A Surprise Indeed

Whilst checking out waynebesen.com, I found the following URL;


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carlos-watson/how-the-prop-8-ruling-wil_b_208095.html

More complete story here:

http://www.americablog.com/2009/05/bush-solicitor-general-ted-olson.html

In short, it seems that Ted Olson, former Solicitor General during the Bush Administration is going to bring a suit against Prop. H8. This is welcome news indeed. Why? Because it means that more moderate people may be starting to take back the Republican Party from the religious fanatics. Those like Olson and Steve Schmidt, former McCain strategist who are in favour of marriage equality have come to see that the way of hate and fear espoused by so many in the Religious Right is wrong. It is wrong politically and has cost them big, More importantly, it is wrong morally. If hardcore Republicans have come to realise this then there may be some hope for the Republicans and the Log Cabin Republicans.

The shame in this is that I have yet to hear President Obama say Word One in the wake of the California Supreme Court decision the day before yesterday. His silence is deafening. He promised change yet has not lifted a finger on our behalf. This in and of itself speaks volumes about his personal commitment to change and what it says is that there is a possibility of change for everyone except the GLBTQ community.

Many in the gay community mistrust both Mr. Olsen and his real intentions in bringing this suit. I can understand that. The Republicans have historically been no allies of the GLBTQ community. Mistrust is perfectly understandable under the circumstances. However, I will take a wait-and-see attitude. It is entirely possible that Mr. Olsen has experienced a change of heart and if so, that change will bear fruit.

I believe that sooner or later, the Supreme Court of the United States will have to rule on marriage equality. The religious right will fight this until the government lets them know once and for all that equality is for ALL Americans, regardless of race, religion, physical disability, or sexual orientation. You may believe as you wish, but you do not have the right to force others to live according to those beliefs. It happened in the case of the African-American community (remember, many bigots felt they had the Bible on their side in maintaining segregation and bigotry. The Supreme Court finally put paid to that particular element.

It would indeed be a great irony if marriage equality were to come about at the hands of Republicans--avowed conservatives. In this case, if successful, they would be following in the footsteps of our Founding Fathers by extending the actual rights (as opposed to just words on a piece of paper) of "life, liberty, and the persuit of happiness" to all Americans.

Won't Back Down

I thought I would put up a link to a lovely video on YouTube for people to enjoy and to be inspired by.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfPNO7G7qqY

H8 Has Won Out... For the Moment

The Supreme Court of the State of California has upheld Prop H8. There is no gentle way to break the unfortunate news. The Court has seen fit to uphold hatred and bigotry rather than equality and justice. What this says, loud and clear, is that Californians get to vote on the civil rights of fellow-Californians. Whose civil rights would you like to vote on next? Women? African-Americans? Latinos? You can, you know, if you can get a proposition on the ballot. That's all it takes to make sure some group YOU don't like has their civil rights denied.

I urge anyone who reads this blog to log onto the site below and to donate to "Won't Back Down":

http://www.wontbackdown.org/

Yes, this may stand for the time being, but I urge ALL LGBTQ people, families, and friends: don't back down until all people have the right to marry whom they love and when they do, that they have all the RIGHTS and responsibilities of marriage.

CA Supreme Court To Rule on Prop H8

Apparently the Supreme Court will hand down its ruling this coming Tuesday. In view of the recent victories in other states and the District of Columbia, it would be nice to think that decency will overcome hatred and mean-spiritedness, but to be honest, I haven't the foggiest idea of whether the Court will overturn it or not.

This bruhaha over marriage equality makes me ill at times. The fact that the Religious Right takes smug and malicious pleasure in any victories that can be scored against us makes me even more ill. I see God/dess as love and acceptance. while their God hates and rejects, just like so many of his followers.

Why is it that small countries, such as Uruguay enshrine marriage equality in law while we are forced to fight this battle state by state by state, with no guarantee that the Religious Right will not manage to get it voted down should the Leslature pass a marriage equality law or State Courts rule the banning of marriage equality to be unconstitutional?

I have only one comfort if Prop H8 is upheld: sooner or later, we WILL have marriage equality. One day, people will vote on the basis of love and acceptance rather than to have a group to look down on as inferior.