There's No Such Thing as Gay or Same-Sex Marriage
As if anyone needed another reason to love the great state of California, yesterday we became the first state in the Union to legislate marriage equality.
The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act simply makes sense. It's simply American. It's simply the right thing. There are no valid arguments against it -- simply none -- only hate and ignorance and fear. Equality is the prime American value, marriage protects children and the elderly and all other members of a family, and religious freedom, as well as freedom from religion, are principles on which this country was founded. Marking some citizens as less equal than others is evil. This is not an opinion, this is a fact with which no sane person can disagree.
However, amidst the jubilation, I have one plea, and it's one I make everywhere I possibly can: please stop calling it gay or same-sex marriage. There is nothing in AB 849 that creates a new system of marriage, separate from heterosexual marriage. There is nothing in the marriage laws of Massachusetts, Canada, Belgium, The Netherlands or Spain which provides for a separate system of marriage for non-heterosexual partners. Gay or same-sex marriage simply does not exist. It's not separate, it's equal. Call it what it is: marriage equality.
Besides being accurate, it takes the power back from the enemies of equality who want to use scary buzzwords to distort the truth. They want people to think of two men or two women getting married as something strange or alien or wrong. Two men or two women getting married are none of those things. What they are is equal. Marriage equality is what we're celebrating, universal marriage equality is what we're working towards, and marriage equality is what our Legislature has passed in California. And it's about damn time.
EQUALITY CALIFORNIA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 6, 2005
Contact: Eddie Gutiérrez, Director of Communications
Phone: (323) 217-8875 Email: eddie@eqca.org
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE MAKES HISTORY AND BECOMES FIRST IN NATION TO PASS MARRIAGE EQUALITY LEGISLATION
Governor Schwarzenegger Faces Decision That Will Likely Become Key Part of His Legacy
Sacramento, CA -- In a tremendous turn of events, the California Legislature made history today by becoming the first state legislature in the nation to pass equal marriage rights legislation for same-sex couples. Needing 41 votes to pass the Assembly after last week's historic 21-15 vote in the Senate, the final roll call was 41-35 in favor of Equality California-sponsored Assembly Bill (AB) 849, The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, authored by Assemblymember Mark Leno (D-Francisco), Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles), and 30 co-authors including the LGBT Legislative Caucus. Governor Schwarzenegger now has until October 6, 2005, to sign or veto the bill or he can let it go into effect without his signature.
"Today in California, love conquered fear, principle conquered politics and equality conquered injustice," said Geoffrey Kors, Executive Director of Equality California. "For the first time in our nation's history, the people's elected representatives have taken a stand to protect all families and ensure equality for all. We are counting on Governor Schwarzenegger to lift the burden of discrimination from hundreds of thousands of California families by becoming the first governor in the nation to sign legislation ending discrimination against same-sex couples obtaining a civil marriage license. His legacy will in large part be based on whether he signs or vetoes this historic civil rights legislation."
This vote comes on the heels of a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California that shows likely California voters are equally split, 46% to 46% on the issue of civil marriage for same-sex couples. This represents a shift in voter attitudes towards support for marriage equality. In comparison, polling showed that 70% of the public opposed overturning prohibitions on interracial marriage in 1967 when the United Supreme Court ruled such prohibitions to be unconstitutional.
California is now the first and only state in the nation where the legislature has voted to end marriage discrimination. Presently, Massachusetts is the only state to grant civil marriage licenses to same-sex couples. This was the result of a decision by the state's highest court. Vermont and Connecticut provide civil unions for same-sex couples, and California and New Jersey presently offer domestic partnerships. This victory in California, the state with the largest numbers of same-sex couples in the country, is anticipated to have an incredibly positive influence on the future of marriage equality nationwide.
"At last, righteous voices have found courageous votes," said Brian Bennett, member of the state Republican Central Committee and the EQCA Board. "Our Legislature didn't wait to be ordered to do the right thing, it just did it. And now the public is beginning to understand that this is about having the necessary protections and responsibilities needed to love, strengthen, and provide for our families. California is leading our nation, God-willing, into a new era where the true measure of dignity, equality, and compassion are voluntarily given."
Proposition 22, which said that California would not be required to recognize same-sex marriages from other states, is not impacted by this legislation. Further, the California Superior Court Judge Kramer deemed Proposition 22 unconstitutional earlier this year.
For local and regional spokespeople, please contact Eddie Gutiérrez, EQCA's Director of Communications, at 323-217-8875 or eddie@eqca.org. EQCA has offices in Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles and chapter leaders throughout the state. We are also available for Spanish-language interviews.
Founded in 1998, Equality California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure the dignity, safety, equality and civil rights of all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Californians. Equality California is one of the largest and fastest growing statewide LGBT organizations in the country. We can be contacted through our website at www.eqca.org (http://www.eqca.org/).
