Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyPosts Tagged As: State Marriage Amendments
October 19th, 2008
The Arizona Daily Star this morning urges its readers to vote no on Prop 102:
Proposition 102 is a divisive, discriminatory initiative that would threaten to erode the rights of same-sex couples if approved.
Arizona voters rejected a similar — though more far-reaching — proposition in 2006.
Furthermore, this proposition isn’t needed because state law already defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The state law has been challenged and upheld in court.
…
We see Proposition 102, fundamentally, as an attempt by conservatives to legislate morality. We urge a “no” vote on Proposition 102 and hope we don’t see a similar measure in 2010.
The Arizona Daily Star joins these newspapers in opposing Prop 102:
October 19th, 2008
The Yuma Sun recommends voting no on Prop 102:
For a shameful period of time in our nation, interracial marriage was forbidden. We now know that was abominably wrong. That illustrates, however, the dangerous path one treads when you allow the government to define “proper” marriage.
It is best to keep the government as far removed from marriage as possible, and we therefore cannot support Proposition 102, or the statutory limitation that currently exists.
The Sun joins these Arizona newspapers in opposing Prop 102:
October 19th, 2008
The video at top is the pro-Amendment 2 ad that has been unveiled for Florida. The video on the bottom is the pro-Prop 102 ad which has been running in Arizona for the past three weeks. Just for grins, click to play both of them at about the same time (as quickly in succession as you can at least) and see if you can spot the differences. There are a few, obviously reflecting the geographical and ethnic differences between the two states, but the similarities are startling.
[Hat tip: Tucson Observer blog]
October 18th, 2008
Not busy on Tuesday? Got an extra $25,000?
If so, run on over to Ron Burkle’s house for dinner. Melissa Etheridge will be singing, along with Mary J. Blige. You’ll get to chat up the celebs, expected to include Babs herself. It’s definitely A-List Hollywood.
Here’s hoping that Burkle’s party is full to overflowing and that guest have such a great time that they feel compelled to write a big check on top of the per-plate charge.
October 18th, 2008
A number of newspapers in Florida are now coming out in opposition to Amendment 2, Florida’s so-called “marriage amendment” to the state constitution. A few of those papers are:
Readers are encouraged to provide more links to Florida newspaper endorsements against Amendment 2 in the comments.
Update: Add to that the Lakeland Ledger.
Update: Here are some more, thanks to our commenters:
October 18th, 2008
A group of about fifty Mormons presented stacks about 300 letters and a petition to officials of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints yesterday opposing the church’s efforts in support of Proposition 8 in California.
The letters were bundled in fifteen stacks and wrapped in pink ribbons, to be split among the Mormon Church’s three-man First Presidency and twelve apostles. The group sang the Mormon hymn “As I Have Loved You, Love One Another” during the event.
The protesters also deposited several manila envelopes containing signatures on the petition. It asks the LDS Church to stop “political organizing efforts and financial support of attempts to use the government to restrict the secular and religious rights of gay and lesbian individuals and publicly retract their request that members of the LDS Church support such measures.” The group also delivered bunches of carnations representing people they say have lost their lives in the gay marriage debate. They were referring to suicides by gay Mormons.
“We urge LDS leaders to read these letters and listen to their words,” said Andrew D. Callahan, an LDS high priest in Nebraska, who organized an Internet petition drive for Mormons who oppose the amendment known as Proposition 8.
Callahan, you may recall, faces a disciplinary hearing for charges of “conduct unbecoming a member of the church and … apostasy.” That hearing was originally scheduled for September, but has been put off until after the elections. Callahan runs the web site Signing For Something, which features several statements from fellow Mormons opposing the church’s efforts on behalf of so-called “marriage amendments” in California and Arizona.
October 17th, 2008
CBS5 has a new SurveyUSA poll out today and it is not much different from the one released on October 6th.
The poll of 615 likely voters released Friday found that 48 percent favored Proposition 8, while 45 percent planned to vote against the measure. Seven percent said they were not yet certain.
The poll has a four percent margin of sampling error.
The last poll found that 47 percent in favor and 42 percent opposed. It is difficult to draw any conclusions from this new poll or to show any shift in the electorate.
As I said on the 6th, I don’t put much trust in the SurveyUSA polling methodology. And in reviewing the breakout, some things seem illogical. For example, voters age 50-64 are more likely to vote “no” than voters 18-34 or 35-49. This seems inconsistent with what socialogists have noted in trends of acceptance.
Additionally, this poll finds Asian-American voters opposing Prop 8 by 48% to 42%, while a recent survey of Asian-American voting intentions found opposition to be 57% to 32%.
However, this poll should inspire us to greater efforts.
October 17th, 2008
Ellen DeGeneres has been using her popular daytime talk show to get out the message that same-sex marriage is life-changing and beautiful. She has also recorded a 30 second message to spread the word, a message that was viewed 80,000 times.
