The level of acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships in this nation, and even here in this traditionally conservative state of Florida, has increased dramatically just in the last ten years. But the passage of Florida Proposition 2 yesterday is a cold, suffocating reminder that the old prejudices are still alive. My joy and pride in the victory of President-Elect Barack Obama have been lamentably diminished by the news that the majority of my fellow Floridians believe it necessary to insert into the state constitution discrimination aimed at my loving relationship.
Do I take this personally? Yes. Of course. I am a gay woman who has been living for 10 years with my partner. We are committed to our relationship. We are a family. We pay our taxes. We work and play and contribute to our state financially. We support our local businesses with our earnings. We pay the same level and number of taxes as any other Floridian in our economic bracket. Yet we have just been told that we are CONSTITUTIONALLY uninvited to share in one of the most fundamental relationships entered into by human beings.
They are afraid. I am disenfranchised and discounted. No one wins in this. But they are right to be afraid. I am still here. And I am damn mad.
Mildred Loving died today. She was 68.
Her name may not mean much to many, until it is mentioned in the context of one of the most profound Supreme Court decisions of our time: Loving v Virginia. This landmark case literally changed the complexion of marriage laws in the United States, and imposed limits on the states’ rights to unduly discriminate against its citizens.
The courage of Richard and Mildred Loving to place their love above the antiquated laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia should embolden each and every one of us to fight discrimination every day. Their actions stand in stark contrast to the efforts of so many today to infuse discrimination against a particular group into our Constitution.
Remember in November, Florida. Vote No on 2.
…but Cathy James was a warrior on the front lines.
I came across this amazing first hand report of the “Family Impact Summit” (from the inside) and was overjoyed at the chutzpah and fortitude of Cathy James, who not only took on the anti-gay panel but whooped their debateless butts. She spoke out for me and countless others with her words of clarity in the midst of the fog of bigotry.
Cathy, you are my new hero.
Just a reminder to all who may (or should) be interested in supporting equality and fairness in Florida:
The show of strength for progressive thought against what is being mis-labeled the “Family Impact Summit” in Hillsborough County will begin on Thursday, September 20, 2007 at 3:00 p.m. A press conference will be held by at 4:00 p.m., followed by a peaceful, non-confrontational vigil. As well, a short protest training session will be conducted at 3:00, prior to the press conference, for all who would like to have some pointers. The protest training meeting will be at St. Mark’s UCC (2914 Lithia Pinecrest Road, Valrico) starting at 3:00. The press conference and protest begin at 4:00 in front of Bell Shoals Baptist Church (2102 Bell Shoals Road, Brandon).
Let’s get the numbers out there, free-thinkers! Tomorrow is the day to hold up a mirror of freedom and tolerance to the face of bigotry and hatred. Let them see our solidarity and our committment. From the original notice:
A “who’s who” of the national anti-gay industry (see below) will descend on the Tampa Bay community with the help of Bell Shoals Church in Brandon, the same church that launched an all out assault on Hillsborough Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) last year.
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To successfully convey the community’s outrage we will need a big turnout. So, we are asking you to attend and to also BRING FIVE FRIENDS.
Click HERE for latest information from Equality Florida on this urgent event.
Red and Blue are coming together to fight back against a movement to place an exclusionary and discriminatory Amendent in the Florida Constitution. Florida Red and Blue, a group of Republicans and Democrats coming together in a bipartisan effort to block this needless, damaging and divisive discrimination, have collected over $1 million in funding in the last 60 days.
I posted several times about the Fairness For ALL Families organization, a collaborative effort backed by equality Florida. both of these organizations are committed to blocking the Amendment, and I know that at least on the part of FfAF, we are committed to making legal marriage available to same sex couples as well as opposite sex couples. Families are not defined in the narrow way that Christianists and uber-conservatives would have us believe, nor have they ever been so narrowly defined.
Let’s get behind the push. Even though the backers of the Constitutional Amendment now have to meet more stringent criteria, a 60% majority vote, and they are also proceeding without the participation of Gov. Crist, as long as there is a slim chance that the Amendment can pass we HAVE to band together and oppose it.
Contact one of these organizations:
Fairness for ALL Families
Florida Red and Blue
Dennis Kucinich and his wife, Elizabeth, made a stop in St. Pete during the Pride in Paradise Parade on Saturday. I hate to say that I don’t know much about this particular presidential candidate, but I sure do like the way he speaks. He seems sincere and unscripted. I also find it impressive that he mingles with the crowd so casually.
