Me Staying On Message

"Those arguing for the overturn for the proposition were making exactly the arguments they need to make: this is not just about a handful of gay or lesbian people who want to get married, it's about whether or not we as as state want to allow a slim majority to take away rights from a minority ... It sets an extraordinarily dangerous precedent," said the Rev. Susan Russell, a senior clergy associate at All Saints Church in Pasadena and the president of Integrity USA, the national Episcopal LGBT advocacy organization.

All Saints Church married 46 couples between June 17 and Nov. 4 and has been blessing gay and lesbian unions for 16 years. The church has signed on to one of the amicus briefs that was presented to the court.

Read the rest here ... and stay tuned for more.

So you want to pass propositions to take people's rights away?

Well, all right then ... bring it on!

I'm going to write something substantive about today's oral arguments before the Supreme Court on Proposition 8. Really. Soon. But right now I'm pounded and need to turn my attention to our Vestry/Staff Conference that starts tomorrow morning.
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So for NOW ... how about this proposition gaining speed on Facebook:
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Today Ken Starr told the Supreme Court that the voters can take away the right to marry. He also says that we are all "a minority of one." So let's take away HIS right to marry!
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Here is a proposed constitutional amendment to show him what it's like when his rights are taken away by the tyranny of the majority.

Proposed amendment to the California Constitution:

SECTION 1. Title
This measure shall be known and may be cited as the "‘Be Careful What You Tell the Supreme Court is Legal’ Act."

SECTION 2. Section 7.6 is added to Article I of the California Constitution, to read:

SEC. 7.6. No marriage between the dean of any law school located in Malibu, California, and any other person is valid or recognized in California. Any marriage entered into between such persons before the enactment of this amendment shall be null and void.

(If you're a Facebooker and want to join the "Eliminate Ken Starr's Right to Marry" Group click here.)

Marriage Equality Update from California

[I just posted this over at Walking With Integrity and decided to add it here, too.]


Greetings from California ... where this week the Supreme Court will hear arguments to reject Proposition 8 as unconstitutional and return marriage equality to Californians.

Tomorrow, March 4, many of us will join Bishop Jon Bruno, who will be part of the Lambda Legal/Equality California press conference at the Los Angeles Cathedral Center at 10:00 a.m. And beginning at 5:00 p.m. supporters of marriage equality will rally in downtown Los Angeles.

Thursday morning, March 5, the arguments before the Supreme Court will be televised and streamed online ... details here. (If you need a refresher course on how-we-got-to-here and where-we-might-be-going-next, I commend the commentary from Sunday's LA Times: "Gay Marriage On Trial")

Finally, here's the most recent ad for equality making the rounds ... making the point in 33 seconds. View ... forward ... and pray for justice to roll down like water here in California that liberty and justice for all might become a little closer to being not just a pledge but a reality.

CA State Legislature Opposes Legality of Prop 8

[Source Link] California lawmakers approved two resolutions Monday opposing the legality of Proposition 8, which was passed by 52 percent of state voters in November and bans same-sex marriages.

The action comes as the state Supreme Court is to hear arguments Thursday on whether the measure should have gone through the Legislature before going to voters.

Both the Assembly and the Senate considered identical resolutions, which stated that the Legislature "opposes Proposition 8 because it is an improper revision, not an amendment, of the California Constitution."

"In my mind, this is not a marriage issue, it's a constitutional issue," said Assemblyman Tom Ammiano of San Francisco, who introduced the resolution in the lower house.

The court will hear arguments from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday and will rule within 90 days.

Ed Bacon on Obama Iraq Speech: "Clear Victory for the Peace Movement"

Update on Marriage Equality Struggle in California

This is the week -- Thursday, March 5th -- that the California Supreme Court will hear arguments in the Proposition 8 case. The best summary of how-we-got-here and what-might-happen-next was in Sunday's Los Angeles Times ... a commentary entitled "Gay Marriage on Trial" ... and you'll want to read it all here ... but here's the intro:
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The argument in the courtroom will be broad and abstract. Who makes law in a democracy? What should we do when laws contradict one another? Who is the ultimate sovereign in the state of California -- the people at the polls or their written Constitution or their appointed judges or their elected legislators? Can fundamental constitutional rights -- inalienable rights -- be withdrawn from one group but not another? These are big, thorny questions with implications that go well beyond whether gays are allowed to marry. What follows is a cheater's guide to the issues at hand. (See the link above!)

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Meanwhile, if you're actually interested in following the arguments yourself, the California Supreme Court has a webpage set up for that -- check it out. And stay tuned. Likely to be a busy week here on the left coast!

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The Great Aloha Run

It's called "the Great Aloha Run" and the local news describes it as a "8.15-mile road race, the largest participatory fundraising activity in Hawaii, raising money for charitable organizations while promoting health and fitness."

Anyway, there's Jamie ... second from the left with the blue line pointing to him ... carrying, he tells me, a flag of some sort or the other. And this photo was from the front page of the local paper coverage of the February 16th event. Go, Jamie!

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