Prop 8 has been really weighing on my mind lately — I used to think “I don’t care what you call it as long as the rights and responsibilities are the same on the state level” (ideally federally, too, but one step at a time). However, I’ve really come to believe that “separate but equal” in this case, as in all cases, is total bollocks and there is no reason that “marriage” should be reserved for heterosexuals but gays and lesbians should have “civil unions” (and do what, become “civilized” instead of “get married”?). People have such a hard time separating the idea of civil marriage from the religious ceremony in so many cultures and political systems, but I’m sick of this issue of semantics and people getting up in arms about “changing the MEANING” of a time-bound/honored WORD and “tradition.” It’s insane.

I think one of the most painful things that the Prop 8 debate (and others like it around the country) dredges up is so much hateful rhetoric that has to be heard by LGBT people of all ages — but especially impressionable young people and teens — who are essentialy getting hit with a message that they are damaged, sick, “less than,” and in short, UNEQUAL. I can only hope that the message is countered by positive feeback … and most of all, NOT reinforced by the passing of Prop 8. The psychological impact of rhetoric and measures like this shouldn’t be underestimated.

Thanks again, and I can only hope that the SM community will see the light and vote NO on Prop 8!

(PS: See also the overwhelming opposition to Prop 8 in the study you wrote about regarding Asian-American voting patterns — I’d be curious to see a breakdown of those stats for South Asian voters.)

The sad thing is that in most religions at their purest there is so much beauty and love. People muck it up.

“Yes, you CAN be a gay Muslim. A person is not cast out of Islam because of his/her sins. Unless he or she believes that there is nothing wrong with the sinful acts and says that the sinful acts are lawful in Islam. For example a person who fornicates and says, yes I fornicate. There is nothing wrong with it and Islam doesn’t condemn the act of fornication. S/He has left the fold of Islam because S/he is corrupting the basic belief of the religion and s/he will never repent.”