Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are members of our community. They are business owners, public servants, teachers, classmates, friends, and relatives. They are tax paying citizens, and most importantly, they are human beings. California should not do anything that eliminates their rights, or the rights of any other Californian. Proposition 8 discriminates against gays and lesbians by eliminating their right to marry, and instead, places them into an entirely “separate but equal” institution. This proposition seeks to enshrine discrimination into the very document that is intended to protect rights and promote equality! Regardless of how you personally feel about same sex marriage, the issue with Proposition 8 is about how the constitution treats its citizens. Using the law to eliminate rights from an entire group of people with the claim that those people are less deserving of legal protection is wrong! The constitution is framed to protect rights, and not take them away.

It has been 8 years since Californians passed Proposition 22, and a lot has changed since then, despite what some people may choose to believe. Californians have seen the inequality inherent to domestic partnerships. Many people have witnessed and understand how domestic partnerships fail to provide equal treatment to same sex couples. They do not want the law to treat anyone differently; and the courts understood this when they overturned this unconstitutional statute.

In such an emotional and tense campaign, it is easy to be distracted and misled by the hateful, false, and abhorrent attacks by the proponents of Proposition 8. They lead you to believe that if Prop 8 fails, then churches will lose their tax exemption status, and homosexuality will be taught to our children in school. All of this is completely false, and several nonpartisan state agencies have stepped up to counter these deceitful attack ads. The State Board of Equalization and Attorney General confirm that churches will never lose their tax exemption status over same sex marriage. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction announced earlier that same sex marriage does not eliminate the right of parents to be involved in their children’s education, and parents will always have discretion over the curriculum of their children for any subject.

If the intolerant Proposition 8 passes, then the constitution will declare that every single gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Californian is less deserving of legal protection. They will not be permitted the same rights guaranteed to heterosexual Californians. In the eyes of the law, I will have fewer legal rights than my heterosexual twin sister!

If we do the right thing and vote no on Proposition 8, every single Californian will continue to be treated equally by the law. My rights, and the rights of tens of thousands of Californians, are in your hands on November 4. Do not eliminate the right to marry for anyone. Vote no on Prop 8!

Charles Lawlor is a Political Officer for the Sacramento State Queer Straight Alliance

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