CA bans same sex marriage

With an astounding victory over Senator McCain last night, Barack Obama made history by becoming the first African American president. The landslide victory showed that Americans were ready for change. However, this morning I woke up to the news that CA’s prop 8 was passed, a step backwards for same-sex marriage activists. Like I mentioned in my last entry, I am not one to be politically aware or vocal about my opinions on propositions, but what better place than my blog to share the feelings I have about this issue. I also have to mention that since moving to Wisconsin, I’ve become a Wisconsin resident, so I did not have the opportunity to cast a CA ballot in this election.

It is no secret that I am Catholic, and according to what the church tells us, we were supposed to vote Yes on Prop 8. And while choosing “yes” is what they say I am supposed to do, I am also of the opinion that God put us on Earth and gave us free will for a reason. I think everyone needs to find their own truth. And for me, that truth is that God would want us to love everyone. Period. So to say that God wants us to deny our brothers and sisters of a right that I myself have exercised this very year, I would think is against what God would want.

What comes to mind is the commandment “Thy shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife.” This commandment is about adultery. We’re not supposed to have affairs. Yet, in the Bible, when people were throwing stones at a woman convicted of adultery, Jesus himself picked up the woman, and said “let those without sin cast the first stone.” Jesus loved the woman, despite her sin of committing adultery. We all have sins, but who are we to condemn others. Jesus didn’t tell the people to deny this woman any rights because of her adulterous ways. God’s ultimate golden rule is “love thy neighbor as thyself.” It doesn’t say to love thy neighbor only if they are heterosexual as thyself. If I, as a heterosexual, can marry the man of dreams, then I should also extend that right to my homosexual brothers and sisters.

I don’t understand how we can deny someone the right to marry just because of their sexual orientation. We as a society are willing to give murderer a chance for parole, because of “good behavior.” But a homosexual who has been a model citizen cannot extend a right that a heterosexual has. That was stretch, but my point is that being homosexual doesn’t make you less of a person, it doesn’t make you less of a citizen. So why perpetuate the hate and discrimination by allowing them to LOVE. That is all they are asking for. They’re asking the government and its people to allow them to declare to the rest of the world that they are in love. It’s such a beautiful thing to be in love, and by voting yes, those citizens are denying them that right. It’s as though they are telling them to be ashamed of their love, and keep it to yourselves. With the war going on, why not spread a little love!

I come from a family who adamantly voted Yes on Prop 8, and they have every right to believe what they believe, and vote how they want to vote. They are steadfast in their convictions, and I know that nothing I can say will sway them. I can only hope that they understand why I would’ve voted No. I have gay relatives and friends, and I couldn’t imagine telling them to their face that not only would I not support their marriage, but that I would fight to take the right away from them. I see myself no different from them. Nothing was stamped on their bodies when they were born that they were second class citizens. I hope to be alive to see all my friends and family marry whomever they want.

And this entry is especially dedicated to my dear friend Jon. Thank you for always supporting me and my love, and I hope to one day support you and yours.