hate wins out

I could never say this half as well. I am grateful for Digby’s ability to put into words what the victory of hate over love means in California:

How people can vote for the first African American president in American history, with all that implies, while simultaneously voting to discriminate against gays is testament to the incoherence of American politics and the lack of clear cut philosophy guiding people’s choices. Everyone says there’s too much ideology in our politics but I’d say there isn’t enough. There isn’t enough common sense either. Discrimination against others just because you don’t like how they live their lives is against the very essence of the two pillars of America — liberty and equality. To fail to see that even as you vote for an historic, important first African American is incoherent.

I keep hearing about how this will right itself in the long run, that it’s just a matter of waiting until this new generation gets old enough and then gay rights will magically be “granted.” I hope that’s true. But to paraphrase a saying that’s been overused lately — in the long run all of today’s gay partners and gay parents will be dead. These soothing tones of “patience” and “don’t worry” don’t mean much when you consider that you only have one life to live.

It’s terrific that we are seeing a decline in racism to the extent that we are able to elect a black president. We’ve come a long way and there’s no taking anything away from those who waged the struggle over all these centuries. But our society is not truly changed if it’s still writing discrimination into law.

It’s as if we just can’t be America unless we are taking active steps to marginalize somebody.

Go read. My joy over the rejection of right wing ideology by the majority of people in this country is profoundly tempered by the sickening triumph of hate in California.

Crossposted at Big Ass Belle.

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10 homophobic AG’s weigh in.

I call them homophobic because, well….why the hell else would they get involved in Cali’s legal system? Huh? Come on, do you have another reason to cite?

Also, these 10 homophobic assholes are in states that don’t allow gay marriage because they have implemented laws against it. So, I rest my case. From Jurist:

Ten US state attorneys general have petitioned the Supreme Court of California to postpone implementation of its May 15 decision legalizing same-sex marriages until after state elections in November. California is slated to allow all same-sex couples, regardless of state citizenship, to wed in California, but each of the 10 petitioning states bans recognition of same-sex marriages. The attorneys general - from Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Carolina, South Dakota and Utah - wrote Thursday that if California starts issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples on June 17 as announced, many same-sex couples in their states would become “marriage tourists” in California and the states’ courts would then face unfair, extensive and burdensome litigation on whether to recognize the marriages. The AGs also joined conservative Christian legal advocacy group Alliance Defense Fund’s recent petition in saying that deciding the issue before California citizens vote in November on a likely proposed amendment to the California state constitution banning same-sex marriage could lead to legal havoc. Attorneys for the city and county of San Francisco have responded that a stay would mingle judicial and political processes and would deny rights based on a merely proposed state constitutional amendment. The New York Times has more. The San Francisco Chronicle has local coverage.

Recognition of California same-sex marriages is not universally opposed in other US jurisdictions. Earlier this month, one day before the California ruling, New York Governor David Paterson ordered that state agencies recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages as legal marriages in New York.

Friggin homophobes….I find this bullshit extremely unsettling. Hatred is never positive…its always negative and the rationale for this type of behavior is never ever logical.

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a standing ovation for california

“Social change takes time, but it does not mean we have to wait for hearts and minds to change. Given the naked racism we’ve seen this election cycle, you best believe that anti-miscegenation laws would still be on the books in some states if we were going to wait until everyone was on board with interracial marriage. And that will be the case for same-sex marriage.

We have to lead, not follow; we have to educate allies — and push the civil rights envelope through legal channels. Both are necessary. It’s why it’s important to parse the statements of the presidential candidates in reaction to yesterday’s ruling — will they lead, or follow?”

pam, at pam’s house blend

do you think rosie will move to cali?

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CA Supreme Court shoots down gay marriage ban.

The haters have also started a petition to change the State Constitution to view marriage as only between opposite sexes.

MSNBC has this:

Domestic partnerships are not a good enough substitute for marriage, the justices ruled 4-3 in an opinion written by Chief Justice Ron George.

The decision can be viewed here.

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THE BENEFITS OF GAY MARRIAGE

The Marriage Protection Amendment is one of the most asinine ideas to come down the pike in at least fifty years. In the first place it’s a misnomer. It doesn’t protect heterosexual marriage at all. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this or not, but whenever you ask the proponents of the Marriage Protections exactly how it protects heterosexual marriage, they never quite manage to muster a proper response. They go into convoluted Biblical arguments about how the primary purpose of marriage is reproduction, or how God created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve, or how gay marriage will open the doors on incestuous relationships or bestiality, but they never directly answer the question. How is gay marriage harmful to heterosexual couples? Do the Bible-thumpers in this world really believe that a straight couple will one day encounter a gay couple and that one of the heterosexuals will turn to his partner and quip, “Jeeze dear, that looks kind of neat, I think I’d like to try that?” I wouldn’t be surprised. As for the idea that gay marriage will promote incest and bestiality, I don’t suppose it ever dawned on the Bible-thumpers that they might want to pass Constitutional Amendments against those abnormal practices and leave the GLBT community the hell alone. But when the truth is told the fact of the matter is that gay marriage will have no ill effect other than denying gay couples what heterosexual couples already enjoy.

Read more

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love and marriage

with the recent fight between the two democratic frontrunners for the lgbt vote- gary at declarations of pride has laid out the best post i have seen on the subject of ‘gay marriage.’

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