What "yes" on Prop 8 meant

[johnpalmer]

Let's be clear about this.

If Prop 8 does, in fact, win - and it appears that it has - then California made the following choice.

It would hurt gay people who haven't married.

It would hurt gay people who *have* married.

And why?

For nothing.

No one was going to be hurt by Prop 8 failing.

No, not the churches who keep forgetting that the First Amendment allows them freedom to be intolerant assholes within their own churches.

No, not the school children who might learn that OMG GAY PEOPLE EXIST! because they already know that.


Prop 8 passing means that you let a bunch of people hurt other people, when the cost of not hurting them was 0. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

Don't bother telling me that you supported Prop 8 with good reason, because there wasn't a good reason to support it. Or, rather, feel free to tell me what reasons you had for supporting it, but don't expect me to be kind in my response.

Don't expect me to be cruel, either; I'm not that kind of man. But don't expect kindness. I'll tell you why you were wrong.

Comments

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

I didn't support Prop 8. I am grieving today over it.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

Nod. I know a lot of people are. But I'm not sure everyone realizes that it wasn't just "aw, that's a shame".

[caltastic]

What confuses me is that the California state constitution specifically states that all rights must be applied or rescinded to all peoples equally.

So ... I'm not sure what just happened, because either this means that now no one in California can ever get married (all peoples equally, y'know), or their constitution was knowingly amended with "... except for these people, because they don't really count."

And I cannot fathom that a nation's electorate could have come so far and yet -- and yet -- still think it's all right to say "except for these people, because they don't really count" is okay.

[ms-interpret.livejournal.com]

Marriage isn't a right, apparently. It's a privilege bestowed upon those people who choose to be straight. *snort*

[cerval.livejournal.com]

I freely admit to my moment of unkindness yesterday, when someone who hadn't been following any of this expressed sudden shock that 8 could have possibly passed, and then asked me "What's going to happen to all the gay people that are already married now?". I was more than a little snappy when I replied "I don't know. But I'm sure that's what a number of my friends in California are wondering right now."

Apparently, what with that whole being-married-to-a-boy and not running around yelling "Hi, I'm a QUEER!" at the top of my lungs every hour on the hour; people seem to forget that about me, or that this stuff affects me, or that I would care anyway... I'm going to have to start carrying fliers or something...