Proposition 8: the measure to grant gay and lesbian marriage was a heated topic for months prior to and following the 2008 elections. Unfortunately for many, this proposition passed, defining marriage as only between a man and a woman.
On Wednesday, December 3rd, a Marriage Equality Community Forum took place in Albany High School’s Multi-Purpose Room to discuss “After Proposition 8 – What Next?” The discussion was co-sponsored by the Albany High School PTSA, the Albany High Gay Straight Alliance, ACLU-NC, and Equal Marriage USA (Alameda Co Chapter). Myriad speakers attended the meeting with many constructive ideas; speakers included Andrea Shorter, Shanya Gelender, Maya Scott-Chung, and Paulie Milagros Shreck.
Shreck began the meeting by stating how she felt alone because of her mother’s orientation. Shreck takes part in an organization called COLAGE, a place where people of all ages with parents who may be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer try to get social justice by working with the youth to lead, advocate, and educate. Shreck deemed that, “There needs to be change when it comes to schools all around the world so kids don’t feel alone if they have gay parents.”
Others, angered by the result of Prop 8 brought up the notion that the measure was invalid. “Prop 8 either needs to be amended or they need to revise the constitution,” said Shayna Gelender of ALCU-NC.
Andrea Shorter is the Campaign Director of Marriage of All who lives in San Francisco’s Castro District. She declared, “If you see this as a civil rights movement, in my opinion, you don’t run away from it.”
Many people believe that the issue on Prop 8 was passed because of peoples’ race, which affect their beliefs. Shorter works with people from NAACP California, Let Freedom Ring, and other organizations throughout California to reach out to African Americans. Shorter recorded that there had been a 5% improvement since 2000 for marriage equality in the eyes of people of color (particularly African Americans) in California. Eighty-five percent of registered Republicans voted yes on Prop 8, therefore it comes down to religion, a behavior – not race.
Shorter also said, “Prop 8 shouldn’t have been on the ballot.”
The consensus is that Prop 8 measure wasn’t legitimate; many people were confused on the wording of the proposition. With such an issue as the right of a human being to marry whom they love, Proposition 8 is a big deal. The lesbian and gay community as well as others who care about human rights feel that this measure needs to be voted on again. If the proposition is upheld by higher courts, it’s necessary to have a ballot measure to overturn proposition 8. However, same-sex couples may have to wait until 2012 instead of 2010 to vote on having their marriage rights granted.
By Sara Muse and Lucia Sekoff
“Many people believe that the issue on Prop 8 was passed because of peoples race, which affect their beliefs. Shorter works with people from NAACP California, Let Freedom Ring, and other organizations throughout California to reach out to African Americans. Shorter recorded that there had been a 5% improvement since 2000 for marriage equality in the eyes of people of color (particularly African Americans) in California. Eighty-five percent of registered Republicans voted yes on Prop 8, therefore it comes down to religion, a behavior – not race.”
Good article, and many points were valid, but this paragraph needs revising. First of all, you don’t mention the percentage of African Americans who voted for prop 8, nor do you mention that, if not a single African American had voted, prop 8 still would have passed (indicating that anger towards blacks is ill-founded). You also call being a Republican a “religion,” which makes very little sense. Also, seeing as how 90% of African Americans are Democrats, clearly there is an explanation besides partisan identification.
Aside from the discrepancies Mac pointed out, there are a few formatting errors and more than a few grammatical errors in this copy. Web editor? And the accompanying picture seems subtly NAMBLA-flavored… Hey, I’m just sayin’.
Other than that, good reporting. I feel sorry for missing the meeting…
Wondering what Parker means by “subtly NAMBLA-flavored”? All I see in the website photo is two hands hoping for civil equality in marriage rights. Am I missing something or was this a comment intended to evoke an otherwise uninspired rendition of things to be afraid of?
I think he was just referring to how old one of the hands look compared to the other.
I was just joking… didn’t mean to offend.