The war continues for same sex marriage and now the courts are involved. It did not matter which side won in the polls; the other side was going to try to appeal it. That is exactly what is happening right now in a San Francisco federal district court under the jurisdiction of Judge Vaughn R. Walker. Since it’s in San Francisco, a very liberal city and known for its open acceptance of homosexuality, it’s almost a home team advantage.
Let me state where I stand on this first. I am very pro-gay marriage and equal rights for all. I did vote against Proposition 8 and hope that it is overturned.
But I have to say that this courtroom drama has simply been just that, just drama, and nothing more.
No matter what the verdict is, no one will get everything they’re in search of. The gay community will not be perceived as equal to all. Conservatives will always be viewed as bigots with no hearts and this fight will have no end.
The plaintiffs have the best arguments thus far, focused on the civil rights aspect, emotional and psychological damage from being discriminated against, and ultimately that Proposition 8 was nothing more than a hate crime. The defendant’s task is simple: to prove that there is no proof in these allegations.
The things going on outside the courtrooms are the most eye-appealing; the masses of people fighting for both sides. You have conservatives who want to save the “saintity” of marriage; with a 50 percent divorce rate, I wouldn’t really say there is a strong respect for marriage these days. If they really wanted to protect marriage they would make it more difficult to get divorced. Couples, straight or not, would sing another tune about wanting to get married.
On the other side of the debate, you have passionate, strong-willed people that just want be considered equal to their heterosexual counterparts.
The main problem I have is with the people outside the courtroom protesting are behaving like a bunch of mean-spirited teenagers. If both sides are trying to represent morals, shouldn’t we treat each other with respect no matter what you believe? I believe deeply in the famous quote by Voltaire, “I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Gay rights activists do have to understand that even if the government does overturn Proposition 8, they will still have to deal with the conservative churches reluctant to wed them. There are churches that are very supportive of gay marriages, who will profit, and perhaps soon after capitalism will work in favor of those who are pro-gay marriage.
There needs to be a mediator. Both parties agree that there is something extremely important in the word marriage. Civil unions are to homosexual marriage as was the ban on interracial marriages was prior to 1962. Even if Proposition 8 is overturned, there will still be those who disapprove of it. We will have to live with it. Hopefully, we will all get a little closer to equality, if not in our generation, then in the future generations.
Hopefully the Supreme Court will overturn the decision to allow cameras in the courts. This way, we can tune in on YouTube soon to see this historical event happen in our 21st century way.
