California defeat won't diminish our movement
The constitutional amendment in California to strip marriage rights from same-sex couples passed on November 4th, 2008.
This is a profoundly painful moment for families and equality supporters all over the country, who simply want legal protections for themselves and their families, just like everyone else. Eliminating rights is wrong and all Americans are harmed when any of us is treated differently under the law simply because of who we love. Arizona and Florida also passed anti-marriage equality constitutional amendments November 4th and Arkansas passed a ballot measure preventing all unmarried couples from adopting or fostering children.
In the midst of the sadness, we can be grateful for the millions of diverse people in those states who made phone calls, donated money, door-knocked, spoke out for and voted for equality. We can also look to strides in attitude among voters. In 2000 California equality supporters lost a marriage equality ballot initiative by 22%. This time the loss was by 4%. (The 2000 initiative created a state law barring marriage equality; the latest vote amends the state constitution).
Seeing the divisiveness created by these initiatives, and the resulting blow to an entire class of people, we can be grateful that for three years in a row (2004-2006), OutFront Minnesota helped defeat a similar effort here in our state.
Scapegoating African Americans unacceptable
Some have publicly stated that the African American vote tipped the scales against marriage equality in California. African Americans represent only one-sixth of that state's population, while Anglo Americans represent 47% of the state population. Let's reject racist scapegoating and remember who was behind this - the groups and institutions dominated by whites that initiated and then poured millions into the anti-equality campaign including massive distortions of the truth.
What next
Yes, we need time to mourn what has happened. Then, we need to get busy. In Minnesota, we are returning a fair-minded majority to the state capitol. Those representatives and senators need to hear from us, their constituents. Tell the story of your family to your lawmaker. Tell them that their votes at the capitol affect you, your partner, and your children. It is only by hearing from us that they know they have GLBT people as constituents and that their decisions affect our lives.
And save the date: OutFront Minnesota's justFair Lobby Day is scheduled for Thursday, April 23rd, 2009!
"No government has the right to tell its citizens when or whom to love. The only queer people are those who don't love anybody." ~Rita Mae Brown