This is something I've written up as an e-mail that I've been sending to a lot of people in my address book.
I've never written an e-mail that I've intended to send to everyone I know, and I hope never to do it again. But in November we're going to have the most important election so far in my lifetime for my civil rights. I'm not talking about the Obama/McCain matchup (although that one's important too) but rather California's vote on Proposition 8.
What is at issue on November 4 is my right to marry the person I love. If you're straight, you get to live in a world where you get to assume that someday, when you meet someone who's right for you, you can settle down and have kids, raise a family, visit each other in the hospital when you're sick, not be taxed on supporting each other, and have society respect the fact that you're making a commitment to each other.
I can't.
Well, I can't in the state where I live, but I can in the state where I was born (unless Prop 8 passes.) And that's one of the reasons why Proposition 8 is so important to defeat: as one of the leaders of the most homophobic organizations out there says, "If we lose California, if they defeat the marriage amendment, I'm afraid that the culture war is over."
New York's legislature is close to allowing same sex civil marriage rights. New Jersey is in the process of reconsidering its civil union law that fails to provide the equality its courts ruled for. Iowa's supreme court is waiting to issue a ruling on same sex civil marriage. And they're all waiting to see what happens in California; unless we defeat this proposition, getting equality in these states will be set back for years.
The result of this race is probably the difference between the federal government recognizing my right to marry the person I love in the next 15 years, or having to wait 50 years. It's going to happen some day:
people in my generation get that it's not right to take away people's rights, even if they might be uncomfortable with the idea of actually participating in a same sex wedding ceremony. But if Proposition 8 passes, I'm going to have to wait until I'm my grandparents' age before I get society to recognize that I'm not a second class citizen. And I'd really like to give my mother the opportunity to see me get married some day, and have it mean the same thing as the weddings my brothers have had.
So, what am I asking you to do?