Write To Marry Day - October 29, 2009

The elections are just around the corner and here in California, we have a Proposition that would eliminate the rights of same-sex couples to marry. I know I have been blogging about Prop 8 a lot lately, but it is very near and dear to my heart, because it affects my family.

Here's my story. I met my partner (now husband) in 1992. We have been together for 16 years, we have a 4-year old son, and we just want the same rights that any loving and committed opposite-sex couple has. We want to be legally recognized as a "couple" under the eyes of the law. We never imagined that as a gay couple we would ever have the opportunity to marry legally in the State of California. In May 2008, that all changed. The California Supreme Court overturned Prop 22's Family Code definition of marriage as being between a man and woman, because the judges saw that it violated the Equal Protection Clause of the California Constitution. So on June 17, 2008 a month after it was overturned, my partner and I were able to legally wed in California, giving us equality and the ability to be full citizens of the State of California.

Now proponents of Prop 8 want to overturn EQUALITY and put discrimination into the California Constitution. The California Constitution is suppose to protect rights of all its citizens, not take them away. So, I encourage all Californians to Vote No on 8, and keep all Californians Equal. This proposition is not about Religious Freedoms, Children, or Tax Exemptions. Proponents of Prop 8 are spreading lies and stating that it would affect their rights, well their rights are already protected under the California Constitution's Free Exercise of Religion clause. Well the truth of the matter is that Prop 8 is about "eliminating the rights of same-sex couples to marry (Period)." To learn the facts vs. the fiction, please visit the Vote No on 8 Website.

Regardless of how you feel about same-sex marriage or the LGBT community, passing Prop 8 would deprive certain CIVIL RIGHTS to a group of people, lowering them to the status of second class citizens. Additionally, it would add discriminatory language in the California Constitution. How would you feel if your rights were taken away?

I encourage all bloggers to blog about Write To Marry Day, today or tomorrow and encourage your California Readers to Vote No on Prop 8.

DON'T STOP AT THE TOP, VOTE ALL THE WAY DOWN THE BALLOT!
NO ON PROP 8!

-Percy

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