Tawn and I need your help, please. Just a few minutes of it.
On November 4th, Californians will vote on Proposition 8 which will explicity take away the right of gay men and lesbian women to marry. Tawn and I, now together for almost nine years, are planning on getting married when we are back in California this December. We need your help to get the word out to Californians to vote NO on Proposition 8.
Outside of the issue of equal rights, this would represent a frightening precedent of the rights of a minority being taken away after they have been won. This is a disturbing example of Alex de Tocqueville’s “tyranny of the majority”, whereby majority opinion is allowed to trample the civil rights of the minority.
Here’s how you can help me and Tawn:
Contact the people you know in California – let them know about me and Tawn and that if Proposition 8 passes, we’ll be unable to marry in December. Ask them to vote no on the proposition and to talk with their friends, family and fellow citizens, too.
If you are a Californian, talk to people who think differently from you – it is easy to “preach to the choir” but the ones who need to hear form you are the undecided voters, the ones for whom a personal story will make all the differentce. Studies have shown that personalizing the issues makes people more supportive of equal rights.
If you are a registered voter in California, remember to vote – right now the proposition is slightly ahead in voter support. To defeat it, we will need ever supporter who is registered to vote to actually get out to the polls. Your vote will count!
Consider contributing to the “No on 8” campaign – They are being outspent by 2-to-1 by donations from outside the state, 30% of which have come from the Mormon Church. I have already made a donation and hope you will join me. Even if you donate just $10, you will help buy valuable television airtime so our side of the debate can be heard. Click here to donate at Equality California’s secure website.
I know that we are ready for the political silly season to be over. Hang in there and help me and Tawn out for this one last issue! We’re looking forward to sharing your marriage with you this December, but we can’t do it without your support. Vote NO on Proposition 8.
Thanks for your help.
christao408 
@aalapd – @mickey_dies – Thanks for your support.
@a_life_bizarre – Actually, Tawn and I are living in Thailand now and have been for three years. But the point is, I’m an American and I’m not going to run away or surrender my country to those who are intolerant. I’ve been actively involved in Democrats Abroad and in voter registration drives for Americans living overseas because I believe that America can be a better place. I believe that all men are created equal (all women, too) and will fight for that until it is true.
@AlecGator8503 – @jing116 – Many thanks for your support.
@MaganLe – @AibellFaeire – @whitecloves – @MadamDragonfly – @melinnn – @Faith14 – @KeishaMichele_xx – @introvertdreams – @awokenfatality – @neverforqetmex3 – @thinkpinkpanther – @Kayleigh1014 – @dazzledbyedwardcullen – Thank you all very much for your support!
@manureman – Of course I had a father figure. My parents have been married for forty-five years and are both active in the church, the community, doing volunteer work, etc. My being gay has nothing to do with “missing links”. I’m gay because that’s the way I was born, something I’ve been aware of since my youngest days.
As for your assertion that if love was all that matters, people should be able to marry their dogs, that’s quite dumb. We don’t afford animals the same rights and responsibilities as humans, so why would you think that the right to marry would be extended to them? C’mon, if you want to know what has happened to morals in this society, why don’t you look at what’s happened to education – people such as yourself who can’t even form a well-reasoned argument against something.
@S.O.S – Well, thanks for your prayers, but when attacked by “true believers” like yourself, I keep in mind Jesus’ teachings. One that is particularly relevant is Matthew 5:43-45:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”
Rest assured, I am praying for you, too.
@drung888 – Without a doubt, the hatred that some of these “believers” show is much worse than homosexuality.
@sonicmega – Thanks for your thoughtful comments. Based on the responses to my blog entry, about 80% of the people leaving comments are supportive of the No on 8 position and 20% want to take away the rights of same-sex couples to marry. My hope is that 80% is at least as motivated as the 20%, if not more so.
@ansar_al_Eisa – Hang on a second. The role of the judiciary as defined by the constitution (both the US and California constitutions) is to evaluate the constitutionality of laws. Those laws are part of our democracy – the rights of people are not just left to a popularity contest.
The state supreme court overturned a law that they deemed unconstitutional. Those are the rules we have agreed to live by. I find that most conservatives are supportive of judicial activism when the judges rule in their favor (for example, if the supreme court overturned Roe v. Wade) but are highly critical when things don’t turn out their way.
@John – Remember that our country (and the state of California) has three branches: legislature, executive and judiciary. It is the role of the judiciary to evaluate whether the laws passed by the legislature and the actions taken by the executive are constitutional. You act like they made a random decision, but they didn’t – they upheld the state constitution. Remember that the majority of those five judges were Republicans appointed by Republican governors.