The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act simply makes sense. It's simply American. It's simply the right thing. There are no valid arguments against it -- simply none -- only hate and ignorance and fear. Equality is the prime American value, marriage protects children and the elderly and all other members of a family, and religious freedom, as well as freedom from religion, are principles on which this country was founded. Marking some citizens as less equal than others is evil. This is not an opinion, this is a fact with which no sane person can disagree.
However, amidst the jubilation, I have one plea, and it's one I make everywhere I possibly can: please stop calling it gay or same-sex marriage. There is nothing in AB 849 that creates a new system of marriage, separate from heterosexual marriage. There is nothing in the marriage laws of Massachusetts, Canada, Belgium, The Netherlands or Spain which provides for a separate system of marriage for non-heterosexual partners. Gay or same-sex marriage simply does not exist. It's not separate, it's equal. Call it what it is: marriage equality.
Besides being accurate, it takes the power back from the enemies of equality who want to use scary buzzwords to distort the truth. They want people to think of two men or two women getting married as something strange or alien or wrong. Two men or two women getting married are none of those things. What they are is equal. Marriage equality is what we're celebrating, universal marriage equality is what we're working towards, and marriage equality is what our Legislature has passed in California. And it's about damn time.
EQUALITY CALIFORNIA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 6, 2005
Contact: Eddie Gutiérrez, Director of Communications
Phone: (323) 217-8875 Email: eddie@eqca.org
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE MAKES HISTORY AND BECOMES FIRST IN NATION TO PASS MARRIAGE EQUALITY LEGISLATION
Governor Schwarzenegger Faces Decision That Will Likely Become Key Part of His Legacy
Sacramento, CA -- In a tremendous turn of events, the California Legislature made history today by becoming the first state legislature in the nation to pass equal marriage rights legislation for same-sex couples. Needing 41 votes to pass the Assembly after last week's historic 21-15 vote in the Senate, the final roll call was 41-35 in favor of Equality California-sponsored Assembly Bill (AB) 849, The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, authored by Assemblymember Mark Leno (D-Francisco), Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles), and 30 co-authors including the LGBT Legislative Caucus. Governor Schwarzenegger now has until October 6, 2005, to sign or veto the bill or he can let it go into effect without his signature.
"Today in California, love conquered fear, principle conquered politics and equality conquered injustice," said Geoffrey Kors, Executive Director of Equality California. "For the first time in our nation's history, the people's elected representatives have taken a stand to protect all families and ensure equality for all. We are counting on Governor Schwarzenegger to lift the burden of discrimination from hundreds of thousands of California families by becoming the first governor in the nation to sign legislation ending discrimination against same-sex couples obtaining a civil marriage license. His legacy will in large part be based on whether he signs or vetoes this historic civil rights legislation."
This vote comes on the heels of a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California that shows likely California voters are equally split, 46% to 46% on the issue of civil marriage for same-sex couples. This represents a shift in voter attitudes towards support for marriage equality. In comparison, polling showed that 70% of the public opposed overturning prohibitions on interracial marriage in 1967 when the United Supreme Court ruled such prohibitions to be unconstitutional.
California is now the first and only state in the nation where the legislature has voted to end marriage discrimination. Presently, Massachusetts is the only state to grant civil marriage licenses to same-sex couples. This was the result of a decision by the state's highest court. Vermont and Connecticut provide civil unions for same-sex couples, and California and New Jersey presently offer domestic partnerships. This victory in California, the state with the largest numbers of same-sex couples in the country, is anticipated to have an incredibly positive influence on the future of marriage equality nationwide.
"At last, righteous voices have found courageous votes," said Brian Bennett, member of the state Republican Central Committee and the EQCA Board. "Our Legislature didn't wait to be ordered to do the right thing, it just did it. And now the public is beginning to understand that this is about having the necessary protections and responsibilities needed to love, strengthen, and provide for our families. California is leading our nation, God-willing, into a new era where the true measure of dignity, equality, and compassion are voluntarily given."
Proposition 22, which said that California would not be required to recognize same-sex marriages from other states, is not impacted by this legislation. Further, the California Superior Court Judge Kramer deemed Proposition 22 unconstitutional earlier this year.
For local and regional spokespeople, please contact Eddie Gutiérrez, EQCA's Director of Communications, at 323-217-8875 or eddie@eqca.org. EQCA has offices in Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles and chapter leaders throughout the state. We are also available for Spanish-language interviews.
Founded in 1998, Equality California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure the dignity, safety, equality and civil rights of all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Californians. Equality California is one of the largest and fastest growing statewide LGBT organizations in the country. We can be contacted through our website at www.eqca.org (http://www.eqca.org/).
posted by dave at
9/07/2005 09:30:00 AM
1 Comments:
I think LGBT people too often reflexively think of themselves as second-class citizens without even realizing it. Every time I hear "gay marriage" I think "negro education". No rational person would ever stand for that! Ultimately, you can't get "marriage equality" if that's not even what you're asking for.
By
dave, at September 10, 2005 10:54 AM
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