Why California Matters So Much

Kate Kendall has a thoughtful column at Billerico Project that does a good job analyzing of why it is so important that Proposition 8 which would amend the California Constitution be defeated on November 4, 2008. At a minimum, numreous legal gay marriages would be put in legal limbo. More importantly, should the Christianists behind Proposition 8 prevail, they will be emboldened to seek to pass further initiatives that will slowly reverse gains in LGBT rights that have been secured over the years. The bottom line is that these folks don't just dislike LGBT individuals, they hate gays and the most extreme among them would happily see us exterminated. Naturally, they would claim otherwise, but one does disseminate known lies on literally a daily basis and do all possible to dehumanize gays in a manner akin to what the Nazis did to the Jews unless the motivation is hate. It goes way beyond opportunism or religious belief. Here are some column highlights:

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If we lose California, if they defeat the marriage amendment, I'm afraid that the culture war is over and Christians have lost. I've never said that publicly until now--but that's just the reality of the fact. Donald Wildmon, President, American Family Association

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Clearly Donald Wildmon gets how high the stakes are when it comes to defeating Prop 8. But of course Wildmon is not entirely accurate--defeating Prop 8 in November does not mean "Christians have lost." It will mean, however, that successfully using religion to scapegoat, shame, and marginalize LGBT people is over.

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What Wildmon--one of the most vitriolic anti-LGBT crusaders in the country--understands is that he and those like him will never again be able to terrorize LGBT folks in the name of family, religion, or Christianity. What Wildmon gets is that the future of our movement and our entire struggle for justice, dignity, and equality hangs in the balance in November.

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While the landmark ruling from the California Supreme Court is most notable for ending the exclusion of same-sex couples from the right to marry, the most groundbreaking part of the opinion was the Court's holding that virtually any law that discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation will be invalidated. For the first time ever, a high court extended to sexual orientation the same legal protection given to gender, religion, race, and national origin.

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While the words of Prop 8 are limited to marriage ("Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California"), if this initiative were to pass it would be the first step in undermining the broad protections given to all LGBT Californians. Make no mistake: schools and LGBT youth would be next, as would a broad range of employment, housing protections, and family issues. And if we lose California, when so much hangs in the balance, every anti-LGBT organization will be emboldened, every homophobic politician will be bolstered, every anti-LGBT effort will be strengthened.

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Donald Wildmon understands what is at stake--he knows his organization will not survive if we prevail. He knows it will be new day. What kind of world do you want to wake up to on November 5?