I feel very wronged. Proposition 8 has stripped me and hundreds of thousands of Californians of the basic civil right to marry. The passing of Prop 8 is a huge setback for human rights in America.
We should never stand for "separate but equal" institutions because they never work out to be equal in practice. Demeaning people for wanting to be with the love of their lives is outrageous in this day and age.
It shows us that there is still more work to be done to eliminate discrimination in this country and that we must work tirelessly to do so. I cannot state strongly enough how saddened I am by those citizens who voted not with their hearts but with their prejudices.
Now is the time when we must be the moral leaders. Specifically targeting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not the solution. I was saddened to see how many signs at the rallies on Nov. 15 targeted the Mormon religion, bigamy and their revered leader Joseph Smith, Jr.
Mormons did not create homophobia, and they were not the only people who voted for Prop 8. In fact, people of all religions and persuasions voted for it, even some gay men and women.
Other religious organizations contributed monetarily to the campaign to pass Prop 8 as well. While I am saddened by the lack of Mormon resistance to Prop 8 -- many Mormons are truly wonderful people -- it is wrong to demean their religion because of the actions of some.
As a Jewish man, I cannot and will not condone hate mongering of any religion. I know too well how my religion has been targeted for over two millennia, how we have been wrongly blamed for a litany of crimes we never committed. While Mormons contributed significantly to the campaign, it is counterproductive to single them out. Doing so may only make them feel even firmer about their beliefs, and this is obviously not our objective.
We must show them and all peoples that we have respect. An eye for an eye makes everyone blind. We must show the world our true colors, our strengths and our beautiful humanity. This is what we must do. We must not discriminate against those who discriminate against us. Though I am not a Christian, I believe the right thing to do now is to turn the other cheek. To follow in the footsteps of Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., César Chavez, Harvey Milk and others like them will ultimately be our greatest achievement.
We are strong. We are right. We will persevere. We will not succumb to cowardice, prejudice or hatred. The rallies on Nov. 15 were a beautiful representation of our determined will to do the right thing. Let's not taint this achievement with scapegoating or religious hatred.
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