My Prop 8 Letter

Last night I e-mailed a letter to two of my relatives in California regarding Proposition 8. Below is the text, and I hope if you - reading this - also live in California and are undecided about the issue, that you'll take my words into consideration.

L

Well, I flew over California recently, when I was on the way home from
Taipei (where I saw Ricky, who says hi). I hope everything is going
well out there!

Since I returned home I've been very much following the election and
also California's Proposition 8 campaign. Of course, I fall on the "No
on 8" side: in 2 weeks, my partner Matt and I will celebrate 7 years
together. In the future, we both want to have the same legal
protections as any heterosexual married couple. If I get hit by a car,
I want Matt to be able to enter the emergency room without hassle.
Ditto for being covered by his medical insurance should he get a job
that offers spousal health benefits (since I am a fulltime freelancer,
health insurance is something I pay a lot for). In any case, those
1000+ rights that come with legal marriage, we want.

I am writing in hopes both of you and your families and friends will
vote No on Proposition 8 on Tuesday. I'm proud to be part of a society
and family that seems to embrace inclusion and progression. I get very
very frustrated when I hear people approaching this issue of State as
if it was an issue of Church. I believe in and want a separation of
church and state, and people seem to be getting very confused indeed
about these two things.

I might be preaching to the choir, so to speak, but California's
current legal same-sex marriages force no church, temple, or religious
institution to perform or officiate these marriages. Nor would it.
Proposition 8 is not a religious issue, and I am saddened to see it
treated as if it was. Also, the irony of Yes on 8 supporters going on
about how legal same sex marriage will result in it being taught in
schools to their kids... well, kids are asking about Proposition 8
because of the high visibility of Yes on 8 support. So they are
actually the ones forcing the issue to be discussed by their own
children.

I can go on and on about this - and the disturbing parallels between
Yes on 8 and the past efforts and arguments to stop mixed race
marriages, etc., and complete disregard for the marriage timeline
which has included plenty of change since its inception - but
ultimately I hope you'll think of me and my committed partner when you
enter the voting booth, as well as California's constitution
representing freedom, on Tuesday.

My best to your families and friends, and thanks for reading my ramblings here.

Love,
Larry