People wrote better, they thought better, they cared more…THEY DIDN'T HAVE FACEBOOK.
But then I realize I would have been almost two centuries too early for the civil rights movement and I guess we're still waiting for the gay rights movement to complete its long journey towards equality. Make no mistake Lady Gaga has single-handedly blazed a trail 10 steps beyond where we were before a certain little diddy: Born This Way. But legally we are not anywhere the equality that is supposed to be…what was it?…oh yeah…an 'unalienable right.'
But (according to wikipedia) only 6 out of the 50 states in the US recognize gay marriages (isn't it comforting to know that we're already only 12% there!) The funny thing is 5 out of those states were in those thirteen original colonies that created America in the first place (I'm counting Vermont because it was part of New York back then). The Puritans and Quakers have even progressed faster than the rest of the country it seems. This country was founded on religious principles starting back to Plymouth Rock (and let's face it they haven't always got along with the gays).
Still states like California, which doesn't have the same ties to strict religion as its New England counterparts, and is home to San Francisco AND Los Angeles (holla West Hollywood!), can't keep the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples longer than Kim Kardashian's marriage.
So today I wanna focus on legal issues. (I told you the Founding Fathers wrote better back then)
First a history of Prop 8 Since California is currently holding its breath for the Supreme Court's Decision
• In 2000 it was Prop 22 that sealed the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.
• Then in May 2008 it was declared unconstitutional by the California Supreme Court
• Not to be outdone the new Prop 8 was put on the ballot that same year and whataya know it was passed again in November, giving only a six month window of equality til the door was once again shut.
• Then Judge Walker overturned it in 2010!…But a stay was ordered. (yeah I don't know what that means either. Basically: they have been passed the case around until it reached the US Supreme Court)
• The US Supreme Court is scheduled to discuss it at their conference on September 24, just 10 days away!!!
The whole gay community is holding its breath waiting to hear if the struggle to love who they want is over. It is so much more anticipated because of that brief moment of sheer joy when we thought the long wait was over in California. I remember when Prop 8 was declared unconstitutional I think I put some facebook status to the effect of:
"Now that we can, somebody marry me!"
First a history of Prop 8 Since California is currently holding its breath for the Supreme Court's Decision
• In 2000 it was Prop 22 that sealed the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.
• Then in May 2008 it was declared unconstitutional by the California Supreme Court
• Not to be outdone the new Prop 8 was put on the ballot that same year and whataya know it was passed again in November, giving only a six month window of equality til the door was once again shut.
• Then Judge Walker overturned it in 2010!…But a stay was ordered. (yeah I don't know what that means either. Basically: they have been passed the case around until it reached the US Supreme Court)
• The US Supreme Court is scheduled to discuss it at their conference on September 24, just 10 days away!!!
The whole gay community is holding its breath waiting to hear if the struggle to love who they want is over. It is so much more anticipated because of that brief moment of sheer joy when we thought the long wait was over in California. I remember when Prop 8 was declared unconstitutional I think I put some facebook status to the effect of:
"Now that we can, somebody marry me!"
*you'll have noticed by now my affinity to exclamation marks!)
I naively thought that because something is declared unconstitutional it can't possibly be a law…I expected the immediate rush of the crowd to the nearest chapel doors for all gay couples ready to take that next step in their relationship. So…since that wasn't the case and still isn't the case I will be waiting with thousands of others to see if this time they can get it right.
The gay community is not trying to destroy the sacred institution of marriage, only join it. They're not trying to force everyone out and get exclusive rights to marriage, we just want to join the party. Share the love!
I naively thought that because something is declared unconstitutional it can't possibly be a law…I expected the immediate rush of the crowd to the nearest chapel doors for all gay couples ready to take that next step in their relationship. So…since that wasn't the case and still isn't the case I will be waiting with thousands of others to see if this time they can get it right.
The gay community is not trying to destroy the sacred institution of marriage, only join it. They're not trying to force everyone out and get exclusive rights to marriage, we just want to join the party. Share the love!
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