It's Like Hating Rainbows

Let's talk about Proposition 8 for a moment, shall we?
First off, the fact that it was up for discussion at all is ludicrous. But that it passed... I feel there must be something seriously wrong with us.

Please read the arguments for and against Prop 8 here before proceeding. Because having a grasp on both sides of the story is important, regardless of what you may believe. Also, here's a link the official title and summary of Prop 8.

Now for the show.
Some (paraphrased) arguments I'd heard in favor of Prop 8, and my responses (in green):

• "I don't have a problem with gay people. In fact, my [insert relation here] is gay. I respect gay rights, but I feel that nobody should have the right to marry. Marriage is unhealthy, which I say as a married (wo)man. Getting married was the biggest mistake I ever made. That's why I'm voting yes on Prop 8."

You know what, though Example Statement #1? That's bullshit. It doesn't matter that you think that marriage is unhealthy (because your marriage is unhealthy). As it stands, Prop 8 closed the door on the right to marriage for gay people only. And that isn't right. If there was a proposition to eliminate straight marriage or even all marriage, how do you think the community--as a whole--would respond? Eliminating people's rights will not fix your broken life. Get a divorce if you hate marriage.

• "Being gay is bad."

No it isn't. Don't hurt people because of who they love.

• "Gay people don't need to get married. They have domestic partnerships."

Actually, domestic partnership and marriage are not the same thing at all and they do not hold all the same legal benefits in common. But ignoring all that, there is a certain romantic something about marriage that everybody should be able to have--if they so choose. Domestic partnerships--though quite arguably better than nothing--perpetuate the idea of "separate but equal" that was socially acceptable during the time of racial segregation.

• "My religion says that marriage should be between a man and a woman."

Whatever happened to the separation of church and state? Anyhow, your God is not everybody's God. What if my religion (if I were religious) said that marriage should be between people of the same sex only?

• "Marriage should be between a man and a woman only. It has nothing to do with religion. I just don't want gay marriage to be forced on me."

Um... what does it have to do with, though? The status quo? Does the idea of "gay" make you uncomfortable? Fearing what is not familiar to you simply because it is different from what you know or are used to is really stupid. And nothing would have been forced on you, had 8 failed. But not being able to be married was forced on countless gay and lesbian couples.

• This one's a doozy. It comes straight out of the argument in favor of 8 from the California Voter's Guide that I linked to: "It restores the definition of marriage to what the vast majority of California voters already approved and human history has understood marriage to be."

The vast majority of California voters? What about the minority that doesn't understand marriage to be something exclusively for hetero people? As for human history... Human History hangs, draws, quarters, and puts heads/babies on pikes. It slaughters people in concentration camps because of their religion/sexual orientation/ethnicity/etc. It denies women the right to vote. It segregates and enslaves and wars and rapes and bombs and pillages and plunders. Don't base a damn thing on the way Human History has understood things. A lot of the time, Human History is a douchebag.

Oh how I wish I could have voted in this election, if it meant just one more vote against Proposition 8.

The world is filled with isms and phobias. Racism. Sexism. Xenophobia. Homophobia. Anti-Semitism. It's all bad. And with the passage of Prop 8, it got worse. Let's do something about it. Sign a petition. Protest (peacefully). Pray. Join a facebook group. Whatever. Get your voice heard.

Because nobody should fuck with love.

Angrily, arguing-ly, ally-ly yours...

Also, talk to me about this in comments. Especially those of you who did/would have voted in favor of prop 8 (if any of you would have, though I sincerely hope not). I want to hear everybody's point of view. Be respectful, though. Any hateful comments will be deleted.