Tag Archives: ca prop 8

Because I helped spread the myth…

10 Nov

I feel obliged to help undo it as well.

Facts Belie the Scapegoating of Black People for Prop. 8

[…] Black people are to blame for the passage of Proposition 8 here in California. It is an idea grounded in utter myth, a complete lack of knowledge about anything related to Black people’s presence in California, and just plain old scapegoating.

Hoepfully[sic], this diary will help put all that to rest, and we can get back to work trying to beat back the hateful results of Tuesday’s vote. […]

Consider this my mea culpa for the earlier post of this. I reacted to poorly researched “journalism”, and let my generally higher level of trust for foreign news sources carry too much weight. For that, I sincerely apologize. I also suggest reading this from Kathryn Kolbert, President, People For the American Way Foundation.

[…] Before we give Religious Right leaders more reasons to rejoice by deepening the divisions they have worked so hard to create between African Americans and the broader progressive community, let’s be clear about who is responsible for gay couples in California losing the right to get married, and let’s think strategically about a way forward that broadens and strengthens support for equality. […]

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I’m impressed by the argument

6 Nov

Legal Groups File Lawsuit Challenging Proposition 8, Should It Pass

The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a writ petition before the California Supreme Court today urging the court to invalidate Proposition 8 if it passes. The petition charges that Proposition 8 is invalid because the initiative process was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution’s core commitment to equality for everyone by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group – lesbian and gay Californians. Proposition 8 also improperly attempts to prevent the courts from exercising their essential constitutional role of protecting the equal protection rights of minorities. According to the California Constitution, such radical changes to the organizing principles of state government cannot be made by simple majority vote through the initiative process, but instead must, at a minimum, go through the state legislature first.

I’m afraid to be hopeful, though. Still, it’s an interesting and impressive argument. Click the link above to read the full press release, or see the writ petition here.

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California Prop 8 and bigotry

6 Nov

The very turnout that helped Obama carry California also seems to have helped Prop 8 pass. Polls indicate that African Americans overwhelmingly supported Prop 8. It’s one of life’s true ironies that those who were victims of bigotry would support the same against a different class of people.

Barack Obama may have helped California Proposition 8 gay marriage ban pass
Around 70 per cent of the African-American voters who overwhelmingly backed Mr Obama also approved Proposition 8, helping pass the controversial ballot measure despite a small majority of whites voting against the ban on same-sex unions. Hispanic and Asian voters were split on the issue. […]

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