You Lose Three, You Win One

Marriage, marriage, marriage…it’s all anyone in the gay community is talking about these days and it’s for good reason – obviously the recent bans have created a lot of reactions from Americans from coast to coast. This past Saturday, November 15, 2008 thousands of protesters gathered together in cities and states throughout the country as part of Join the Impact, a movement that seeks to encourage the LGBTQ community not to look towards the past and place blame, but instead to look forward to what needs to be done now to achieve one goal: Full equality for ALL. The website, www.jointheimpact.com, enabled all those interested in taking part in protests against Proposition 8 to find out where and when they could combine their efforts and make a large scale statement about our community’s outrage.

Despite the still very serious issues surrounding what happened in California, Arizona, and Florida however, last Wednesday the state of Connecticut began granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples, following last month’s state Supreme Court decision that found barring gays and lesbians from marrying unconstitutional. Now, only Connecticut and Massachusetts offer marriage equality for same-sex couples in the United States (for a complete worldwide list see The Fresh Ten).

“It’s a joyous day in Connecticut as hundreds of loving, committed couples prepare to receive the ultimate recognition of their relationships by receiving civil marriage licenses. And it’s a historic day for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people all over the nation, who may have suffered a setback last Tuesday, but know that our fight for equality goes on,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese on Wednesday November 12th. “Today’s actions in Connecticut signal a new and hopeful day.”

The victory in Connecticut has empowered those in the LGBT community – those who took part in the events with Join the Impact and beyond – to continue the fight for marriage equality. The Mormon Church played a huge role in the passing of Proposition 8 and in response there have been protests at churches. Likewise, the Roman Catholic Church has been pointed out for its having pursued a campaign of deceit and misinformation in support of Prop 8. Both the Catholic and Mormon Churches told lies - that marriage equality would require children to learn about homosexuality in school and that priests would be required to solemnize marriages of same sex couples – and the supporters of equal rights have been tireless in their efforts this week in pointing out these actions.

Marriage will continue to be the hot topic among our community and the leaders and advocates behind the protests and organizations that have pledged to bring every state in our nation to the levels of Connecticut and Massachusetts. They are asking our community and its allies to remain strong and focused and, as stated on www.jointheimpact.com, “to engage our opposition in a conversation about full equality and to do this with respect, dignity, and an attitude of outreach and education.”

As Joe Solmonese explains, “our anger is just; our goal is alive. We must remain worthy of the cause we fight for. Our cause is love; and only through love can we win the freedom to marry. In the streets and over coffee, our message must be consistent. We love our soul mates and our families; we love and respect our neighbors; we expect love and respect in return. To reverse the outcomes of November 4th, we must embrace our passion and anger, and redirect them to tasks that have as yet gone undone.”

For information about joining the fight for equality visit http://www.jointheimpact.com.
Featured photo (second from top) and top photo by Bob Bobster. Tabber photo and bottom photo by Kelly B. Huston.

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