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The election is over - nearly two years of
campaigning has come to an end - but just as
we thought things would quiet down there is a
battle still raging on the West Coast, the
battle of Proposition 8.
In case you have not heard of the most
prominent (and expensive) proposition in the
2008 election, Proposition 8 determines if
there will be a constitutional amendment to
define marriage as between a man and a woman,
only. The initiative passed and with that
the rights for same-sex couples to marry was
eliminated.
It seems strange that California, which
decided same-sex couples HAD the right to
marry, completely reversed the decision just
a few months later. It also seems strange
that California, known as one of the most
liberal states in the country, took this
definitive stance.
There are many factors to why the legislation
passed, but there are even more questions.
One of the most important questions to ask:
How can we completely deny the rights of
an entire group of people?
YWTF supports the rights of all people: men and
women, young and old, gay and straight, etc.
Is it fair that two people who love each
other and want to publically express that
love are not able to do so? Proposition 8 is
an important example of the discrimination
that still exists in our country and the fact
there have been daily protests since it was
passed says that this is an issue we all need
to pay attention to now and in the future.
Sincerely,
Alison, Shannon, Kelly
and, as always, the entire YWTF Coordinating
Board
| Prop 8 Aftermath |
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From
Feministing
The passage of Proposition 8, which will
amend California's constitution to define
marriage as between a man and a woman, was a
devastating loss.
Thousands of protesters took to the street on
Wednesday night, and over a thousand
protested outside of a Mormon temple
yesterday afternoon - the Mormon Church
bankrolled a big portion of the proposition's
campaign.
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| Prejudice Alive and Well in the 2008 Elections |
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From
The Huffington Post
While the election has been trumpeted as a
triumph over prejudice, those declarations
are premature. In numerous states, prejudice
and discrimination against lesbian and gay
people was further institutionalized.
Arizona, California and Florida passed bans
on gay marriage, while Arkansas banned gay
couples from adopting children.
Taken as a whole, these measures seek to
further exclude lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) people from our
definitions of family. Yet a focus on facts
has been sorely missing from the arguments
against gay and lesbian marriage and
adoptions. The national organization,
Sociologists for Women in Society, produced a
fact sheet on LGBT Parenting and Children
(and another on same-sex marriage and civil
unions), analyzing three decades worth of
research by sociologists, psychologists, and
other scholars. Dr. Kristen Joos, author of
the fact sheet, concluded that "no evidence
exists to demonstrate that lesbians and gays
are unfit as parents or that their children
are psychologically or physically harmed by
having lesbian, Gay, bisexual, or transgender
parents." Examining the research published in
academic, peer-reviewed journals, there was
no evidence found that LGBT parents are any
less fit than heterosexual parents; their
children grow up to be as well adjusted both
psychologically and socially.
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| Proposition 8 Battle Just The Beginning For Gay Marriage Rights |
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From
Women on the Web
None of us quite realized that the passage of
Proposition 8 would become such a watershed
moment.
My spouse Joanne and I were domestic partners
until July 4th, when we finally married under
California's recently approved same-sex
marriage law. We've been together for 16
years, so it seems like the obvious thing to
do, but I must admit that part of me was in
it for the legal challenge.
Once we were wed in the Golden State, we
could then take on the Defense of Marriage
Act, or what I refer to as Bill Clinton's
really big mistake. That act prohibits the
federal government from honoring same-sex
nuptials, thus putting gay and lesbian
couples in quite the awkward position. But,
frankly, we're not sure we're even married at
this point, considering that Proposition 8
overturned the California Supreme Court's
ruling that same-sex couples deserve marriage
rights. Regardless, even if we are still
married in CA, we have miles to go.
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| Anti-Gay, Anti-Family |
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From New
New York Times
COUNTLESS Americans, gay and otherwise, are
still mourning - and social conservatives are
still celebrating - the approval last Tuesday
of anti-gay-marriage amendments in Florida,
Arizona and, most heartbreaking, California,
where Proposition 8 stripped same-sex couples
of their right to wed. Eighteen thousand
same-sex couples were legally married in
California this past summer and fall; their
marriages are now in limbo.
