On Overturning Prop 8: Legalising same-sex marriage in California for good
November 8th 2008 01:19
As California goes, so goes the nation... and as America goes, so goes the world - even if they were not the first country to introduce civil unions (Denmark) or gay marriage (Netherlands). So what does the passing of Proposition 8 mean?
It means that the taste of equality that was felt for several months had time to register in the minds of many, and will be sorely missed. It is clear that with such a small margin of defeat, proactive non-homophobes will not lament their losses for much longer. Once a precedent like this has been set, it's only a matter of time before it is reintroduced as a permanent fixture. The unkind gestures brought to my attention by Prop 8 is soon to be a thing of the past, and it's important to realise that, if we keep positive and open-minded, there is no change we cannot introduce within our lifetime. Nobody wants to live in fear - whether it is of homosexuals or dying tomorrow. You can help erode the level of fear present in the people you know you affect (and the people you don't know you affect, too) by:
Being confident that same-sex marriage would be extravagantly rewarding for everybody, no matter their sexual orientation.
Alerting others to your confidence levels as often as possible - make it your business to promote love/equality, something that will make you feel better. This is so much more preferable to bitterness and ranting. Use an inviting tone of voice, a convivial manner, all of your inner charm - you want to attract people to your way of thinking, not drive them away from something. According to Dale Carnegie, you win over more bees with honey than anything else. While some people may respond to negative campaigning on your behalf, much, much more will respond, in a much more positive way to the positivity you can muster.
Verbal communication is one of the most effective ways of reaching people, but it is best combined with other texts, such as posters, flyers, Facebook messages and statuses, e-campaigning by writing a heartfelt message to everyone you have the email of, and others. After some brainstorming, I plan to put up A4 posters promoting the wonders of gender-neutral marriage rights all over my neighbourhood.
Don't let anyone convince you that you cannot change the world. The world is primed for change, and you have the leadership skills to steer it into new territory. Don't hesitate to step into all the positions of power available to you - the ones that you create.
Some things to remember when promoting same-sex marriage:
Heterosexual marriage gains from homosexual marriage, too: Who would want to be part of a system that privileges some and excludes others on something as irrelevant as the gender of their beloved?
Marriage itself is made stronger as a result: Many young people do not take marriage very seriously, and while this is as valid a reading as any other, the idea of going through an official procedure to attain certain status for your association with another being is made much stronger to progressives if it is available to all people, no matter their gender or sexual orientation.
Opponents to same-sex marriage are on the losing side of history: Encourage your passive friends to think about 100 years from now, when SSM will be taken for granted by a lot of people. Evoke a world where every relationship is celebrated because of its unique stylings, and heteronormativity becomes a thing for the history books. Mobilise people into accepting progressive tendencies within themselves they had previously ignored, been blind to.
I believe that people are good, and that those that struggle are overwhelmed by negative voices in their heads, and just need more positivity and encouragement to counter the turbulence they foster within.
I know that if you and I work together, we can overturn Proposition 8 sooner than any of us dares to imagine possible - are you with me?
It means that the taste of equality that was felt for several months had time to register in the minds of many, and will be sorely missed. It is clear that with such a small margin of defeat, proactive non-homophobes will not lament their losses for much longer. Once a precedent like this has been set, it's only a matter of time before it is reintroduced as a permanent fixture. The unkind gestures brought to my attention by Prop 8 is soon to be a thing of the past, and it's important to realise that, if we keep positive and open-minded, there is no change we cannot introduce within our lifetime. Nobody wants to live in fear - whether it is of homosexuals or dying tomorrow. You can help erode the level of fear present in the people you know you affect (and the people you don't know you affect, too) by:
Being confident that same-sex marriage would be extravagantly rewarding for everybody, no matter their sexual orientation.
Alerting others to your confidence levels as often as possible - make it your business to promote love/equality, something that will make you feel better. This is so much more preferable to bitterness and ranting. Use an inviting tone of voice, a convivial manner, all of your inner charm - you want to attract people to your way of thinking, not drive them away from something. According to Dale Carnegie, you win over more bees with honey than anything else. While some people may respond to negative campaigning on your behalf, much, much more will respond, in a much more positive way to the positivity you can muster.
Verbal communication is one of the most effective ways of reaching people, but it is best combined with other texts, such as posters, flyers, Facebook messages and statuses, e-campaigning by writing a heartfelt message to everyone you have the email of, and others. After some brainstorming, I plan to put up A4 posters promoting the wonders of gender-neutral marriage rights all over my neighbourhood.
Don't let anyone convince you that you cannot change the world. The world is primed for change, and you have the leadership skills to steer it into new territory. Don't hesitate to step into all the positions of power available to you - the ones that you create.
This looks like it could be set in South Africa, where lesbian marriage is legal - let's not forget that we need to fight for this right everywhere else in the continent of Africa, and in every other developing country. Mobilise the people around you, as I am in Sydney - you know people from various continents, who know people everywhere that humans inhabit - and that is where we want love and equality to reach, so that when the penguins of Antarctica make contact with random humans, they will be of the diversity-loving variety, and better able to appreciate their shades of black and white (a phenomenon of coating, and no longer conceptually warmed to, as in 'black and white' thinking)
Some things to remember when promoting same-sex marriage:
Heterosexual marriage gains from homosexual marriage, too: Who would want to be part of a system that privileges some and excludes others on something as irrelevant as the gender of their beloved?
Marriage itself is made stronger as a result: Many young people do not take marriage very seriously, and while this is as valid a reading as any other, the idea of going through an official procedure to attain certain status for your association with another being is made much stronger to progressives if it is available to all people, no matter their gender or sexual orientation.
Opponents to same-sex marriage are on the losing side of history: Encourage your passive friends to think about 100 years from now, when SSM will be taken for granted by a lot of people. Evoke a world where every relationship is celebrated because of its unique stylings, and heteronormativity becomes a thing for the history books. Mobilise people into accepting progressive tendencies within themselves they had previously ignored, been blind to.
I believe that people are good, and that those that struggle are overwhelmed by negative voices in their heads, and just need more positivity and encouragement to counter the turbulence they foster within.
I know that if you and I work together, we can overturn Proposition 8 sooner than any of us dares to imagine possible - are you with me?
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Comment by alt_ed
Alted Opinion
ArtCombat
The Inner Saintdom
Comment by Morgan Bell
Science News
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
Comment by Postmodern Critic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
Hi Morgan, bella,
You give me hope...
Sometimes I'm not sure which blog to post to, because so many issues can be viewed in the light of anti-discrimination, 'the big picture' / discourse issues AND everything I write is informed by my postmodernist views, so it takes me a while to figure out which post to put where...
Thank you both very much for commenting, and I apologise for the slight delay in response.