Nationwide protest against Proposition 8 tomorrow.

[Aeson]

Ah... I forgot the issue was done and settled...

[MrFun]

There is something really positve, uplifting and empowering about becoming involved in something you care about and feel passionate about!

Today, I marched and stood in the rain with hundreds of other people in Washington DC to protest the passage of Proposition 8 in California, and to protest the other bigoted laws passed in Florida, Arkansas and Arizona. We gathered near the Capitol Building under the nose of Congress and after a moving speaker rallied us, we marched from there all the way to the White House. The route we took ensured our visibility to other people as we went; part of our route was through the National Mall park area where so many tourists go.

I did not have my umbrella with me but I did not care about the rain as I was caught up in this moment of my life, marching with so many other people who have the same concerns as I do. Once we reached the White House, one of the organizers had a megaphone and he invited anyone to step up onto a bench and speak out. After several people had their say, I took my turn and took the megaphone. I kept what I had to say short but crystal clear:

"Bigotry, ignorance, and apathy! Those are the three main sources from which the obstacles in our struggle for equal rights protection come from! What I propose is we fight bigotry with love, fight ignorance with education, and fight apathy with passion! (at this point, part of the crowd that was listening cheered) Several speakers have already talked about bigotry and ignorance but part of the apathy I am referring to comes from within our own gay community! We have fellow gay and lesbian friends today who have decided to sit at home! We need to go back to them and talk with them to tell them why this issue of equal marriage protection is so important for ALL of us!" (at this point, some people cheered some more)

That was the end of my speech. After I spoke, the leader who organized this whole demonstration got up on the bench and spoke. After this young man got done and came over near where I was, I introduced myself and we chatted briefly. I told him where I'm from and that I want to get involved with Equality Maryland because this organization is similar to One Iowa. So he had me write my name, e-mail address, and phone number down and said he would contact me because he knows some people involved with Equality Maryland.

A few minutes after this, I left the crowd and headed back home, feeling very good about myself and excited to have been part of this lively, determined demonstration today.


Wittlich, Boris and anyone else - straight or gay - did you go to your local demonstration/protest?

[CrONoS]

Originally posted by MrFun
Drake, the people in California against Proposition 8 did try to calmly educate and inform people unfortunately, they could have used more funding.

I'm confused ... Naked Gents Rut is Drake?

[Ben Kenobi]

"Bigotry, ignorance, and apathy! Those are the three main sources from which the obstacles in our struggle for equal rights protection come from!

Damn straight. More people need to know exactly what your cause is all about. That way we can educate them exactly what they are looking at.

Mr. Fun, did you know that there is K-12 education in the curriculum up here in BC on gay and lesbian issues?

Is this what the folks in the US want there as well? It's gone so far over that they even make folks who homeschool do the same thing if they want to get their degree.

Education? Sure. Coercion? Sure. It's all about awareness, that there is only one point of view and everything else is bigotry.

Mr. Fun, are you willing to stand up and protect the rights of those to whom you disagree or will you trample over their rights?

[Lefty Scaevola]

Originally posted by MrFun
If marriage is not a right, why did the Supreme Court rule against prohibition of interracial marriage in United States?

That was an equal rights ruling under the 14th amendment. The protected classes in that 14th amendment are race*, creed (religion) , and national origin (ethnicity), not sexual preference, gender, or anything else.

Guess why Gay rights litigation has not be brought under the federal constituion.



*race is also a proteced class in another place in the constitution.

[Naked Gents Rut]

I'm confused ... Naked Gents Rut is Drake?

No. It's just something people started calling me here to annoy me.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi

Mr. Fun, are you willing to stand up and protect the rights of those to whom you disagree or will you trample over their rights?

When you speak out against trampling on other people's rights you should have expressed outrage with the passage of Proposition 8.

And by education, I was talking about educating the population in general - not a formal school cirriculum/setting.

But what is wrong with educating children about gays and lesbians in say, a social studies class or a sex education class?

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Lefty Scaevola
That was an equal rights ruling under the 14th amendment. The protected classes in that 14th amendment are race*, creed (religion) , and national origin (ethnicity), not sexual preference, gender, or anything else.

Guess why Gay rights litigation has not be brought under the federal constituion.



*race is also a proteced class in another place in the constitution.

Before the 14th Amendment, people interpreted rights protection as applying only to white men. The nice thing about a dynamic constitution is that it can change when people realize there is an injustice that needs to be addressed.

[Naked Gents Rut]

Before the 14th Amendment, people interpreted rights protection as applying only to white men. The nice thing about a dynamic constitution is that it can change when people realize there is an injustice that needs to be addressed.

If you want to change the constitution to include sexual preference as a protected class, pass an amendment. Dynamic constitution

Also, don't complain about other people's legitimate changing of their constitution by amendment. Prop 8

[Ben Kenobi]

When you speak out against trampling on other people's rights you should have expressed outrage with the passage of Proposition 8.

How is marriage a right? I cannot demand that someone marry me. If I find a nice woman who does want to marry me we have to go to the government and apply for a marriage license, no different then if I need a license to drive.

I'm sorry Mr. Fun, you are demanding a privilege which no one else has. Marriage isn't a right for anyone.

And by education, I was talking about educating the population in general - not a formal school cirriculum/setting.

Oh really? When you were campaigning against bigotry, that means one thing, you intend to cram your beliefs down everybody's throats.

But what is wrong with educating children about gays and lesbians in say, a social studies class or a sex education class?

In Kindergarten?

Thank you Mr. Fun. I'm glad you read my post and this is all out in the open.

[Ben Kenobi]

So much for "rights".

Is this the face of your movement Mr. Fun?

[Imran Siddiqui]

How is marriage a right?

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=388&invol=1

Marriage is one of the "basic civil rights of man," fundamental to our very existence and survival. Skinner v. Oklahoma, 316 U.S. 535, 541 (1942). See also Maynard v. Hill, 125 U.S. 190 (1888).

[Deity Dude]

Old ladies don't have rights - unless they are lesbians.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Lefty Scaevola
That was an equal rights ruling under the 14th amendment. The protected classes in that 14th amendment are race*, creed (religion) , and national origin (ethnicity), not sexual preference, gender, or anything else.

Guess why Gay rights litigation has not be brought under the federal constituion.



*race is also a proteced class in another place in the constitution.

The protected classes are not explicitly spelled out in the 14th Amendment:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

The idea of Protected Classes being race, creed, national origin, etc, comes from the "Civil Rights Act of 1964". Btw, sex is also considered a protected class under it.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi


So much for "rights".

Which one of her rights was violated Ben?