@portasaurus – Nonsense. Supporting loving committed relationships is in society’s best interest. It supports stability and strong communities. As for what to call their uncles, they would call them just as my nieces do: “Uncle Chris” and “Uncle Tawn”. It may take you a while to get over your perceived “ewww” factor, but if you made an effort to open your mind a bit, I think you’d find that gay couples don’t fit into your pre-conceived stereotypes. And as for your children’s reaction, I’m sure they’ll be just as open minded as you are, unless of course you fill their minds with hatred.
@mi1kandcerea1 – Sorry to hear that. At least I’ll know who to talk to when my rights are taken away. You ready to give up any of your rights? And when the day comes when your rights are at risk of being taken away, I’ll be happy to consider helping you save them.
@halfazneeyore – You’re welcome. Not skimming, not getting upset, but not agreeing, either. Of your “four activist judges” (it was five, actually), a majority were Republicans appointed by Republican governors. Hardly a crowd known for its judicial activism.
Yes, gay marriage is a civil rights issue. Marriage has been held to be a fundamental right, despite not being mentioned in the Constitution. As such, the burden is entirely on the government to demonstrate that banning a particular sort of marriage is absolutely necessary. Upon careful evaluation, the conservative judges determined that that burden was not met.
As for your third point, separate is not equal.
@titanbandgeek – @bekkathebaka – Thanks for your support.
@Kayla – No need for you to be sorry for speaking the truth because you’re only speaking your opinion. Of course I have morals, conscience and convictions, that’s why I don’t support hatred and bigotry and why I do believe in equal rights. Sorry you find those things offensive.
@hillaryaxxo – actually, my context is correct because proposition 8 will take away my right to marry.
@bill_onesty – Nope, your definition doesn’t fit the equal protection clause of the US constitution. Saying I only can marry someone of the opposite sex discriminates against my same-sex partner based on his sex.
@manureman – Well, part of the morals of previous generations were the belief that inter-racial marriage was wrong, that women didn’t have the capacity to have the right to vote and that slavery was okay. I’m not sure that we should hold up morals simply because they were held by previous generations; we need to examine them by whether they are moral in and of themselves.
@rain_soaked_romance – Thanks for your support.
@Offender – @XxrockxXxgirlxX – @raizhafae – @Dog_Lover_4_Life – @cobalt_redux – @yakky – @Adnilly – @Scrooge0 – @goddessladyj – @grinner08 – @doesthisdefineme – @sophia – @Thatsfirecracker – @Baseballchik138 – Thanks to all of your for your support. As you can see from the comments in this entry, there are a lot of strong feelings around this issue. I hope that, if the November election goes our way, you’ll check out my blog near the end of the year to see our wedding pictures!
@halfazneeyore – You presupose that gay adoptive parents would have no other adult figures around. Just as in a family with different-sex parents, other adults contribute to the child’s understanding of the world. For a child that would otherwise go without adoption and bounce around the foster system, same-sex parents or even a single parent is a better choice. Talk to people who have been raised by same-sex parents and they tell you the same thing: they are proud of their parents and well-adjusted and productive members of our society.
@raizhafae – Thank you so much for your support and your contribution. Every bit helps!
@manureman – Certainly those who are espousing discrimination and hatred are among those who don’t know the meaning of love. Or maybe they only know a narrow, self-serving meaning of it?
My best friend(and his entire family) are all voting NO on Prop 8. I wish for continued support for voting no, and hope that proposition 8 does not get passed! More so I wish I could vote on the abominable thing itself.~Marina
@christao408 – I will say one thing there is no such thing as being born gay. Is there a gay gene that has been discovered yet NO. I am not saying that you didn’t have a father figure I simply asked if you had one present in your younger years.
The comment on upholding the morals of previous generations we should all strive to be better citizens and people to try and better this great nation. If we all just disregard the laws and morals that were a standard at one time then we are just helping our children to follow that same path.
The idea that those of us that have a different oppinion are hateful and discriminating are the ones that have a self serving meaning of love is wrong.
My question for you is what is love? Is it something you feel . Or is it something you buy with diamonds and fancy clothes. Is there trust in the word love ?
If I still lived in Cali, I would definietely vote no on this prop! Since I don’t, I will be contacting everyone I know there and urge them to vote no. You’ve got me and my whole family’s support!
