Thoughts and Opinions on California's Proposition 8 Gay Marriage Ban

When I heard the disappointing news regarding the controversial Proposition 8 ruling yesterday (the gay marriage ban), my heart sunk all the way down to my toes. At that moment I thought of all my gay friends, some single and hopeful, others waiting and yearning for the chance to get married to their long-time partner. I thought of family members whose faces must have stung from the figurative slap in the face they received when, thanks to Proposition 8, their basic rights were denied yet again. But all that heart sinking, face stinging and yearning meant little to those who rejoiced as loudly as they possibly could.

And that's when people got ultra-pissed. Again. So I'm commenting on the situation. Again.

You see, the homosexual debate is one that has sparked putrid words and a venomous hatred (on both sides) for thousands of years. Bring it up and you're guaranteed a heated conversation chock-full of "Oh no you didn't"s and "Jesus says WHAT?" lines.

The gays and gay supporters always throw up their best arguments while the anti-gays puff up their chests and spew Biblical words that either deeply hurt or mean little to those who cannot help their attraction to the same sex. It's a circular conversation, my friends. And while the LGBTQ community has made some progress, it's a slow time coming.

Because I have this medium to speak through, and because I feel like it, I'm going to offer you my uninterrupted thoughts on the matter. My goal is to not infuriate. My goal is to not offend. My goal is to not slander J-E-S-U-S and my goal is not to babble through my fingers or self-aggrandize (though it's one of my favorite past times). I encourage only healthy dialogues, m'dear.

Proposition 8: Bible doesn't count
This is not a religious argument. Church is separate from state. You can argue all you want that marriage is a religious institution, but it's not. Sure, marriage happens in the Bible (it also happens in other religions) and a lot of people get married in churches, but that doesn't make it a religious issue. When it comes right down to it, the state (aka government) is the one that issues your marriage license, the state is the one that gets your marriage license money and when you're ready to call your marriage quits you go to the court, not your pastor. With that said, any arguments against the legalization of gay marriage regarding the Bible is moot point.

Proposition 8: Unconstitutional
The United States Constitution is a brilliant thing when it's upheld. It states that all people have the right to be treated equally. A ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional because it strips 10% (yes, 10%) of the population a basic, fundamental right. FYI: Marriage equals more than just a statement of your love on a piece of paper and married couples receive a lot of benefits that unmarried couples aren't privy to. Perhaps that's why activists who normally fight against each other are standing up together for this cause. To deny the right of marriage to any gay couple is simply unconstitutional.

Proposition 8: Minority verses Majority
In 1967, when interracial marriage became legal (yes, less than 50 years ago), it wasn't the people who voted in favor of it. In fact, at that time only 30% of the voting population supported interracial marriage, the exact same number that supports gay marriage today. Interracial marriage became legal because the government decided to step up and protect the minority from the majority. Because that was the constitutional thing to do.

So when Pastor Jim Garlow made this statement on Larry King the night of the Proposition 8 ruling, I vomited in my mouth a little bit: "Thirty states have voted on [gay marriage bans] and all 30 states, where people have been allowed to have vote, have all voted for traditional marriage. Every single time. We have three states who have brought it about because the Supreme Court required it and a couple of states because of legislative action. But where the people get to express themselves, the average pass rate has been 68%."

The response from San Francisco's Mayor Gavin summed up my thoughts perfectly: "Thank God, maybe literally, not just figuratively, that in 1967 we didn't let the people decide on interracial marriage because 70% of American's opposed that." Nice.