an open letter to proposition 8

dear prop 8,

let's face it: you've gotten a bad rap. a lot of people in the media, in the privacy of their own homes and in the vast expanses of the interweb have been giving you a pretty hard time these days. your name has become synonymous with hate (or is it h8?), you've spurred protest rallies across the nation, and celebrities are coming out of the woodwork to publicly berate you as an antiquated, evil right-wing institution of fear of "the other." in light of all this, i can sense that your ego is probably a little bruised, and i'm certain you expect yet another "crazy lesbian blogger" to unleash a shitstorm of ANGRY on you.

not so.

i'd like to take a moment out of my day to say THANK YOU to proposition 8. THANK YOU for passing in november against the backdrop of a historical election that proved the vast majority of americans are down with having a black man in the oval office, while in certain california communities, longtime "roommates" lisa and linda better keep up the charade and cancel their honeymoon plans on an olivia cruise. THANK YOU for proving to liberal, educated, cosmopolitan americans that discrimination is alive and well in the united states. frankly, we needed the reminder.

while many americans are angry letter-writers when a WAL-MART moves into their town, or furiously ask to speak to the manager at mcdonalds when their big mac has too much mayo, when it comes to larger issues, the vast majority of us tend to be a bit complacent. sure, there are always people fighting for change: activists working a difficult grass-roots movement or holier-than-thou celeb hawking one charity or another, but a lot of us are perfectly content to float along, lost in our daily lives and concerns (did i leave my flat iron on? why is this idiot in front of me driving so slowly? where did i leave my slutty bra?). in these times of smooth sailing, it takes a jarring BUMP/CYCLONE/KICK-IN-THE-ASS to wake us from peaceful reveries of contentedness. that's where you came in, prop 8!

like the bombing of pearl harbor finally spurring america into entering WWII, the secession of the south forcing lincoln into demanding abolition, and britney spears locking herself and her tots in a bathroom FINALLY causing her poppa to seek a 5150 court order (and a lifetime supply of undies), the passage of proposition 8 has forced proponents of gay marriage to take a stand. in these situations, once we finally realize how great of a cost we have to lose, we've got no choice but to DO SOMETHING.

since novemeber, there have been countless demonstrations across the country, which, in turn, have forced the issue into the public eye with increasing ferocity. similarly, several states seem hell-bent on proving that they're more progressive than home-of-the-hippies-and-pot-capital-of-the-world california, and have begun passing legislation that says, "hey! you're gay and you want to get married? come to IOWA!" (seriously, IOWA, where there are more cornfields than citizens *******please note i totally made this fact up and in no way vouch for it's accuracy*******? IOWA is more gay-ok than CA at the moment?). with each day that passes, more and more people becoming involved; we're marching, we're picketing, and we've finally learned that the only way to GET change it to MAKE it happen.

following this week's decision by the CA supreme court to uphold the ban you've instilled, prop 8, my wonderful and amazing girlfriend, rachel maddow, said the following of the protest movements that sparked across the country: "it's a sign of how much more organized and galvanized supporters of gay marriage are now than when proposition 8 passed in novemeber." i couldn't have said it better myself, rach. apparently, all the gay rights movement was lacking before novemeber was a little push. we needed a little reminder that outside of our accepting families and friends, and away from bustling boystowns and lesbo-villes, prejudice persists.

without you, prop 8, it might have taken a lot longer for us to wake up and realize that nobody is going to hand us civil rights on a silver platter. now, thanks in great part to you, change is coming. it won't be immediate, and it won't be easy, but i can promise you one thing, prop 8: next time, we'll be ready, so prepare to die. :)

xoxox

rachel morgan