Posted on November 2, 2008 in Uncategorized

We here at Prose Before Hos editorial staff want to join with fellow bloggers in denouncing California’s Proposition 8, and supporting our gay brothers and sisters fight for equal rights. We categorically believe that a motion to deny gays the right to marriage is a direct violation of civil rights provided by the Constitution. Further, in time of great economic and diplomatic distress, it is both a fundamental waste of time and resources to lobby such a campaign when so much more imperils our nation.

As the battle enters its final weekend, the budget tally is astonishing: $67 million dollars in donation have poured from all over the country into California for the vote on Prop 8. Religion has taken on an interesting dynamic in the race as Mormons figure to account for between 40 to 70 percent of all donations to the Yes cause. Here is an interesting excerpt:

Those words speak for Michele Sundstrom, 47, of San Jose, who has been married for 18 years and has five children. She and her husband gave $30,000 to the Yes on 8 campaign and put a sign on their home. But in response, two women parked an SUV in front of their home, with the words “Bigots live here” painted on the windshield. Sundstrom believes such responses must come from deep places of pain – and that gays and lesbians are entitled to the same rights as heterosexuals, just not the word marriage. Any animosity toward gays or lesbians is wrong, she said. “There must be such deep, deep, deep hurt; otherwise there couldn’t be so much opposition,” she said. “They’ve lived with this. I guess we’re getting a taste of where they live.”

Oddly enough two out of four of the latest news posts on the pro-Prop 8 website take a racial bent, my favorite being “NAACP Los Angeles President Alice Huffman Sells Out Black Families.” Perhaps selling families isn’t the best metaphor to use… or maybe it’s THE best?

The No on Prop 8 site mostly talks about people who are against Prop 8. I don’t know, but are people really swayed by whether or not Ugly Betty wants gay marriage?

While it seems as if young people would be the most open to this argument by authority style advertisement, young people have started shifting towards a Yes vote in recent days. And while Obama has energized the young liberal base in ways no politician has in recent years, he too is opposed to gay marriage, though for civil unions.

In any case, here is what Feministe recommends to help defeat this anti-gay legislation.