I don't normally do this, but this particular initiative really hits home for me. My mother just came to the Bay Area this summer and married her partner of over 20 years. I have had many good friends get married this summer, with tears in their eyes, where for so long they were denied this right. You can tell this means so much to them.
Now, for reasons I don't fully understand, there is strong support to eliminate this right by explicitly disallowing anyone to marry except a man and a woman.
I can understand having strong feelings about who can marry, and even belonging to a church, temple, mosque or other organization that does not condone or support gay marriage.
But why does this mean removing the right for a gay couple to marry within the state of California? To me this is imposing one's own beliefs upon everyone. There are orthodox rabbis who will only marry two Jews. Does this mean we should have an amendment that says that only two people of the same faith can marry?
My heart breaks at the thought that my Mom's marriage, and the marriage of my friends, will be invalidated by the state constitution, and that future couples will be denied the right to marry and enjoy the same rights and responsibilities the rest of us have.
So, if you're in California, please vote NO on Prop 8.
Whether you live in California or not, you can help in other ways, through donations or volunteering, at http://www.noonprop8.com/.
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