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Why Californians should vote "No" on Prop 8
Letter to the editor
Charles Lawlor
Issue date: 10/22/08 Section: Opinion
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are members of our community. They are business owners, public servants, teachers, classmates, friends, and relatives. They are tax paying citizens, and most importantly, they are human beings. California should not do anything that eliminates their rights, or the rights of any other Californian.
Proposition 8 discriminates against gays and lesbians by eliminating their right to marry, and instead, places them into an entirely "separate but equal" institution. This proposition seeks to enshrine discrimination into the very document that is intended to protect rights and promote equality! Regardless of how you personally feel about same sex marriage, the issue with Proposition 8 is about how the constitution treats its citizens. Using the law to eliminate rights from an entire group of people with the claim that those people are less deserving of legal protection is wrong! The constitution is framed to protect rights, and not take them away.
It has been 8 years since Californians passed Proposition 22, and a lot has changed since then, despite what some people may choose to believe. Californians have seen the inequality inherent to domestic partnerships. Many people have witnessed and understand how domestic partnerships fail to provide equal treatment to same sex couples. They do not want the law to treat anyone differently; and the courts understood this when they overturned this unconstitutional statute.
In such an emotional and tense campaign, it is easy to be distracted and misled by the hateful, false, and abhorrent attacks by the proponents of Proposition 8. They lead you to believe that if Prop 8 fails, then churches will lose their tax exemption status, and homosexuality will be taught to our children in school. All of this is completely false, and several nonpartisan state agencies have stepped up to counter these deceitful attack ads. The State Board of Equalization and Attorney General confirm that churches will never lose their tax exemption status over same sex marriage. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction announced earlier that same sex marriage does not eliminate the right of parents to be involved in their children's education, and parents will always have discretion over the curriculum of their children for any subject.
If the intolerant Proposition 8 passes, then the constitution will declare that every single gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Californian is less deserving of legal protection. They will not be permitted the same rights guaranteed to heterosexual Californians. In the eyes of the law, I will have fewer legal rights than my heterosexual twin sister!
If we do the right thing and vote no on Proposition 8, every single Californian will continue to be treated equally by the law. My rights, and the rights of tens of thousands of Californians, are in your hands on November 4. Do not eliminate the right to marry for anyone. Vote no on Prop 8!
Charles Lawlor is a Political Officer for the Sacramento State Queer Straight Alliance
Letters to the editor are always welcome at jguinn@statehornet.com
Proposition 8 discriminates against gays and lesbians by eliminating their right to marry, and instead, places them into an entirely "separate but equal" institution. This proposition seeks to enshrine discrimination into the very document that is intended to protect rights and promote equality! Regardless of how you personally feel about same sex marriage, the issue with Proposition 8 is about how the constitution treats its citizens. Using the law to eliminate rights from an entire group of people with the claim that those people are less deserving of legal protection is wrong! The constitution is framed to protect rights, and not take them away.
It has been 8 years since Californians passed Proposition 22, and a lot has changed since then, despite what some people may choose to believe. Californians have seen the inequality inherent to domestic partnerships. Many people have witnessed and understand how domestic partnerships fail to provide equal treatment to same sex couples. They do not want the law to treat anyone differently; and the courts understood this when they overturned this unconstitutional statute.
In such an emotional and tense campaign, it is easy to be distracted and misled by the hateful, false, and abhorrent attacks by the proponents of Proposition 8. They lead you to believe that if Prop 8 fails, then churches will lose their tax exemption status, and homosexuality will be taught to our children in school. All of this is completely false, and several nonpartisan state agencies have stepped up to counter these deceitful attack ads. The State Board of Equalization and Attorney General confirm that churches will never lose their tax exemption status over same sex marriage. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction announced earlier that same sex marriage does not eliminate the right of parents to be involved in their children's education, and parents will always have discretion over the curriculum of their children for any subject.
If the intolerant Proposition 8 passes, then the constitution will declare that every single gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Californian is less deserving of legal protection. They will not be permitted the same rights guaranteed to heterosexual Californians. In the eyes of the law, I will have fewer legal rights than my heterosexual twin sister!
If we do the right thing and vote no on Proposition 8, every single Californian will continue to be treated equally by the law. My rights, and the rights of tens of thousands of Californians, are in your hands on November 4. Do not eliminate the right to marry for anyone. Vote no on Prop 8!
Charles Lawlor is a Political Officer for the Sacramento State Queer Straight Alliance
Letters to the editor are always welcome at jguinn@statehornet.com
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 11
Scott Allen
posted 10/22/08 @ 12:36 AM PST
Right on Charles! No on Prop. 8!
Chris Renz
posted 10/22/08 @ 10:05 AM PST
Well said Charlie. This article is a stark contrast to the previously written "Yes on 8" article which was full of religious and conservative talking points that were untrue and hurtful. (Continued…)
Nelly Hayatghaib
posted 10/22/08 @ 12:30 PM PST
I absolutely and utterly agree. It is in no way appropriate or the place of the law to exclude any people of basic human rights. Discrimination is something we ought to have progressed from, especially in a circumstance such as this, when 54 years ago, this country realized and decided that "separate but equal" is simply NOT TRUE or JUST. (Continued…)
Joleen Vincent
posted 10/22/08 @ 12:41 PM PST
I am completely baffled as to why anyone would want a group of people to have fewer rights than the majority. I have been with my boyfriend for over six years, but we are not married. (Continued…)
Cassy Hughes
posted 10/22/08 @ 1:24 PM PST
Thank you for countering the ignorant article that was in the State Hornet last week. No one should be able to take away the rights of any other citizen. (Continued…)
Amelia Stults
posted 10/22/08 @ 3:11 PM PST
Great article. I could not agree with you more. I really appreciate you putting your time and energy into supporting the No On 8 campaign. Thanks so much!
Dani DeBone
posted 10/23/08 @ 9:57 AM PST
I loved the way my best friend put it.
"If marriage is a religious ceremony, it is between the two people involved, their church, and Diety. There is no reason for there to be any legislation. (Continued…)
Ben Ehrmann
posted 10/23/08 @ 11:41 AM PST
Well said. Kudos!
Derek Cressler
posted 10/28/08 @ 1:30 AM PST
Right on! You know...yeson8 people claim to not be hateful, intolerant people...but go to their rallies and you'll find out otherwise. In one instance. (Continued…)
CommonSense
Tre Scott
posted 10/31/08 @ 9:48 PM PST
Today, my Mormon wife told me she feared that her church (which is her life) will lose its tax-exempt status if Prop 8 doesn't pass and they refuse to marry gay couples. (Continued…)
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