A personal plea to vote NO on Prop 8
I just sent my family and friends a long email asking for them to vote no on Prop 8. While I know that I'm just preaching to the choir with my friends, I'm definitely speaking to the unconverted with most of my family.
It's hard, but we are how we are... and they're my family, and at the end of the day, I still love them.
And if my friends can use my words to help with their families, or if they needed a little nudge to get out there and ask people to vote no... well, that's a good thing. If these words can help defeat Prop 8, I will be happy.
Anyway, here's the text of the email I sent:
Dear family and friends,
I apologize about the mass email, but I need your help. I need you to help defend my rights and dignity as a human being and a member of this society.
On November 4th, California votes on whether to continue to recognize that I and people like me have and deserve the same rights as everyone else, or whether to take them away and write inequality and discrimination into our constitution.
I have not been fortunate enough to find the person I want to spend the rest of my life with yet, but I do know that when I find that person, I want the full protection that the law provides. I want that protection for me, for my family, for my friends, for strangers whom I'll never meet. Please help keep that protection in place for everyone.
Prop 8 seeks to change our constitution in order to ban same-sex marriage throughout California by defining civil marriage as being only between a man and a woman. A 'yes' vote would ban same-sex marriage. A 'no' vote maintains the status quo and means that no new laws would be enacted. In other words, a 'no' vote would uphold the 15 May 2008 decision by the California Supreme Court that stated that limits on marriage to prevent same-sex couples from getting legally, civilly married (things that Prop 22 did and Prop 8 means to do) violate the equal protection clause of the California constitution. The courts found, as we have known for a long time, that separate is NOT equal.
Domestic partnership is not the same as civil marriage. It is not equal. Even if it were, telling same-sex couples that they are allowed to enter into domestic partnership but not civil marriage is NOT equality. It turns basic human rights that everyone shares into privileges doled out willy-nilly by a capricious government. Please take a moment to imagine what it feels like to be told that you are not allowed to legally marry the person that you love and want to spend the rest of your life with, but that you could settle for being domestic partners. Does that feel like equality to you? Or does it feel like someone just made you less than equal under the law?
Imagine it. Take a minute to think about how it feels.
It's horrible, isn't it?
Please do not let that feeling become a permanent reality for anyone.
If you have religious objections to marriage equality, please understand that your religion will NOT be forced to perform same-sex marriages. Just like the Catholic Church can't be forced to perform marriages for people who have been divorced, it can't be forced to perform any other marriages it doesn't want to. The same applies to every other faith and house of worship.
We keep religion and state separate because that is the only way to ensure that everyone's right to choose their faith is protected. If your religion does not permit same-sex marriage, it will still be free to do that. You will be free to practice your faith as you see fit. But if you vote yes on Proposition 8, you will be imposing your religious convictions on others, who will suffer as a result.
Remember, we are talking about legal, civil marriage, not about religious marriage. Same-sex couples can and have committed their lives to one another in front of their families, friends, and God, and will continue to do so, but it is only now that these couples can also do that before the law and be as fully protected by it as everyone else. Please do not take away those protections. Please do not vote to take away our rights, please do not make us less than equal under the law.
If you object to marriage equality are because you think that same-sex marriage will somehow be taught in the schools, please know that Proposition 8 does not say anything at all about education, and that the California Superintendent of Schools Jack O'Connell has publicly stated that the allegations that it will be taught are a lie, and has stated his opposition to Prop 8, as has the California Teachers Association.
If you have objections to marriage equality because you just find the thought of two people of the same sex together to be gross, or wrong, or simply incomprehensible, please ask yourself if that's reason enough to take away people's rights and to deny them their full human dignity. Remember, it's only been since 1967 that interracial marriages were upheld to be legal everywhere in this country. Back then, the majority of people in this country believed that interracial marriages were wrong. If people's rights then were subject to majority vote like we're doing now with Prop 8... well, it's likely that interracial couples would have continued to be discriminated against and remained unequal under the law. Please do not make same-sex couples unequal under the law.
I am making this plea because I believe that you are a good person who wants the best for me and for everyone, and I want you to know that Proposition 8 is not good for me, or for anyone. It eliminates people's rights, and it takes away people's dignity. It takes away MY rights. It takes away MY dignity. Please do not be a part of that. Please do not take away my rights. Please do not take away my dignity.
I am asking you to do at least one of the following things. If you already are, thank you. Thank you. I am doing all three, but if you can't do more than one, please do the first:
1. Please vote NO on Prop 8. If you're not a California voter, then:
2. Please talk to your friends, coworkers, family, and everyone, especially California voters, about Prop 8 and ask them to vote NO on Prop 8. Even if you know that they are going to do so, please make sure that they vote. If you think they are likely to vote yes on Prop 8, please still ask them to vote no. Please tell them about your loved ones who are directly affected by the discrimination of Prop 8 and how it takes away people's rights and dignity. They could change their minds.
3. Please make a donation at http://www.noonprop8.com/ . Even a small amount helps. I have donated twice already.
Feel free to send this message on to anyone you want to, and to use any part of it in your own appeals to others. Everything you can do to help defeat Proposition 8 is greatly appreciated, not just by me, but by millions of people.
