dave Weigel of Reason the reason that the anti-gay marriage amendment is going to fail in November. This is great news, especially the survey showing humanity up 51-42.

As my old readers know, I'm a big proponent of equality in all its forms, and cannot stand any argument saying gay marriage shouldn't exist. I'm so proud that California has become the second state in the nation to allow it, and will be devastated if the amendment passes this November. It looks like it will, but this far off nothing is certain.

Except this one truth: history is progressive. Eventually, whether it's 10, 20, or 100 years from now, people will look at gay marriage like any other civil rights issue, and they will ask, "How could those people deny them their right?" I'm proud to be on the right side of this issue, and I hope you can say the same.

More unbelievable anti-gay bigotry

Try reading this without having your blood pressure raised:

Janice Langbehn and Lisa Pond had planned to take their three children on a family cruise. The Olympia, Washington couple had been together 18 years and with their children were looking forward to the holiday.

But just as they were about to depart on the cruise from Miami, Florida. Pond, a healthy 39-year-old, suddenly collapsed. She was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami with Langbehn and the children following close behind.

But once Langbehn and the children arrived at the hospital the hospital refused to accept information from her about Ponds's medical history.

Langbehn says she was informed that she was in an antigay city and state, and she could expect to receive no information or acknowledgment as family.

A doctor finally spoke with Janice telling her that there was no chance of recovery.

Other than one five minute visit, which was orchestrated by a Catholic priest at Langbehn's request to perform last rites, and despite the doctor's acknowledgement that no medical reason existed to prevent visitation, neither she nor her children were allowed to see Pond until nearly eight hours after their arrival.

Soon after Pond''s death, Langbehn tried to get her death certificate in order to get life insurance and Social Security benefits for their children. She was denied both by the State of Florida and the Dade County Medical Examiner.

If that had happened to a straight, unmarried couple, could you imagine the reaction? The backlash would be harsh and immediate. The staff would probably all be fired, or at least suspended. But just because they're the same sex, they have these impossible burdens to put up with. It's a crying shame.

I've posted this before, and I'll probably post it again, but it summarizes how I feel so perfectly:

In the late 1700s some people wanted democratic rule. Conservative elements of the church pointed to the Bible and said it proved that the king ruled by God's will.

In the mid 1800s some people wanted to end slavery. Conservative elements of the church pointed to the Bible and said it proved that God approved of slavery.

In the early 1900s some people wanted to give women the vote. Conservative elements of the church pointed to the Bible and said it proved that God made women inferior to men.

In the mid 1900s some people wanted to end segregation. Conservative elements of the church pointed to the Bible and said it proved God wanted to keep the races separate.

When you look back at how your parents and grandparents dealt with these things, are you ashamed or proud?

Now some people want to allow gay marriage. Conservative elements of the church are pointing to the Bible and saying it proves God hates homosexuality.

When your children and grandchildren look back at how you deal with this, will they be ashamed or proud?

Granted, it's not entirely religious people who are anti-gay, but there is some correlation. We need to stand up to bigotry, and when its source is religion, call it out. And we should ally ourselves with the sensible, moderate religious figures who realize that gay people are people too.

We simply won't have justice in this country until all people truly are equal. I know we face many difficult problems, but rampant, institutionalized intolerance must be high up on the list.

Some good gay news

According to a new poll, 55% of people support civil unions for homosexuals. I just wanted to point that out and say that the zeitgeist is shifting, and I'm glad I'm on the right side.

RI Lawmakers Override Domestic Partner Veto

Via Ed Brayton, here's some good news from my home state: RI Lawmakers Override Domestic Partner Veto.

This law gives domestic partners (defined as people who have lived together more than a year and are financially interdependent) of state employees the same pension and retirement benefits that spouses would get. This sounds to me like it would also apply to cohabiting but not married heterosexual couples, so I guess everyone wins (although if I recall correctly RI was having pension problems for a while, maybe that's been worked out).

It was originally vetoed by the governor, who said the public did not want "unwarranted and unnecessary expansions of state employee benefits." Well, apparently the state legislators think they do, and overwhelmingly so if they were able to override the veto. It's also worth noting that the mayor of Providence is gay, although it has nothing to do with anything

Granted, this is just a small step. While RI doesn't bar same-sex marriage, it doesn't really allow it either. Given that Massachusetts does, and Mass is about an hour away from any point in RI, it's not that big of a problem to just get married there. It would still be nice to be one of the states that has the good sense to allow homosexual couples the same rights as heterosexual couples, but at least we're moving in the right direction.

I truly can't wait for the day when I can look back at this time and remember how idiotic and backward the prevailing attitude was, hopefully I'll live to see that day.

A Good Sign

It seems that with gay marriage I only hear bad news, so when I see that Oregon has a domestic partnership law that's about to go into effect, well it lifts the spirits. Granted it's not full marriage, and it is in one of the more liberal states, but it's a step in the right direction. And after we've taken so many steps in the wrong direction with 20-some-odd states banning gay marriage outright, it's nice to see a positive one.