Now the Sacramento Bee is reporting that she cares so much about getting out her message that she’s funding the airing of the ad.
Eddie Fernandez of the No on 8 campaign said DeGeneres is starting by purchasing $100,000 in air time for the ad.
This appeal, made and paid for by someone that listeners may feel that they know and love, may make this proposition personal for some viewers. I commend Ellen on her efforts and generosity.
This commentary is the opinion of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of other authors at Box Turtle Bulletin.
October 17th, 2008
In the world of anti-gay activism, there are those who will say or do anything to advance their anti-gay agenda. Integrity has long since been discarded and honesty always take a back seat to insinuation, innuendo, and sometimes blatant lies.
Take, for example, a recent outing by first graders to celebrate the marriage of their teacher to her wife. The bare facts, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, are these:
This story has delighted the anti-gay industry. Writers have distorted the story and passed it on for others to take it even further from the truth.
OneNewNow falsely states:
For the school-sponsored trip, 18 first-graders — ages 5 and 6 — were taken to San Francisco City Hall to witness the wedding of their teacher and her lesbian partner.
Yes on 8’s Chip White told CNSNews:
“The other side claims that we’re lying (when we say) that same-sex marriage will be taught in schools. This field trip shows not only will same-sex marriage be taught in schools, but it already is being taught in schools,” he said.
Concerned Women for America’s Leslie Smith claimed
Conservative and liberal critics alike are decrying the use of taxpayer money to bus the students to the ceremony under the auspices of “education.”
CWA’s Wendy Wright went beyond getting the facts wrong and blatantly lied when she said
And it didn’t take long for activists to go straight to children to advance their agenda, as if other people’s children are merely pawns.
Consistent through out the repeating and retelling of this story is a need on the part of anti-gays to create a situation that did not occur. Their desire to win an election has vastly overpowered any instinct towards telling the truth.
But there are some individuals with whom I sharply disagree but who also try to keep their claims this side of fraudulent. They may take positions that I find contrary to both Christian principle and American philosophy, but their words are not generally dishonest – or at least not blatantly so.
One such person is Albert Mohler, the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.
Mohler has also reviewed the story about the San Francisco children and found it disturbing. But Mohler’s distress is not based in bogus taxpayer bus expenses or in the pretense that the will of parents was disregarded. He does not rant about “exposed to the ceremony” or other misstatements of fact. Dr. Mohler has a broader concern.
Human society is a complex reality, but certain constants have framed that reality for human beings. One of those constants has been the institution of marriage. The respected status of the heterosexual pairing, set apart for exclusive rights and respected for its functions for the society, is among the most important of those constants. Even where deviations from this pattern occur, they are of interest merely for the fact that they are deviations from this norm.
The legalization and normalization of same-sex marriage undermine that constant. What had been a clear picture now becomes confusing. Marriage had been universally understood to be heterosexual. Now, it is something else. The picture is further confused by alienating the heterosexual breeding and parenting function from marriage. Not only does marriage appear now to be what it never was before, the essential functions of marriage are up for grabs.
The pictures in the mind change.
What Dr. Mohler rightly notes is that this battle is not truly over first grade field trips. It isn’t really over parental rights or churches being sued.
What the battle over the legal recognition of same-sex marriage is about is the cultural recognition of same-sex unions as part of the definition of marriage. It’s a reflection of a society that no longer views gay persons as objectionable or inferior and which no longer gives preference and privilege to the institution of heterosexuality.
Those of us who favor equality emphatically state that the State cannot treat citizens dissimilarity. And that marriage is a civil right which cannot be eliminated to meet the demands of some churches’ doctrines.
But although Mohler is talking about Proposition 8 and encouraging its passage, that isn’t really at the heart of his complaint. It isn’t so much that a state has allowed marriage as it is that a society has rejected his moral argument.
The battle over Proposition 8 is a struggle over some of the most fundamental principles of life, society, and meaning. In the eyes of same-sex marriage advocates the battle is for equality, dignity, and respect for homosexual relationships. In the eyes of same-sex marriage opponents, the battle is for the preservation of an institution essential for human happiness and thriving.
Both sides in this debate understand that issues right at the core of human dignity are at stake. Each side understands that the decision on this question will shape the future of our civilization.
And though Mohler writes his piece to rally the troops, I think he knows that even if he wins the battle that is this proposition, he has lost the war. Mohler knows that his church, and many others, have for years appealed to the people. They have preached sermons. They have staged rallies. They have knocked on doors and done good works and even reverted to cries of hellfire and damnation.
And society has listened to their “good news” and found it neither good nor news. Their appeal to tradition and a literal interpretation of Genesis, their insistence on sexual rules that seem to be based on nebulous morality rather than on pragmatic approaches to pregnancy, disease, and emotional health, their conflation of religion and partisan politics, and their efforts to control those around them have caused conservative evangelical Christians to become viewed with hostility and distrust.
