We will prevail..

These last few days have been mentally and emotionally exhausting as I hear so many reasons as to why people voted Yes on 8. I have heard the usual church arguments, school and education arguments, and recently I heard, "I don't understand what the big deal is." I have heard that my being upset is similar to a child not getting their way - or someone not getting an occupation and blaming it on their race or socio-economic status.

These things are very difficult to handle because usually the people who say these things have yet to face discrimination to this extent. They have not encountered their government deciding who they can and cannot marry, what types of legal recognition or benefits they receive, or even had to contemplate what they need to do in order to ensure they have decision-making status if their partner gets sick or is in the hospital. They take for granted the recognition of their relationship from their and their partner's family, and never really have to be concerned that they may not even, legally, be admitted to the hospital to visit their sick or dying partner.

Though this is not their fault because these rights have been awarded to them, and expected from them, since they were born. It is however, important for them to realize that many gay couples who have been together for both a short and extremely long time, do not share these same benefits or expectations. While heterosexual couples benefit from "traditional" marriage rights, gay couples are told that they should be happy they at least have some rights in domestic partnership. They may be separate - and unequal - but at least it's something, right?

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom recently said something very relevant, "All they did was fall in love and say I do. Nothing more than that. They entered into a legal marriage, not a religious marriage."

For this reason, I strongly urge the straight community to analyze your marriages. To look at the legal benefits and the rights that you have. I also urge you to look at the people who also do not engage in religious marriage - atheists, agnostics, people who ultimately divorce, and people who get married for reasons other than romance. They are able to get married merely because they are heterosexual.

For my gay community - I commend your peaceful protests. It is truly incredible that we can not only unite as a community, but we can gather more than 12,500 people in one place and end with no arrests. This is truly something to be proud of. Today, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also commended our rallies and protests and said that he too hopes the protests continue until Prop 8 is overturned. Continue educating, continue rallying, and continue to be yourselves because this is what makes us truly powerful and it is us that can convince the world that we are no longer okay being second-class citizens.

Keep fighting the good fight. Every minute is worth it.

Yours in solidarity,
Whitney