Support for No On Prop 8!
Support for No On Prop 8!
So as my friends and family know, I don’t live in conservative Bakersfield anymore, and with the election now here people are spirited and showing their stance on what they “believe” in. Proposition 8 seems to be the most displayed, most ‘no’ here in Long Beach, but this weekend my trip outraged me. I drive down highway 99 and see billboards of “yes on 8,” and probably observed over a hundred people (including young children) rallying, posting signs, etc. . .
Of course, I’m not really one to hold back, so I grabbed my friends and some signs and went to the Stockdale/California intersection (where every corner was filled with people “yes on 8”) and the four of us stood right with them proud to hold our ”no on 8” signs despite the negativity we faced. The four of us turned into six in no time, then ten, and before we realized it we had over 40 people, spread out on the corners getting support from people passing by and watching the ‘yes’ supporters walk away.
Why vote yes on 8? Personally, even taking my sexuality out of it, I could not vote yes on something so discriminatory. Does that make me ‘too liberal?’ Or what about faithless? Or without family? Without love? God? Future? Happiness? No!
What benefit do you gain from voting yes? A lady and her husband rallying to “protect children’s innocence” has her children standing right with her screaming, shouting, exposing them directly to the “problem.” She and her husband are in front of their kids asking our group “so how are you going to get pregnant?” “Who’s the man and who’s the woman?” “You’re going to hell, you have no God.” “You can’t have family if you’re a fag.” “What are you, a boy or a girl?!” In all of this, one of our supporters defending themselves from these ignorant people said “shit” in a statement she made. These same people then threaten to call the cops, “there are children around, watch what you say, we will have the cops here in two seconds to get you people out of here.” So . . . “protect children’s innocence” by teaching them it is okay to discriminate and be prejudiced, but never let them hear a profanity? These clearly cannot be educated, loving people.
Some of these remarks are absurd:
I have no God? Well, I have gone to church, a few churches actually, and they all knew that I am gay. I was never informed that I am going to hell. God loves everybody, and all sins are equal. My desires, feelings, thoughts, (all of which are uncontrollable) do not make me a sinner, but behaving on these emotions can make me a sinner. So I can pray, trust in God, ask for forgiveness and have an eternal life in heaven just like everyone else.
Gay people have no family. I’m gay, and I have a family. I have cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, etc. So for those that do not, why? Do you think I would personally choose to not have family? Definitely not. Family leaves us out of their own pride and ignorance. Which also brings up being gay is my ‘choice.’ I would never just wake up and choose to like a boy. For the straight couples, did you just wake up and choose to like your partner? Of course not, you had butterflies, you were nervous and shy, and for reasons you can’t explain fell in love. The same thing happens with me, only I’m a guy, and it happens with other guys!
Another guy, who was probably close to my age, thought that the choice to marry someone of the same sex and receive the same benefits he would by marrying a woman was just as wrong as him robbing a bank. I can only assume that he had no real logical reason to hold his sign proud, so that was the only statement he could come up with and have his 10 year old little brother repeat.
To wrap it up, Monday night was honestly a blast. Knowing that the four of us were able to bring in the enthusiasm and support of others was empowering, and I can’t wait to see the election results. California cannot not allow prop 8 to prosper long, and it will only be a matter of time before we will see same sex couples with the same benefits federally as a man and woman’s marriage. And thanks to all the people that helped out Monday night, you guys were amazing and made it a memorable moment!!!
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