@sophia – I have convictions and moral inside of me that allows me to say that without any remorse.
It is the younger generation of this nation that will lead us all down the drain. I hope that the morals that the punks of this generation clam to have never have to govern this great place we call home.
What I would also like to know is how can someone look at a person of the same sex and be attracted to them . I do not look at something identical to me and get turned on. That is not the way attraction works. The feeling of attraction is always for something different, or in scientific terms a negative pull.
I’m a NY resident, but you guys fully have my support. Everyone should have equal rights. We’re all people, right?!
i don’t live in or know anyone in CA, but I do wish you the best.i’m straight as a ruler but still believe everyone has the right to marry.
@drung888 – In regards to you comment on wwjd go to Romans 1 and look at verses 26 through 32 and tell me there is no example
@manureman – Different people have different attractions. Does it really bother you that a man can be attracted to the same sex even though no chance in hell it would affect you?Don’t worry, we’ll have to govern this place eventually. So, have fun!
@manureman – I’ve taken the time to read every response to this blog entry and, wow, the anger and animosity that you’ve expressed is amazing. While I respect your passion and you opinion on the issue, I don’t necessarily understand why you’re so compelled to make such a personal attack. I went to school with this blogger as a teenager (20+ years ago….we’re not “punks” as you so eloquently put it) and to this day, he is one of the most intelligent, well spoken men that I know. For the record, I was born and raised (until the age of 13) in America’s heartland. I was raised by a family of Republicans who had never encountered a gay person, let alone a couple, until we moved to CA. It was then that my parents learned tolerance when they befriended a homosexual couple that lived near us. While they may not have understood how a man could be attracted to another man, they certainly understood and respected that these men obviously loved each other very much and realized that sky wasn’t falling a result of it. 25 years later, they feel the same way…..and are still conservative Rep’s.
It’s ignorance and intolerance that is, in my opinion, contributing to the moral and ethical demise of this country. I am not a Liberal and barely call myself a Democrat these days. I go to church too! I plan on voting NO on 8 because I believe that you should be able to marry whomever you choose. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but my beliefs stop way short of hate mongering. My mother taught me, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”. It’s amazing how well that works!
Well, as I scroll down your comments – I’m glad that the majority of the people who are gung-ho to vote no are, in fact, not voters in California. They do not know enough about this issue and how it will effect several sociological factors. Europe, who legalized gay marriage a full decade ago is now trying to undo the damage. It was like Pandora’s box. As for the replies to the comments I left, read the other comments of my fellow Californians who understand that marriage is NOT a civil right. Once you get past thinking that you have been a victim of heterosexuals and understand that different things should have different titles. Just because they are different doesn’t make them separate, seeing that both have the same rights.Are you even a citizen of California?? MY four/ five activist judges?? Whatever the number was and whatever is typical of their records… it doesn’t matter – they made a huge mistake. Once Prop 8 passes in Nov, I hope that there will be a case in which they are impeached. Republicans or Democrats, I don’t care.
Yes that is a very good verse Christao. I do not come here to persecute you because you believe in God. In the bible it says to hate sin because God hates sin. Your act is not righteous my friend. Since it seems you read the bible by pointing that out, I’d like to share with you a few verses you seem to have skipped over. In this chapter in the bible it speaks of Laws of Sexual Morality see; Leviticus 18:22 ‘You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.’ Sodom in Genesis 19:4-7 It relates the incident in Sodom when the men of Sodom wanted to “have sex” with the men who had come to visit Lot. In verse 6 Lot refers to this as a “wicked thing,” – in other words, a sin. Later in the story we are told that the Lord destroyed Sodom because of the wicked practice for which it was infamous.”(wels.net) Look into Romans 1:26-32 there it speaks of men lying with eachother as women lie with eachother and God calls it perversed. Now this one in the bible really pinpoints, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 ‘Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor Homosexuals,……. will inherit the kingdom of God.’ Ok so a lot of homosexuals say they were born that way “its in my genes” well I assure you it is not. When Adam sinned against God he lost his image of God, and bore sin on his children, therefore making sin natural for us. We are made up of good and evil. Its what path we choose that makes us who we are. Now like I say I do not come here to persecute you, but God let me hate your sin. It does not mean I hate you. Also in 1Corinth 11:27-34 it speaks of examining ones self. I do that. I know I am not perfect, but I try to be because I walk with God. I repent regularly because I too am human and I do sin as well. Temptations lead us down a nasty trail and I would not want to sink any further because the end of that trail is nothing but fire and darkness. All in that I do not come here to judge, I can judge myself, but I come here to let you eat and drink in this knowledge that I share. So that you have it, and let God judge you. I say I pray for you because I would hate to see you slip into that nasty trail. I pray that you do seek God, he stands at the door and knocks, I pray you let him in. People will sometimes be left in denial with themselves, and will try to make excuses for their actions, but it will all fall down sooner or later. That is why God is such a merciful lord, and he forgives us for our sins. See 1 Corinthians 10:13. That will keep anyone who has temptation strong. I feel apologetic for my first, I was upset, and I asked God for forgivness. But now I am straight forward here. So I hope you really do read these verses. Jesus loves you, and he can’t wait for you to come to him and repent.
