As I’m sure everyone remembers, on Election Day of November 2008 the people of California had the power to revoke the rights of a minority. It was the day Proposition 8, (also known as prop H8) stripped thousands of Californian lesbian and gay couples of the right to marry.
Now, more than a year and a half later, a federal court in California has the task of evaluating the constitutionality of empowering a majority to further marginalize an already discriminated minority.
On Wednesday, June 16, attorneys on both sides of the Prop. 8 battle delivered their closing arguments.
Opponents of H8 made their point of view clear.
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Marriage is a fundamental right
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Prohibiting marriage equality is harmful to families and children
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Marriage equality has no adverse effects on heterosexual couples
Backers of Prop. 8, however, tried to push their discriminatory initiative one step further. Preventing lesbian and gay couples from marrying apparently wasn’t enough. They also called for a repeal of state recognition of the 18,000 same-sex marriages which took place in the months before Prop. 8 passed.
For now, only time will tell which way the court will decide. I can only hope that our judicial system chooses to align its self with love and equality rather than bigotry and H8.
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