But while Californians march and gay
activists contemplate a national boycott of
Utah - the Mormon Church largely bankrolled
Proposition 8 - an even more ominous new law
in Arkansas has drawn little notice.
That state's Proposed Initiative Act No. 1,
approved by nearly 57 percent of voters last
week, bans people who are "cohabitating
outside a valid marriage" from serving as
foster parents or adopting children. While
the measure bans both gay and straight
members of cohabitating couples as foster or
adoptive parents, the Arkansas Family Council
wrote it expressly to thwart "the gay
agenda." Right now, there are 3,700 other
children across Arkansas in state custody;
1,000 of them are available for adoption. The
overwhelming majority of these children have
been abused, neglected or abandoned by their
heterosexual parents.
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| Across nation, gay advocates protest marriage ban |
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From Yahoo News
BOSTON - Gay rights supporters waving rainbow
colors marched, chanted and danced in cities
coast to coast Saturday to protest the vote
that banned gay marriage in California and to
urge supporters not to quit the fight for the
right to wed.
Crowds gathered near public buildings in
cities large and small, including Boston, San
Francisco, Chicago and Fargo, to vent their
frustrations, celebrate gay relationships and
renew calls for change
"Civil marriages are a civil right, and we're
going to keep fighting until we get the
rights we deserve as American citizens,"
Karen Amico said in Philadelphia, holding up
a sign reading "Don't Spread H8".
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LGBTQ Rights |
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by Nicole Di Fabio
With the change in administration, the effort
to provide rights and support for the LGBTQ
(lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender,
queer) community is expected to expand.
There are two bills which are anticipated to
be passed in 2009 involving gay rights. The
first is a gay-rights measure, which would
authorize federal officials to prosecute anti-gay hate
crimes. The second is the Employment Non-
Discrimination Act (ENDA), which is an act that will
ban the discrimination against queer people in the
workplace. Other bills are also being considered such
as the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
Another important change that the LGBTQ
community could see is the repeal of the
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). This law
currently defines marriage between one man
and one woman, and allows states to reject
the recognition of gay marriage that has
taken place in other states.
While this election has shed light on the
rights of GLBTQ persons, more than 30 states
currently have constitutional bans or laws
against gay marriage. In the recent election,
four states passed laws that are negatively
affect the LGBTQ community. In California,
Proposition 8 passed and LGBTQ residents lost
their right to marry. Similar measures were
passed in Florida and Arizona. Florida
approved Amendment 2, a measure prohibiting
same-sex marriage civil unions. Arizona
passed Proposition 102, with 62% of the vote,
which defines marriage between one man and
one woman.
Arkansas passed Proposed Initiated Act 1.
Proposed Initiated Act 1 bans unmarried
couples from adopting children in the state
of Arkansas. Having such a statute in place
directly affects same-sex couples due to
their inability to be married.
In response to these recent bans, people in
cities all across the United States have
rallied in favor of civil rights for the
LGBTQ community.
Fortunately, Connecticut is one state that
has moved forward with the advancement of gay
rights by rejecting Question 1. Today,
same-sex marriage is allowed in only two
states - Massachusetts and Connecticut. Three
others, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and
Vermont have Civil Unions and numbers of
states such as California permit domestic
partnership, which offer limited rights to
same-sex couples. However, the fight will not
end until same-sex couples in every state
across the U.S. have the right to a civil
marriage.
Nicole Di Fabio serves on the Younger Women's
Task Force National Board. She is a Research
Associate at the Commission on Professionals
in Science and Technology (CPST) in
Washington, DC. Di Fabio is responsible for
aiding the Executive Director in the
organization's research endeavors; co-authors
CPST's annual literature review for SWE
Magazine; manages the production of all CPST
publications; and is in the process of
leading her own research project which will
explore self image of males and females in
science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics fields within academia.
Di Fabio is a May, 2006 graduate of the
University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, where
she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in
Anthropology and Women's Studies.
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Brought to you by the Younger Women at YWTF
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