With Liberty and Justice for Some

We took two steps forward and one step back last Tuesday. As you probably heard, Proposition 8, the initiative to amend the CA constitution to ban same-sex marriage, passed on Election Day. Without a doubt, this was a victory for bigots. Undeterred, gay activists continued to protest the passage of Prop 8 over the weekend:

About 2,500 people gathered on the Capitol steps Sunday afternoon after a noisy, three-hour rally against the marriage ban. About 400 assembled outside Oakland's Mormon Temple, forcing Highway Patrol officers to temporarily close two Highway 13 ramps to protect the marchers.

"I didn't see it coming," said Joe West, who traveled from San Francisco for the Sacramento demonstration. "It was like a punch in the gut. We worked so hard to bring change in this election, and then this happens."

Indeed. Marriage has certainly changed over the years as society has evolved. For example, until 1967, interracial marriage was against the law. Just like interracial marriage has not destroyed the institution (you know, the one with a 50% failure rate), it makes zero sense to me that gay marriage is illegal in most places. As Martin Luther King wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The Courage Campaign is circulating a petition to repeal Prop 8. Please sign it in support of our gay friends and family members: http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/s/repealprop8