Thursday, October 23, 2008

Response to Anonymous comment

I am responding to an Anonymous comment.
When I pass houses that proudly display the very misleading happy-go-lucky blue family and yellow-backdrop Yes on Prop 8 sign, I swell up with tears.

I am 19 years old. I am gay.

What you, my fellow Californian and American, impose on me with the signs you display in front of your house is a feeling that I am not welcomed in your great society....In my perspective, I feel like I am walking past a bunch of "F*** YOU FAG!" signs... and although that is not what you intend, the unintentional goal was met - and quite forcefully.

Anonymous: We don't hate you. We do welcome you. We think every legitimate objective of gay and lesbian citizens can be met without redefining marriage. We don't think this campaign is primarily about you. We think it is about the meaning of marriage.
I think it is tragic for you to go around thinking that millions of people hate you. They don't agree with your views, but that's life in a free society. We don't hate you.
Anonymous, you are young, and still forming your sense of yourself as a person. I truly hope your self-esteem does not depend on the voters of California!
I have an article on this, here.
The facts are that gays and lesbians already had all the material benefits of marriage through the domestic partners laws. The gay lobby has chosen, for reasons best known to themselves, to make same sex marriage a great symbolic issue. But individual gays and lesbians can decide anything they want. You can look at those signs and see the largest single grass-roots campaign in the history of self-government. You can see families trying to protect their rights to raise their children in accordance with their values.
Or you can look at those signs and take it personally, as if it is all about you. I feel quite confident in saying that it isn't all about you.
The supporters of Prop 8 are not trying to hurt you. Honest.

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