I have a friend who recently wrote the following short essay and sent it in to move0n.org. He wrote it in response to a request to ‘tell his story’ as part of their request for membership opinions/input.
It should be noted that he is an extremely successful professional who had his own practice prior to taking a job with the State of California. He created jobs and opportunities for people. He paid his taxes, took out his trash, kept his yard neat and clean. Today he works for the State of California providing care for wards of the State. Needless to say, he has never collected government assistance, he has never been to jail, he reads the paper and votes. He is a good son, brother, uncle and friend.
When you read the essay below, you will learn one other thing, that he just so happens to be gay. Prior to knowing this, you were probably thinking that he seems like a good member of society, deserving of every right afforded to Americans across the land. However you should know that is not the case. As a gay American, in California, he is not afforded equal rights. The passing of proposition 8 banning gay marriage was just the latest injustice that he has suffered. This is troubling, this is wrong.
“I wish people who think being gay is “a CHOICE” would tell me at what point in their lives they decided to be heterosexual – As if that was something you can consciously choose. I tried for years to will myself to be attracted to the opposite sex so I could fit in. Being taunted and tormented for being different is nothing anyone would choose if they could. Who you are attracted is something you sense, not something you choose.
I think it’s important that people have the same rights whether they are gay or straight, white black yellow brown or purple. We each have experienced injustice, been treated unfairly for something which is not our fault, and we should all be outraged at the rights of a group being taken away just because they are different.
The supposed moral or Biblical reasons people cite against Gay Marriage are a thin smokescreen for their bigotry. If they read the Bible, they would see more preaching against injustice, lying, cheating, stealing, defrauding the innocent than they can find against same sex marriage. In fact, same sex marriage is never addressed at all. This is not surprising: the Bible has been used to justify slavery, polygamy, racial purity, the KKK and other forms of one group victimizing another. But the real message is of love and inclusion.
The greatness of a society is shown by how the least members of the society are treated. We each never think we will be the disadvantaged, but unfortunately at some point we all may be. It is in the common interest to ensure the same rights for all.”
Tags: civil rights, equality, gay, gay marriage, policy opinion, proposition 8
December 20, 2008 at 2:12 am
I appreciate your post here, but as someone who has been “on government assistance” I assure you that this is not necessarily something “only bad people do”. Of course some abuse the system. But some turn to it when they desperately need it.
I used to do all of the things above as a contributing member of society, paying taxes, doing volunteer work, building communities, but unfortunately I did not have EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW.
So now I am on welfare and food stamps. Ironically, it is all due to discrimination against gays.
December 20, 2008 at 7:32 pm
I agree, sometimes people face difficult circumstances in their lives and need public assistance – that is what it is designed for. Not everyone always has the best or even good opportunities.
I’m sorry you have had a difficult run of circumstances and appreciate that you too have suffered from bigotry. It is in everyone’s benefit that all people have the same opportunities including the right to marry the one they love.
Everyone is different from the mainstream one way or another, and it is a healthier society which has room to include those “different” from themselves – especially when it hurts no one, takes nothing from anyone. Everyone needs to learn to give and take, to accept in order to be accepted, to forgive in order to be forgiven.