No on 8: A Personal Perspective
Less than 24 hours after the election on November 4, I will be going in for major surgery. That my partner of almost 12 years will be able to accompany me until I’m wheeled into the operating room or allowed in recovery afterward is not a given.
When you’re married and your wife or husband is sick or hurt, you don’t have to prove your relationship; without hesitation or question you accompany them in the ambulance or at the hospital. That is not the case for us, two adults who are employed, pay taxes, own a home and are committed to one another forever. We are also daughters, sisters, aunts, co-workers, friends and even role models. And we happen to be two women.
To be frank, that is why it is essential to vote No on 8 in California.
In a nutshell, Prop 8 changes the California Constitution to eliminate the rights of same sex couples to marry; it denies equal protections and discriminates
against me and us and members of your family, your neighbors, co-workers, doctors, technicians, landscapers, teachers, etc.
I look forward to the day when gay marriage is simply referred to as marriage, when I have the opportunity to wed the love of my life and refer to her as my wife. Until that time, all I can do is educate and encourage.
So if you’re registered to vote in California…as you fill out your absentee ballot or when you get into that booth in a few weeks, all I ask is that you consider mine among the many perspectives about this proposition.
For more information, please visit the official No on 8 site.
Thanks for ‘listening’ on the rare occasion when the personal supersedes the pop culture.
- Jo
