Dedicated to the proposition . . .

That all men aren't created equal?

Here I go again, letting others do my work -- in this case a note from our friend Jim, who touches so eloquently on something I've not mentioned.

It is a subject doubly sad for me because a cousin, who visited us with his wife just last week, is a Baptist pastor from California who joyfully supported Proposition 8. We discussed it at length, along with my sadness at being considered a second-class citizen in his church and his vision of society -- and at this point I have yet to decide whether we ever have anything to speak about again.

But without further ado, here's Jim:

I read with both joy and sadness your wonderful blog entries about the election this week. I certainly share thoughts about the Obama victory in the face of the most incredible odds. Truly historic. It was hard not to feel the emotion behind those words of Change, Freedom, and Democracy. And I want to personally thank you for your efforts on foot, on the phones, and in your writing. You gave a damn and worked to make it happen. But I find my joy tempered here in California with the overturning of gay marriage via our Proposition 8.

It really has made some of those words ring a bit hollow for me.

It was an ugly campaign, filled with much misinformation and intolerance. We saw the Mormon Church, the Catholic Church, and most of the Christian Churches from out of state come here with money and people to support overturning gay marriage. The commercials on TV were mean spirited and false. It was truly painful to watch, the outcome a bitter pill to swallow in the midst of the Obama victory. As they look closely at how the vote went, it was astounding to realize that of the persons of color who voted, 70% of Black and Hispanic voters supported the ban on gay marriage. Asians were more tolerant, with 30% of those who voted supporting the ban.

The gay community in California, much like you, came out in support of Obama. Some because of the man. Some because of the last eight years. Regardless, Obama's minority status played little if any into their decision for support. He was the right man. Not the wrong color. It was amazing then to see how the people of color voted against the rights of another minority. Sad.

Wednesday, after the election, I had jury duty. It was an uncomfortable moment for me to sit in the courtroom, listening to the judge speak of our rights as Californians and our duty as citizens to participate in the administration of justice. I looked around the courtroom and realized that I was asked to be equal to my fellow citizens in words only. Right now, as a domestic partner, my civil rights are considered "equal" by the supporters of the ban, but clearly separate.

So on the day Obama takes the oath of office I too will be humbled and inspired by his well-deserved victory. I too will be filled with pride and awe at what the citizens of this country were able to do. But I will also know, in my heart and soul, that I will be asked to sit just outside of those words called freedom, justice, and equality.
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I could go on at great length about the dangers of government by referendum, the tyranny of the majority, the inevitability of justice. I will only report, gladly, that both Lambda Legal and the ACLU, to which we give what we can, have already filed challenges to Prop 8. I expect them to do the same here in Florida, where voters similarly supported Proposition 2, to "save" the family.

Donations to Lambda and the ACLU can be made here and here.