Californians Vote No On Prop 8 On Tuesday...

The California Supreme Court overturned the ban on gay marriage on 5/15/2008, yet the radical right continues to try and ban gay marriage once again. They have managed to put Proposition 8 on the ballot this Tuesday which would reverse the Supreme Court's decision and once again ban gay marriage. What right do they have to tell people who they can marry? Isn't this why we have the separation of church and state? The argument that the proponents of Prop 8 put out is that if the ban on gay marriage does not get passed, that it will force public schools to teach our children about gay marriage in class. This is complete fabrication, as the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell, has publicly stated that this is not the case. The California Public School System does not teach about marriage (straight or gay) and again this is an issue of separation of church and state.

If Proposition 8 gets passed, that will mean that the gay marriages that have been legal here in California since the state's Supreme Court decision will be revoked. This means the loss of basic civil rights to which ALL Americans should be entitled. This means loved ones unable to visit each other in hospitals where only immediate family is admitted. This means the inability to collect medical benefits from "spouses" employers. This means the inability to legally name a partner as a beneficiary for life insurance policies. Apart from this analysis has stated that it will result in a loss of revenue for the state of California, the state will lose out on money to be made on money spent on weddings expenses (which the sales tax would go to the state) as well as the loss of money coming in from an increased number of marriage licenses. What do all these issues do to disrupt peoples ability to either worship, or children's ability to receive a proper education in a public school? NOTHING!!!! It's about letting ALL citizens have equal rights, just as the FEDERAL Constitution states.

I am a straight male with a child and nothing has changed since the Supreme Court allowed gay marriage in May. My child goes to a California Public School and is not being taught about gay marriage. The idea that not banning gay marriage will destroy traditional marriage is absurd. If you are a straight couple, how will your life change? It will not, if your not gay, then don't marry someone that is! These are ideas to promote fear (which is the only thing supporters of Prop 8 can do). The California Teacher's Union and every major newspaper in California has come out against Proposition 8. This is about equality for ALL, and that's the bottom line.

So when you go out and vote this Tuesday, apart from putting Sen. Obama in office to get us out of this mess that the Republicans have put us in, remember to VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 8!