If you want to talk more with me about Prop 8, please email or call me. Please help me and so many other people to defeat discrimination. Please help to protect our rights and dignity.
with my deepest gratitude,
Alberto
It's hard, but we are how we are... and they're my family, and at the end of the day, I still love them.
And if my friends can use my words to help with their families, or if they needed a little nudge to get out there and ask people to vote no... well, that's a good thing. If these words can help defeat Prop 8, I will be happy.
Anyway, here's the text of the email I sent:
Dear family and friends,
I apologize about the mass email, but I need your help. I need you to help defend my rights and dignity as a human being and a member of this society.
On November 4th, California votes on whether to continue to recognize that I and people like me have and deserve the same rights as everyone else, or whether to take them away and write inequality and discrimination into our constitution.
I have not been fortunate enough to find the person I want to spend the rest of my life with yet, but I do know that when I find that person, I want the full protection that the law provides. I want that protection for me, for my family, for my friends, for strangers whom I'll never meet. Please help keep that protection in place for everyone.
Prop 8 seeks to change our constitution in order to ban same-sex marriage throughout California by defining civil marriage as being only between a man and a woman. A 'yes' vote would ban same-sex marriage. A 'no' vote maintains the status quo and means that no new laws would be enacted. In other words, a 'no' vote would uphold the 15 May 2008 decision by the California Supreme Court that stated that limits on marriage to prevent same-sex couples from getting legally, civilly married (things that Prop 22 did and Prop 8 means to do) violate the equal protection clause of the California constitution. The courts found, as we have known for a long time, that separate is NOT equal.
Domestic partnership is not the same as civil marriage. It is not equal. Even if it were, telling same-sex couples that they are allowed to enter into domestic partnership but not civil marriage is NOT equality. It turns basic human rights that everyone shares into privileges doled out willy-nilly by a capricious government. Please take a moment to imagine what it feels like to be told that you are not allowed to legally marry the person that you love and want to spend the rest of your life with, but that you could settle for being domestic partners. Does that feel like equality to you? Or does it feel like someone just made you less than equal under the law?
Imagine it. Take a minute to think about how it feels.
It's horrible, isn't it?
Please do not let that feeling become a permanent reality for anyone.
If you have religious objections to marriage equality, please understand that your religion will NOT be forced to perform same-sex marriages. Just like the Catholic Church can't be forced to perform marriages for people who have been divorced, it can't be forced to perform any other marriages it doesn't want to. The same applies to every other faith and house of worship.
We keep religion and state separate because that is the only way to ensure that everyone's right to choose their faith is protected. If your religion does not permit same-sex marriage, it will still be free to do that. You will be free to practice your faith as you see fit. But if you vote yes on Proposition 8, you will be imposing your religious convictions on others, who will suffer as a result.
Remember, we are talking about legal, civil marriage, not about religious marriage. Same-sex couples can and have committed their lives to one another in front of their families, friends, and God, and will continue to do so, but it is only now that these couples can also do that before the law and be as fully protected by it as everyone else. Please do not take away those protections. Please do not vote to take away our rights, please do not make us less than equal under the law.
If you object to marriage equality are because you think that same-sex marriage will somehow be taught in the schools, please know that Proposition 8 does not say anything at all about education, and that the California Superintendent of Schools Jack O'Connell has publicly stated that the allegations that it will be taught are a lie, and has stated his opposition to Prop 8, as has the California Teachers Association.
If you have objections to marriage equality because you just find the thought of two people of the same sex together to be gross, or wrong, or simply incomprehensible, please ask yourself if that's reason enough to take away people's rights and to deny them their full human dignity. Remember, it's only been since 1967 that interracial marriages were upheld to be legal everywhere in this country. Back then, the majority of people in this country believed that interracial marriages were wrong. If people's rights then were subject to majority vote like we're doing now with Prop 8... well, it's likely that interracial couples would have continued to be discriminated against and remained unequal under the law. Please do not make same-sex couples unequal under the law.
I am making this plea because I believe that you are a good person who wants the best for me and for everyone, and I want you to know that Proposition 8 is not good for me, or for anyone. It eliminates people's rights, and it takes away people's dignity. It takes away MY rights. It takes away MY dignity. Please do not be a part of that. Please do not take away my rights. Please do not take away my dignity.
I am asking you to do at least one of the following things. If you already are, thank you. Thank you. I am doing all three, but if you can't do more than one, please do the first:
1. Please vote NO on Prop 8. If you're not a California voter, then:
2. Please talk to your friends, coworkers, family, and everyone, especially California voters, about Prop 8 and ask them to vote NO on Prop 8. Even if you know that they are going to do so, please make sure that they vote. If you think they are likely to vote yes on Prop 8, please still ask them to vote no. Please tell them about your loved ones who are directly affected by the discrimination of Prop 8 and how it takes away people's rights and dignity. They could change their minds.
3. Please make a donation at http://www.noonprop8.com/ . Even a small amount helps. I have donated twice already.
Feel free to send this message on to anyone you want to, and to use any part of it in your own appeals to others. Everything you can do to help defeat Proposition 8 is greatly appreciated, not just by me, but by millions of people.
If you want to talk more with me about Prop 8, please email or call me. Please help me and so many other people to defeat discrimination. Please help to protect our rights and dignity.
with my deepest gratitude,
Alberto