@deedee8370 – Oh so you are one of those people that goes to church on Sunday and the rest of the week you walk around promoting sin. Don’t tell me you don’t because you just said that you are voting no on prop 8 and that is promoting homosexuality.
The whole thing of marrying is the issue. It is not marriage it is a civil union. Marriage is between a Male and a Female. For those of us that are married it takes away from the sacredness of our bond.
The whole thing of never being around anyone gay till you moved to Cali is of no importence what really upsets me is that someone had to learn to tolerate the gay relationship and that in it self is a moral demise.
I personnaly can’t stand people like you that say they are church going people and then don’t have the backbone to stand up to moral issues in this world . It is so much easier to just be bent over by every thing that comes along. Doing this you can have more friends and a lot less friction in your life
By the way the American heartland is the greatest place to live. This is where the principles of life are taught and kept. We don’t tolerate the gay lifestyle it is a sin. We don’t learn to tolerate anything the principles that are instilled in us are from our grandparents and parents pasted on to us. It has been that way for generations.
@christao408 – Verrrrrrry careful!
@mickey_dies – Yes it does bother me because i have morals and your post just goes to show that the young generation doesn’t.
Apparently you have no concern for what this nation ends up like. I on the other hand care what for society my children will have to live in when they have to make their own decisions in life. Also just by looking at your home page i can tell that you don’t even live a realistic life. Cartoon caracters are not real people and the whole idea that not doing you studying is a prime example of the ” punks” that think they don’t have to do anything in this world to achieve their dreams. You may ask why that concerns me. The answer is I will probably pay for you to play your video games and watch tv and cruise the internet when you are older because you have never been taught how to acheive anything. Therefore welfare will pay your bills out of my tax money.
i dont live in cali and i cant vote but good luck!!!
just did yesterday!
I would vote if I could! Unfortunately, I am not a resident of California =( I wish you the best of luck, and hope that you and Tawn can get married! I’ll spread the word as much as I can!
Also, I feel kind of silly, but I can’t figure out how to recommend this!
Good luck. I’ll be voting.
SUPPORT.
@ansar_al_Eisa – You mentioned that gay marriage shouldn’t be legalized because people have voted against it many times. I think you’re overlooking the purpose of government. Government does not exist just to enforce the will of the majority, but also to protect the rights of the minority. Why are people so strongly opposed to legalizing gay marriage? Who does it hurt? What’s the point of making something a crime if there isn’t a victim?Also, it was not the job of the judges to voice the will of the people. The judges were charged with determining what was and was not legal under the California constitution, they only did their job.
@yukinkoIcy – @CelticGypsy – @kkong1028 – @screaming_thetruth – @mellomar – @jupiter312 – @belze – @JuniperCoole – Thank you all for your support. As you can see in the comments section, there are some pretty scary people out there who are in favor of Proposition 8.
@deedee8370 – Thanks for the supportive comments. At first, I was trying to discuss with that poster but soon realized that “manureman” isn’t interested in rational debate on the subject. No point in wasting my breath with those who are so closed-minded.
@moptoplop – Very nice response. It seems that those who are for prop 8 only like “judicial activism” when it goes in their favor. For example, if the supreme court overturned Roe v Wade, I don’t think you would hear them complaining about legislating from the bench.
If I were old enough, I’d vote no for this as well. :|YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT! Good luck 🙂
@christao408 – I do what I can 😉
@manureman – definitions of words don’t make or break a law. That’s arbitrary. A WORD in the dictionary is not the law of the land. And you’re being an idiot comparing this to wall street. How does anything with the economy have to do with gays being able to marry? Nothing. If gays marry that’s not going to fuck up the entire economy. In fact, it might actually help the economy, with the restaurants, hotels etc getting extra business.