My Take on Prop 8

[keenman]

For those who don’t know what Prop 8 refers to, I’ll direct you to the Wikipedia article. Basically, it was a proposition in California to explicitly eliminate gay marriages in that state, and annul marriages that had already been processed. The proposition passed by a margin of 52% to 48%. In particular, the Mormon church funded much of the ‘

Comments

[jazzfanatic]

I agree that we will ultimately win the battle by winning over the hearts and minds of others - and we do that by being more open and having conversations with those around us.

Regarding the protests, they will do far more good than may be apparent on the day of the protest, because they will energize the participants. I attended that National Marches on Washington in 1987, 1993, and 2000. At the time, I wondered if a large gathering on the Mall on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon would make any difference - it's not like very many people in the White House, Congress, or Supreme Court were there to see it. But for years after each event, I would read stories of local activists who started an organization or accomplished something because they were motivated by the energy at the March.

What is going to happen tomorrow is simply unprecedented in our community. The Marches on Washington were just one event in one city. So many more people are going to get motivated to organize and do something than ever before. I don't think HRC and the various Equality [insert state name here] organizations are all that effective anymore.

We are at an inflection point in our history. In the future, we will look back on the losses on Props 8, 102, and 2 and the marches held tomorrow as major milestones, like the Stonewall Riot and the Matthew Shepard murder.

And I must respectfully disagree with littlelou. Why is protesting the Mormon church nonsense? They raised $30 million dollars to take away our rights, and they engaged in lying and fearmongering to do it. Documents have just been released from ten years ago that show that they have been planning their strategies for denying our rights for ten years. They don't get a pass because they are a religion (and neither should the Catholic church and various evangelical Christian churches). They do not have moral superiority.

[keenman]

Thanks for the enlightment. Between your post and the wise words of another friend of mine who's participated in many protests as well, I now have a broader understanding of their purpose and will be attending the march tomorrow. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.