The Fallout Over Prop 8

startthehate -- Before answering that question of what must now be done, be mindful of the suggestion from Elton Jane that you don't need _this_.

Before painting yourselves into a corner that no one will forget. . .(videos of you trashing an old woman's crucifix, storming temples, etc.). . .with further hatred against the Mormons, Catholics, Evangelicals, blacks & latinos, straight marrieds with children, take a breath and chose new tack.

A complaint against voters' choice to make traditional marriage the norm by calling it _unconstitutional_ is ludicrous.

'That [9th circuit court] ruling also elevated sexual orientation to the constitutional status of race and gender, . .' Since when is one's behavior grounds for granting [new] human rights to a group? Unicyclists don't get special treatment under the law, nor do bowlers. Sexual preference is just that. Human rights apply to LGBT as with anyone, barring such special allowance as to marry two of the same sex. Your ranting in the streets won't bring what I suspect you're seeking, because it's a behavior & not a political identity as is race or gender.

As I type this, amazing things are happening within the gay and straight communities. People are forming groups, donating money, and organizing themselves into marches, protesting the passing of Proposition 8 which effectively banned gay marriage. Everyone is beginning to ask, "What now?" We can only protest and march for so long, so it's natural to ask how we're going to organize. What is the strategy to further this movement? Where do we go from here? How do we unite? Before we ask these questions, we should ask ourselves another, the answer to which will help us be better prepared for "What now?" Who is Our Opposition? People use the phrase, "Know your enemy." But these people who voted Yes for Prop 8 are not our enemies. They are our fellow citizens. So I'll use the word, "Opposition." How we approach them and how we treat them will definitely affect the outcome of our movement. Yet, do we even know who they are? Many across the state have chosen to focus on the Mormons, but how many Mormons actually make up the population of California? According to Wikipedia, 2.12%. (Mormon Population.) California's Population: 36,553,215 (2007) Mormon Population: 77,380 Out of 77,380 Mormons living in California, how many of them were eligible to vote (that number includes kids, the unregistered, etc)? And of these, how many actually voted Yes? I can guarantee you, not all. The number gets smaller and smaller. Here is a link of the Prop 8 exit polls from CNN. Look at them closely: CNN Exit Polls These people, the Yes votes, are the true opposition. So out of the roughly 5.5 million who voted Yes, that's an awfully small amount of Mormons. I understand the Mormon Church donated millions, but they don't live here in California! (Close examination of these polls will indicate that in actual numbers, the big chunk of the vote for Yes was white men. Sure, percentages within demographics say a lot and will help us focus, but what I'm trying to communicate is this: don't focus on one group! Don't discriminate! Don't harass!) We are angry. We are hurt. But above all, we are motivated to speak out against this injustice. And in this trying, emotional time, we are looking for someone to blame, someone to point a finger at and yell, "Shame on you!" I don't blame any of us for doing this because after years and years of discrimination, we have experienced an enormous injustice of having been granted rights just to have them ripped away. But is this a productive, healthy response? Will it do us more harm than good? I believe it will do harm. Besides being wrong in principal, singling out groups is a counterproductive strategy. Prop 8 passed with only 52.3% of the vote. If we start attacking religious organizations or ethnic groups now, you can bet any attempt to overturn Prop 8 on the ballot in a couple years will fail by an even larger margin. If we are to eventually build a coalition with those who voted for Prop 8, this already difficult task will be even more of a challenge if we single out large demographics of citizens for the target of our anger. Here, I want to state my official objection of the gay community's focus on the Mormon Church and its role in the passing of Prop 8. This focus of hate needs to stop! So simply answering, "Who is our real opposition?"

wow! I cried tears of joy when I heard the adventists talk about how regardless of what your feelings are about homosexuality this was a matter of being fair. They stayed true to their teachings.

Obama said that he was against gay marriages.
Personally, I do not believe him but that is what he said several times.

Do not blame the Yes on 8 campaign for repeating what Obama said. May be you do not believe him yourself

If you think that religion is not rational, be aware that the majority of people in this country thinks that gay marriage is totally irrational.

It is not about hate, discrimination, civil rights or homophobia. You are dealing with two definitions of marriage that cannot and will not coexist.

Instead of talking to people, the No on 8 supporters were busy invading people properties, stealing yard signs, damaging cars, insulting and ridiculing Yes on 8 supporters. It will not be forgotten. The face of intolerance and actions to suppress the freedom of speech of Californians was an horrible PR for no on 8

The No on 8 campaign achieved an incredible miracle by uniting Catholics, Mormons, evangelicals, baptists, etc..etc You have awaken a sleeping giant.

Demonstraitng in front of Mormon temples right after the elections prove exactly what the Yes on 8 campaign claimed in theit TV ads. The threat of religious freedom is here just because you exercise your right to vote.

Using misleading polls like the Field polls was also an other mistake.

Mayor Newsom is the wrong poster child for Gay marriage after what he did with his own marriage. That is another mistake