Veteran's Day

Alejna emailed me yesterday and told me that she nominated a couple of my recent posts for October's Just Posts, a round-up of different posts from different bloggers that focus on social issues. Considering my feelings toward Prop 8, this is an honor for me.

You can see the list of posts here. I am so grateful to have been able to contribute something meaningful. Thank you, Alejna!



I haven't been writing about Prop 8 lately. But I have been reading, and I have been thinking. I've made some good solid attempts to understand where the supporters of Prop 8 are coming from. I don't believe in pointing fingers and hating others for their beliefs, no matter how much these beliefs have hurt and will continue to hurt others. I believe in being part of the solution. And I think the solution is to try to understand others, no matter how infuriating they can be.

I am not always successful; in fact, I rarely am. My good intentions are often clouded by anger and sadness. But here are a few things that I believe to be true. A yes vote on Prop 8 has nothing at all to do with gay people or same-sex marriage or sparing our poor innocent children from the abomination of gayness. It has everything to do with a belief system that does not look kindly upon same-sex marriage. It has to do with people who simply don't understand that homosexuals truly pose no threat to anyone's life, people who cannot escape the crippling power of what they believe.

In all the uproar over Prop 8, I forgot that I myself was raised Catholic, and that for years, the Church had immense power over me. I don't consider Catholicism (or any other religion, for that matter) to be the essence of evil, but I do know that when human beings get hold of anything, even the purest of the pure can turn ugly. We simply do not know how to not leave the taint of our humanity behind on anything we touch.

Prop 8 is the perfect example of how ugly things can become if we don't open our eyes and realize that we are all human beings. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: there are many paths up the same mountain. And we all want the same simple things: food, water, shelter, love. Why, oh why, do we continue to constantly divide ourselves?

I will continue to reach across the chasm that divides us. Because I need to believe that things can change. And things must change; otherwise there will be too many casualties in this civil rights war.

To all you past, present, and future veterans who are fighting the good fight, I salute you. Happy Veterans Day.

Proposition Eight, Proposition Hate

The second I heard about Prop 8 months back, I dismissed it as complete and utter nonsense. Last week I read this article (and the comments) and realized how much we stand to lose if Prop 8 passes. I know I must seem very naive that I didn't realize this before, but to me the very thought of Prop 8 is, was, and always has been ridiculous. And then I remembered that there are people in the world who are (for whatever reason) threatened by the idea of gay marriage. This is something that I truly don't understand.

Yes, I understand the fact that the Bible says that marriage is between a woman and a man. But honestly, the Bible doesn't mean jack to me. While I appreciate books and works of literature, I don't base my life on any one in particular. I understand that the Bible is supposed to hold more power and instill more reverence than the average book, but for me, it simply doesn't. This does not mean that I think that the Bible is worthless. Obviously it holds a lot of cultural and religious value, and I think there are some good things that are shared within its pages. But I don't believe it's the word of God. Inspired by God? Sure. But it definitely contains the word of men, those utterly fallible and judgmental beings.

So I don't understand when people constantly turn to the Bible as a way of explaining away their bigotry in connection with Prop 8. I am really trying to understand how, if Prop 8 doesn't pass, that it will threaten the institution of marriage and the family. I want someone to tell me in words that have nothing to do with the Bible, because in all reality, the Bible is supposed to have nothing to do with this. What is so horrible about gay marriage? (This isn't a rhetorical question. I honestly want to know what you think. Tell me in the comments or through email. But please, leave the Bible out of it. It simply doesn't hold any weight with me.)

I'm lucky enough to have two mother-in-laws, and together they are raising three young children (my nephews and niece). They have a happy home. Is it normal? Well, as my husband likes to say, "normal is a setting on my dryer." And I tend to agree. Why are we so quick to put labels on things? Why is "normal" considered good and anything other than that considered bad? What does "normal" mean, anyway?

There's a theorist I like by the name of Jacques Derrida. When I can actually understand what Derrida is saying, he makes sense (on some issues). One of my favorite quotes of his is "the center is not the center." Derrida is big on the deconstruction of binaries (white/black, straight/gay, sacred/profane, etc.). While many would (and do) say that homosexuality is inherently wrong (based on the the Bible and the teachings of the Church), Derrida points out that there is nothing inherent about this belief at all. An institution has decided for us that homosexuality is a sin, in much the same way that it was decided that a table is a table and not a chair.

And this is where the power of "the center is not the center" comes in. If you really think about what Derrida is saying, you may come to the conclusion that none of these judgments is handed down by God but that society has decided what is wrong and what is right. Thus, the being we have always perceived as the center is really not the center.

It's definitely something to think about.

Yesterday I read this blog entry and found that it really spoke to me on this issue. And through the author's experience, I realized, just as she did, that there's a whole lot at stake here. We are all human beings. How can anyone with any sort of respect for the human race want to deny someone the right to happiness and the right to have his/her own family? Homosexuality is not a problem to be solved, but our treatment of it definitely needs to change. Homosexuality is not going away, people. And there's no reason why it should. We love who we love. End of story.

Vote NO on Prop 8. Vote NO on hate.

Now I really AM going to vomit.

Received this in an email today:



Needless to say, I didn't laugh.