I thought this was especially good!

 

It's been over 40 years since the signing of the civil rights bill. Last night was the kind of culmination that grows from that commitment and the civil rights struggle in Montgomery, Greensboro, Selma, and thru out the land...a struggle that cost a great deal of sacrifice and heartache. Can we lgbtq folks be any less strong? Can we say, as they did, "We shall over come!" and know in our heart of hearts, to the depth of our souls, that it is only a matter of time and we, too, will get our civil rights.

I think it's time for another March on Washington, to say to the country, "We will not be bowed!" and to say to our new President Obama, "No one has civil rights until everyone has them! Join our struggle!"

I got up this morning depressed and took the day off from work, but David and I went out to lunch this afternoon and I realized how much I love this man and how much I am willing to struggle until that love is honored. It's about respect, for ourselves. It's about respect, from others. It's about respecting the rights and freedoms of all in our society, for none of us are free until all are free.

The struggle will be long and difficult, but I'm up to it. The wounds will be deep and hard to endure, but I will endure them. The fight will be non-violent, but fight I will. Touching David reminds me of what this struggle is all about and I vow not to forget that!

What a wonderful thing that Obama won and what an awful thing that Proposition 8 is still too close to call. The religious bigots in Mormonism and Catholicism appear to have won the day, though they have to still count the provision ballots. Make no mistake, though, that we'll continue to fight for equal rights. When will folks learn, as they needed to learn years ago regarding race, that SEPARATE IS NOT EQUAL! It took African-Americans almost 60 years from the Civil Rights Act to get to this point. I probably won't see the law change for gays and lesbians, but it will happen. It's a matter of civil rights, but more importantly, it's a moral imperative that we'll grow into as we grow away from bigotry and ignorance.

 

Lots have been said on television about how Obama's election indicates how we've grown as a country. Proposition 8 shows us how far we have left to go!

David and I spent an hour or so on the corner of Sunset Blvd and Hyperion, in Silverlake, this afternoon protesting Proposition 8, the proposition that would deny marriage to gays and lesbians and would write religious discrimination into our state constitution. Both David and I have contributed financially to the No on 8 campaign, and I've spent 4 days working against the proposition with my students. It felt good today to spend more time out on the streets. Lots of honking and lots of support. I wish the whole state was as against proposition 8 as our hometown, but the truth is that the race has narrowed in recent weeks as more and more Catholic and Mormon money has been spent to support bigotry. They are fond of saying they tolerate homesexuality and this is not about hate. So ask yourself the question, would you like to be tolerated, or would you like to be accepted and given the same rights as everyone else?

 

Please vote NO on 8 if you care about justice, equal rights, and taking a stand against religious bigotry.

 

Here's a picture of David out on the streets of our fair town!

 

 

 

Vote No on 8.

Vote No on 4.

Vote Yes on 2.

Vote Yes on 3.