If their brand of Christianity is to be relevant to the world around it, they need to find a message that most will find to be helpful and useful to their lives. Because today’s youth have access to more information and shared experiences than ever before, appeals to ignorance or baseless dogma will doom a church for future generations.
Insistence on anti-gay dogmatism in a culture that is coming to value and respect their gay neighbors may alienate an entire generation. And I find within Mohler’s writing a suggestion that he may on some level recognize that Southern Baptists run the risk that it may be too late.
As he noted:
It turns out that parents had the right to use an “opt out” provision to keep their children at the school, and not at the ceremony at City Hall. According to the paper, two families did just that. Two. Eighteen students participated in the field trip. This, you must understand, is the new normal.
October 17th, 2008
A large coalition of Phoenix-area clergy called No Longer Silent has released this video urging Christians to vote against Proposition 102, Arizona’s so-called “marriage amendment.”
October 16th, 2008
Eastern Group Publications is a media outlet that is likely unfamiliar to most Californians. But this newsgroup prints ten local newspapers that reach a demographic that may not see itself represented by the Los Angeles Times or the Daily News. These bilingual weeklies targeted at a mostly Hispanic readership have a combined distribution of well over 100,000:
And while this may not be exactly the editorial I would have crafted, nonetheless I welcome EGP’s position:
Prop 8—Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry. Why is this Proposition on the ballot? Government cannot legislate morality. We believe marriage should mean a man and a woman becoming wedded, but if gays believe they are morally entitled to legally wed, we don’t believe there is anything that will change their minds. The courts have already affirmed this right, so should we.
Vote No
This pragmatic “Who Cares?” approach may well resonate with their readers.
October 16th, 2008
The San Diego Union-Tribune is not pleased about the content of the Yes on 8 advertisements.
The “Yes on 8” forces have recently waged an offensive but terribly effective war on the airwaves to convince voters that, if they don’t draw the line at gay marriage, before they know it their children will learn about same-sex unions in public school.
How shameful. That is not what this debate is about. Parents have the right to be notified if such a thing is discussed in class, and to remove their children if necessary. The ads don’t mention that.
…
Enough with these petty political games. This is serious business. Let’s shelve the theatrics, and think about what would be best for all Californians. The answer begins with equal rights for everyone and a No vote on Proposition 8.
This is their second editorial opposing the proposition.
October 16th, 2008
Bakersfield, though only a two hour drive from Los Angeles, is worlds apart when it comes to equality and support for members of gay community. In June, Kern Co. Clerk Ann K. Barnett cancelled the performance of all civil marriages rather than allow gay people to avail themselves of the services of the county.
So it is especially sweet that the Bakersfield Californian has come out in strong opposition to Proposition 8:
The bottom line is the California Constitution and ultimately the U.S. Constitution. Both guarantee all people equal protection and equal rights under the law. We must not support any constitutional amendment that would serve to take away fundamental rights. It’s as simple as that.
Californians need to move beyond the divisiveness that Prop. 8 has engendered and embrace tolerance and reconciliation. Live and let live.
We recommend a NO vote on Prop. 8.
October 16th, 2008
We reported to you on October 7 that the No on 8 campaign was worried because they were being outspent, and without our message being heard we were facing frightening poll results.
At that time the Yes on 8 supporters were out-contributing us by 3 to 2.
It seems that our supporters have heard the plea. And the fundraising deficit is beginning to diminish. The Mercury News reports:
After sounding the alarm last week about its $10 million fundraising deficit, Equality California, the lead organization for the No on 8 campaign, has raised more than $3 million within California since Oct. 6.
The No on 8 campaign has also received commitments for an additional $4 million in donations that have not been received, said Kate Kendell, a member of the campaign’s executive committee. “That has been extraordinary, and has certainly we think helped us close the gap on the $10 million they had out-raised us, but we are not the least bit sanguine about this.”
Recent significant pledges and contributions include (Advocate and CA Sec. of State):
Other contributors have given generously with five and six figure contributions (including a $650,000 contribution that seems to have caught no press). As they have not been publicized, they may be seeking a low profile so I won’t draw attention to their names. But these contributions come from various walks of life, many are heterosexual, many are not extravagantly wealthy. Business have contributed, as have trade groups, political associations, and religious groups.
Thank you to all who have contributed.
All is appreciated and more is needed. Please continue to contribute what you can, not only to No on Proposition 8 but also to efforts to fight against Proposition 102 in Arizona and Amendment 2 in Florida.
In the same time period,
Since Oct. 6, large contributions to ProtectMarriage.com, the lead group supporting Proposition 8, have totaled just $405,969.
October 16th, 2008
… and incest and polygamy.
These people running this campaign have no shame whatsoever.
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