Gay Rights, History, and a Wyoming Republican

From Ed Brayton I learned of this speech by a Wyoming State Representative named Dan Zwonitzer, a republican. He defends gay rights very well, while speaking of how the cultural momentum will eventually grant gays equal rights, despite the wishes of those who, inexplicably, want to deny them. This truly is the civil rights crisis of our time, and I'm glad that some politicians are willing to put their offices on the line to be on the side of justice and compassion.

Here's the speech:

Thank you Mr. Speaker and Members of the Committee.

I am not going to speak of specifics regarding this bill, but rather talk about history and philosophy in regards to this issue.

It is an exciting time to be in the legislature while this issue is being debated. I believe this is the Civil Rights struggle of my generation.

Being a student of history, as many of you are, and going back through history, most of history has been driven by the struggle of man against government to endow him with more rights, privileges and liberties to be bestowed upon him.

In all of my high school courses, we only made it through history to World War 2. It wasn't until college that I really learned of the civil rights movement in the 60's. My American History professor was black, and we spent a week discussing civil rights. I watched video after video where people stood on the sidelines and yelled and threw things at black students walking into schools, I've read editorials and reports by both sides of the issue, and I would think, how could society feel this way, only 40 years ago.

Under a democracy the civil rights struggle continues today, where we have one segment of our society trying to restrict rights and privelges from another segment of our society. My parents raised me to know that this is wrong.

It is wrong for one segment of society to restrict rights and freedoms from another segment of society. I believe many of you have had this conversation with your children.

And children have listened, my generation, the twenty-somethings, and those younger than I understand this message of tolerance. And in 20 years, when they take the reigns of this government and all governments, society will see this issue overturned, and people will wonder why it took so long.

My kids and grandkids will ask me, why did it take so long? And I can say, hey, I was there, I discussed these issues, and I stood up for basic rights for all people.

I echo Representative Childers concerns, that testifying against this bill may cost me my seat. I have two of my precinct committee persons behind me today who are in favor of this bill, as I stand here opposed, and I understand that I may very well lose my election. It cost 4 moderate Republican Senators in Kansas their election last year for standing up on this same issue. But I tell myself that there are some issues that are greater than me, and I believe this is one of them. And if standing up for equal rights costs me my seat so be it. I will let history be my judge, and I can go back to my constituents and say I stood up for basic rights. I will tell my children that when this debate went on, I stood up for basic rights for people.

I can debate the specifics of this bill back and forth as everyone in this room can, but I won't because the overall theme is fairness, and you know it. I hope you will all let history be your judge with this vote. You all know in your hearts where this issue is going, that it will come to pass in the next 30 years. For that, I ask you to vote no today on the bill. Thank you.

The sentiment that our grandchildren will wonder how our current situation could have ever happened (as most of us wonder how anyone could have supported segregation or slavery) is one I've mentioned before. As that post says, how will you want your grandchildren to think about you? As a bigot and an embarrassment, the way you'd view your very racist family member, or as someone to be proud of, someone to learn from, someone who stood up for the rights of a minority when it counted? Act accordingly.

Ammendments

Yesterday there were eight states with proposals to amend their constitutions to ban same-sex marriage. Only one state, Arizona, defeated the legislation.

James Huger, who runs the delightful JHuger.com, has this to say on the issue of same-sex marriage:

In the late 1700s some people wanted democratic rule. Conservative elements of the church pointed to the Bible and said it proved that the king ruled by God's will.

In the mid 1800s some people wanted to end slavery. Conservative elements of the church pointed to the Bible and said it proved that God approved of slavery.

In the early 1900s some people wanted to give women the vote. Conservative elements of the church pointed to the Bible and said it proved that God made women inferior to men.

In the mid 1900s some people wanted to end segregation. Conservative elements of the church pointed to the Bible and said it proved God wanted to keep the races separate.

When you look back at how your parents and grandparents dealt with these things, are you ashamed or proud?

Now some people want to allow gay marriage. Conservative elements of the church are pointing to the Bible and saying it proves God hates homosexuality.

When your children and grandchildren look back at how you deal with this, will they be ashamed or proud?

What it comes down to is that our country is systematically denying a large minority of its rights. Marriage isn’t just a ceremony and a commitment, it means being protected from dozens of different hardships, from adopting children to visiting a dying loved one to expenses. A gay woman might have to fight to keep her child, just because the child was adopted in her dying lover’s name. Yes, that has happened, and it will happen again. Can you imagine losing your lover and then having to fight to stop the state from taking your child for no reason at all?

That’s just one incident. There are many, many more. If you don’t believe me, just read Ed Brayton’s fantastic blog, Dispatches From the Culture Wars. It seems like he reports a story of anti-gay violence or hatred every day.

And if you think that gay people deserve it, that they’re not really people, then you sicken me. We’re all people, no matter what sex you’re attracted to. The only people who truly deserve to be treated as though they’re not human are the ones who would treat others that way. Because when you really think about, one of the worst evils you can do is to deny someone their humanity, and that’s what the anti-homosexual bigots do.

I hope that we’ll move past this, and that we’ll continue to move away from the bigotry that has plagued humanity for so long. I believe that, as Richard Dawkins puts it, the moral Zeitgeist will continue to shift. If it doesn’t, well, then we’re all screwed.