Blue Gal and a few others seem to find him quite interesting, too.
Okay, my previous ranting post just begs the question be asked…what about marriage equality?
In this upended world of conservathink there is a push on to embed discrimination in the Constitution of the State of Florida under the facetious and deceiving name of the “Marriage Amendment”. The amendment push isn’t about marriage, it is about discrimination. It will diminish marriage by making it about the politics of fear rather than about commitment and true family values.
Help stop the corruption of the Florida Constitution. Join the Fairness For ALL Families coalition.
Fair minded Floridians are saying NO to the so-called Marriage Amendment.
Today I had an experience I haven’t had to deal with in quite some time. My partner and I were out with a friend grabbing a bite to eat on the way to another friend’s wake. During the meal my partner described the partner of another of our friends as “Jane’s girlfriend.” Now, I have a strong belief that gays and lesbians are “handicapped” in social discourse by having to qualify their life partners’ titles. We are “girlfriends/boyfriends”. We are partners. Neither of those begin to fully convey the full and rich relationship that comes with a lifetime commitment as a spouse. But the phrases “wife” and “husband” are not correct, either, because they imply a legal sanction where there is none. We are linguistically in a no-mans-land when it comes to describing our relationships. When a straight man introduces his spouse, he doesn’t have to search for a word that will let people know that this is his life partner and not his business partner, for example. He simply says “this is my wife” and the fullness of the relationship is conveyed.
Now, here the weirdness begins. I said these things to my friend (my partner already knows them, believe you me…). He told me to keep my voice down! He was embarrassed. This straight “friend” was uncomfortable with the thought that I might be overheard talking about being gay and one of the small realities of life as a gay couple. Overheard by the guy in the next booth. I was shocked. First of all, his correcting the volume of my voice in a restaurant was a very paternalistic thing to do. Secondly, how dare this man tell me to lower my voice when I’m talking about who I am! Believe me…I let him know that I was pissed. He went on to tell me that he ”didn’t want to get beat up” because I was talking about being gay!!!! What a jerk. Truly. What a jerk.
Just venting here. Nothing to be done about the issue, but I’m shocked by the level of ignorance and irrationality in otherwise creative, successful and educated persons.
I will not be quiet. Not about anything I deem important enough to speak about. Damn the hypocrisy and the ignorance.
Rant over.
This morning I responded to a Call to Action from Fairness for ALL Families, an organization seeking to block the insertion of blatant discrimination into the Florida State Constitution. From their website:
If passed, the so-called “Marriage Protection Act,” would permanently ban marriage and civil unions for same sex partners in Florida, and threatens domestic partnership protections that seniors, fire fighters, teachers and police officers already rely upon.
As we have seen from other states, the expected and unexpected backlash can be devastating to all families. Families who formerly had insurance and financial benefits protection through partners’ employment may suddenly lose that security, among other things. We need to get behind this “Vote NO” push. Call your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and get them informed and involved.
The bloggers need to take a lead in this push. The grassroots movements are very effective and very informative, as we well know. Anyone interested in getting together for a conference call or an informal planning face-to-face, please let me know. I will work hard to coordinate this with Nadine Smith, Executive Director of Equality Florida and a member of the Fairness for ALL Families oversight committee. We CAN make a difference.
It didn’t come with a bloody revolution, but with a quiet and dignified one. Through the system. It was not accomplished solely through the efforts of trained and agendaed activists, but through the every day lives of everyday men and women daring to chance rejection and bigotry. It has forever changed the social and legal course of our nation.
On thursday, June 14, 2007, legislators in Massachussetts took all of four minutes to deny placement on the 2008 ballot to an anti-gay marriage act. Fifty members of the joint Congress are required to vote to place a measure on the ballot to amend the state Constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. That vote fell short by 5. Gov. Deval Patrick stated, “In Massachusetts today, the freedom to marry is secure.” That being said, opponents of gay marriage will have to begin again from the ground up to garner support for any future attempt to place the restrictive amendment into the state Constitution, and such an attempt cannot be made before 2012.
The incredible amount of legal and social ground we have covered in the last couple of decades is now being validated. Read below for a detailed and moving first hand account of the Validation in Massachussetts. It comes from an email I received from a friend. Continue reading ‘Validation in Massachussetts’
