Prop 8
So last weekend there were hundreds of protests nationwide that happened simultaneously. Here in Ithaca, I was asked to speak, because Jason and I were plaintiffs in the "Ithaca 50" marriage lawsuit in New York several years ago.
Jason suggested that others may want to read the speech I gave. So here it is below.
Prop 8 was a wake up call - ignorance & hate are still all around us. To many it’s unfathomable that one group of people can take away rights from another group of people. No one should have the power to take away the rights of another. Yet this is exactly what happened in CA. How did this happen? THIS IS AMERICA. The land of the free. I do not feel very free. I feel sad. I feel sick and disgusted. And I feel angry.
The passage of Prop 8 was a punch in the gut - but we are strong and time is on our side.
They cling to hate and call it tradition. They grab onto their deep-seeded bigotry and call it protection of religious freedoms. What about MY freedoms?
So yes, let’s get angry. Yes, let’s demand justice. But we also must look ahead. We all knew the struggle for equality would be long and that we would likely suffer set backs. We need only to look back at our nation’s shameful history to have seen that.
While we loudly demand for our rights and for our voices to be heard, we also must peacefully engage with others. For if they knew me - if they knew the love my partner and I share - surely they would not vote my rights away so hastily.
As we mourn the loss of sensibilities in CA - let us not forget - here in NY - we are not yet wholly free. We do not yet have equality in our own state. Demand justice for CA - but demand justice for NY. Call and write and meet with your state legislators - especially your state senators - all three who serve this area are publicly opposed to granting equality to all NYers - they see nothing wrong with treating us as second-class citizens. They even boast this fact. They refuse to recognize that they have LGBT constituents in their district - we need to vote this type of hate out of office once and for all. But until then, demand that they meet with you. Tell them your stories. Demand to be heard. Make them see that you are no different than they are. All of us desire the same things out of life.
The system has failed us. We need true separation of church and state. We can respect religious beliefs that may differ from our own - but we must not allow a few religions the power to impose their authority on us all. After all, this is precisely what our country was founded on. Blood has been shed, incredible sacrifices have been made so that this would not happen here. One’s religious doctrine is not supposed to be the law of the land.
In this country, we are not supposed to let churches make laws - that power is reserved for the people, through their elected officials.
The Morman and Catholic churches had absolutely no business trying to influence the passage of Prop 8. And the thing is - they couldn’t even promote Prop 8 in an honest way. No, they won only by telling lies and scaring people, and even black-mailing those who opposed Prop 8. How can we just sit idly by? This is why we protest today. This is why people like us - not gay or straight - but Americans who believe in fundamental rights and freedom and justice and equality for all citizens - this is why we stand in solidarity all across the nation today to say - this must stop.
What are they so afraid of anyway? I’ll tell ya. They’re afraid they’re going to discover that we are just like them. We’re not the distorted caricature they have conjured up in their heads.
We need to engage with these people. We need to show them who we truly are. We need to continue to explain to the public at large the difference between civil marriage and religious marriage. Let me have my civil marriage and I’ll let you continue to decide who you will and will not marry in your church. That sounds fair to me. Separation of church and state. Our country was founded on this principle - but I do not see it being upheld.
Today, we call on the good people of CA - CORRECT THIS.
But we also call out to the good people of NY - DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN HERE.
My rights are not up for a vote. I am an American citizen. Just like you. And I demand full equality - and I demand it now. We will not go away - we will no longer hide. We will continue to fight for our freedoms. And we will not settle for anything less than to be treated the same as everyone else.
Our voices are getting louder. Do not let them silence you. Let your voices be heard. Let us rise up and defeat bigotry and hate - where ever it may exist - and in whatever form - not just hate against us - but hate against any group has no place here. Let us work together to achieve real equality - and let us do it with peace.
Jason suggested that others may want to read the speech I gave. So here it is below.
Prop 8 was a wake up call - ignorance & hate are still all around us. To many it’s unfathomable that one group of people can take away rights from another group of people. No one should have the power to take away the rights of another. Yet this is exactly what happened in CA. How did this happen? THIS IS AMERICA. The land of the free. I do not feel very free. I feel sad. I feel sick and disgusted. And I feel angry.
The passage of Prop 8 was a punch in the gut - but we are strong and time is on our side.
They cling to hate and call it tradition. They grab onto their deep-seeded bigotry and call it protection of religious freedoms. What about MY freedoms?
So yes, let’s get angry. Yes, let’s demand justice. But we also must look ahead. We all knew the struggle for equality would be long and that we would likely suffer set backs. We need only to look back at our nation’s shameful history to have seen that.
While we loudly demand for our rights and for our voices to be heard, we also must peacefully engage with others. For if they knew me - if they knew the love my partner and I share - surely they would not vote my rights away so hastily.
As we mourn the loss of sensibilities in CA - let us not forget - here in NY - we are not yet wholly free. We do not yet have equality in our own state. Demand justice for CA - but demand justice for NY. Call and write and meet with your state legislators - especially your state senators - all three who serve this area are publicly opposed to granting equality to all NYers - they see nothing wrong with treating us as second-class citizens. They even boast this fact. They refuse to recognize that they have LGBT constituents in their district - we need to vote this type of hate out of office once and for all. But until then, demand that they meet with you. Tell them your stories. Demand to be heard. Make them see that you are no different than they are. All of us desire the same things out of life.
The system has failed us. We need true separation of church and state. We can respect religious beliefs that may differ from our own - but we must not allow a few religions the power to impose their authority on us all. After all, this is precisely what our country was founded on. Blood has been shed, incredible sacrifices have been made so that this would not happen here. One’s religious doctrine is not supposed to be the law of the land.
In this country, we are not supposed to let churches make laws - that power is reserved for the people, through their elected officials.
The Morman and Catholic churches had absolutely no business trying to influence the passage of Prop 8. And the thing is - they couldn’t even promote Prop 8 in an honest way. No, they won only by telling lies and scaring people, and even black-mailing those who opposed Prop 8. How can we just sit idly by? This is why we protest today. This is why people like us - not gay or straight - but Americans who believe in fundamental rights and freedom and justice and equality for all citizens - this is why we stand in solidarity all across the nation today to say - this must stop.
What are they so afraid of anyway? I’ll tell ya. They’re afraid they’re going to discover that we are just like them. We’re not the distorted caricature they have conjured up in their heads.
We need to engage with these people. We need to show them who we truly are. We need to continue to explain to the public at large the difference between civil marriage and religious marriage. Let me have my civil marriage and I’ll let you continue to decide who you will and will not marry in your church. That sounds fair to me. Separation of church and state. Our country was founded on this principle - but I do not see it being upheld.
Today, we call on the good people of CA - CORRECT THIS.
But we also call out to the good people of NY - DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN HERE.
My rights are not up for a vote. I am an American citizen. Just like you. And I demand full equality - and I demand it now. We will not go away - we will no longer hide. We will continue to fight for our freedoms. And we will not settle for anything less than to be treated the same as everyone else.
Our voices are getting louder. Do not let them silence you. Let your voices be heard. Let us rise up and defeat bigotry and hate - where ever it may exist - and in whatever form - not just hate against us - but hate against any group has no place here. Let us work together to achieve real equality - and let us do it with peace.