Let freedom ring
Posted by Ariel · Announcements

Im really sorry - its so unfair.
Change like this comes in baby steps with a lot of hard work and many tears.

This WILL turn around one day and like the ability for women to vote, the ability to marry whomever one chooses will be taken as a given and not a right.

Hang in and know that you are living and making history. You are paving the way for others down the road.
XXX

Right on. I have hope that we've elected an African-American president; now for the queer civil rights battle, we still have a long way to go, but I hope that someday in my lifetime, my marriage will be recognized.

Not to rain a parade on the "no longer valid" part…

But news.yahoo.com and cnn.com both show results that the marriages are currently still considered valid - though they ARE in "legal limbo".

Though don't get me wrong, I was crushed to find that they passed Prop 8. As a polyamorous bisexual female (that's a mouthful!) myself, I'm angered beyond belief that people could somehow find this morally okay.

On an uplifting note, "But in San Francisco, the mayor said his government will continue issuing same-sex marriage licenses until he's stopped. " (Source: http://www.cnn.com )

I live across the street from a Christian Fellowship here in Cali . Every Sunday during the month of October, children as young as 10 years old were passing out Yes on 8 fliers in my neighborhood. Everytime I passed one of these children, I would politely ask them what Prop 8 was. Not once did these innocent pawns have an answer to my question.
I am so distraught that this intolerent propostion passed and hope that one day if I am blessed to have a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transagender son or daughter I will be able to enjoy a -legal- union between them & the person they choose to LOVE.
The fight is definately not over.
Thanks for the post Ariel, I've been needing to get that out!

wouldn't it be great if all of us who brushed up on our political kung fu to get involved in obama's campaign just decided to keep the ground game rolling and forge ahead with that same intensity for same-sex rights? when you've got momentum, it's harder to stop than it is to keep going.

more phone banks. more traveling to other states. more spreading the word. it's the best cure for post-election withdrawal.

I flipped off my cameraphone in kind. Prop 8 is so mean-spirited and divisive, as are all of the other antigay ballot questions that appeared this year. My partner and I are deeply lucky to live in MA.

How is it even legal to put civil right up for a vote? This is what our judicial system is for - to protect the rights of minorities. Leaving rights and liberties up to the majority to decide is unconstitutional itself….ugh.

A kick in the teeth indeed!

My wife and I married on 10/25/08 in WA.

This pretty much sums up my reaction, too. (second reaction, actually, as my first step was to break into histerical tears) Something a lot of my friends have pointed out which helps a bit is just how much of a stand the younger generations of voters made against prop 8 and similar measures in Arizona, Florida and Arkansas. Change IS coming. I know it's absolutely nerve-wracking that it won't come overnight, but we are making steps forward. This might have been a stumble backwards, but the issue is getting pushed and perhaps now it's been pushed enough that this kind of discrimination can be taken to the courts and settled once and for all.

But until then, I'm so blogging my own photo to let freedom ring.

One step forward (Obama), two steps back (Prop 8). I can't wait until I'm an old lady and we elect our first gay president, so I can tell my grandchildren how incredibly stupid and backward the US was when I was young.

Ariel, I totally appreciate how positive you aim to make this space, but thank you for the support.

I am just so angry and so sad, and then I'll be fine for a while, then I will break into tears.

Another Fuck Prop H8TE band wagoner… and loving it!

Ugh, it makes me so so so sad. The last time a country told people who loved each other that they could not marry was Nazi germany. As a Californian, I really thought we could do better than that.

What's also sad is that I have relatives who grew up during the Jim Crow era that refuse to see how this relate to what they have been through in those days. I'm truly surprised that California of all the US states have done this.

Every time there's a big jump forward, socially, the period right before the jump happens is characterized by people digging in their heels and trying their damndest to drag everyone back with them. This sucks in the short term, but can never hold back progress forever.

Have hope.

I was so floored when I found out about this BS in Cali. Getting a ring and a camera as I type this.

Thanks, Ariel!

Straights Against 8!

This fight is NOT over and we'll continue to do what we have to.

Ariel,

Thanks for posting this, it's really important to me and I was devastated to hear the result.

The fact that gay marriage is not legal raises huge feelings of guilt and pain for my (straight) fiance and me. We are trying to think of ways to help the cause. We know some straight couples have foregone marriage altogether though we're not sure that this really works for us or helps the greater goal of legalizing gay marriage.

Could you maybe help us out by posting an article where those planning straight weddings can share ideas about how to recognize and overturn this injustice?

We were thinking of "registering" for an overturn-Prop-8 fund instead of gifts, and also donating $5 per guest to said fund rather than give out stupid favors. Would love to hear others' ideas.

there's a petition going around to reopen prop 8. most important for californians to sign, but i imagine we could all sign to lend our support. and pass it around when you are done…

http://www.petitiononline.com/.....ition.html

don't give up the fight!

If I lived in California, you can be sure I would have voted against it. It breaks my heart that people can't see love for love's sake.

Tirzah, I'm just as sad that my home failed me, but we're not all backwoods yokels. It was a pretty small margin, the passing, and many of my fellow Floridians are pissed as hell.

Separate is never equal :[

Amen.

I've been arguing with a TOTAL idiot about gay marraige for a while on bartlesville.net. Ugh.

As happy as I was about the election the Pro 8 injustice made it really bitter sweet for me. I truly believe it's not over though and we'll be out on the streets fighting everyday until we win.

If you haven't already please sign the petition to appeal prop 8 and then pass it on to your friends.
http://www.petitiononline.com/.....ition.html

I'm in shock. On one hand a great monumentous even just happened that I am still celebrating. The there's this.

But on tuesday night I witnessed Jesse Jackson, speachless with tears in his eyes at the wonderful a piece of history he was watching unfolding. His fight reached a milestone that night.

For those of us supporting gay marriage, we still have yet to find our King. But with faith and love we know, "We shall overcome."

Hi I have a question, ( to Juile) what state are you in?? To others Im kinda lost on which state legalizes gay marriage?, I know my state doesnt(ohio) because my niece married a woman and sadly I didnt know this til 5 months after the wedding event took place because of my narrow minded relatives did not tell me about the wedding. My niece didn't know that I wasn't told about the wedding and they have been married almost two years now,sorry to babble on here. By the way Julie congrats to you and your wife!

I don't have a ring yet, either. I'm flying my middle fingers all around though.

Nothing makes me more sad and angry then this…