Friday, October 24, 2008

Just say no. Yes?

Okay. So let’s review

When a person can’t see FAR away, they are called NEARsighted.

And when a story is TRUE, it’s called NON-fiction.

And finally, when you vote NO on Proposition 8, you are saying YES to gay marriage.

I know it can be confusing, but there it is.

If you support NO on Prop 8 in California, please let any and all of your friends and relatives there know why and encourage them to vote NO.

And if you’ve been meaning to make a secure online donation, now is the time.

http://www.noonprop8.com/

Now on a personal note. Our wedding in 2005 was an amazing day—a rite of passage and a rite of love. But we are not eligible for so many rights and benefits conferred on our straight married friends. We look forward to the day that will change. And what is happening in California right now is critical to us seeing the light of that day across this country.

In the words of Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriquez Zapatero, spoken in June of 2005 when gay marriage became legal in Spain:

“Today, Spanish society responds to a group of people that for years have been humiliated, whose rights have been ignored, whose dignity has been offended, and whose identity and freedom has been denied. Today, Spanish society grants them the respect they deserve, recognizes their rights, restores their dignity, affirms their identity, and restores their freedom.

It is true that they are only a minority, but their triumph is everyone’s triumph. It is also a triumph of those who oppose this law, even as they attempt to ignore it, because it is the triumph of freedom. This victory makes all of us a better society.

Honorable members, there is no damage to marriage or to the family in allowing two people of the same sex to get married. Rather, these citizens now have the ability to organize their lives according to marital and familial norms and demands. There is no threat to the institution of marriage, but precisely the opposite: this law recognizes and values marriage.

Aware that some people and institutions profoundly disagree with this legal change, I wish to say that like other reforms to the marriage code that preceded this one, this law will not generate bad results, that its only consequence will be to avoid senseless suffering of human beings. A society that avoids senseless suffering of its citizens is a better society.”

To this, Susanne and I say, ¡Sí! ¡Sí! ¡Señor!

But what we want to leave you with is this... ¡No! ¡No! On Proposition 8!

-Monica and Susanne

1 comment:

Jenni said...

Monica, the Spanish PM's speech made me cry. It is such a lovely defense of legalizing gay marriage and so very, very true.