I worked today, served breakfast to folks headed to and coming back from the rally at city hall, wishing I could have joined. It was an exceptionally fine day in SF, perfect for naked protesting. Alas, but not for me. Was anyone naked at the protest? I saw one gentleman wearing a tiny black posing thong and a cowboy hat on Castro Street as I walked home after my day's toil. I stopped to tell him how much I appreciated seeing him around. He said he had been at the rally wearing his itsy-bitsy costume!
I've been thinking a lot about the aftermath of this election, trying to reconcile my ambivalence with my sense of outrage. I do not believe in special rights for married people. I think government sanctioned marriage creates an institution which privileges a group of people; those who are able to take advantage of that institution and its specific rights which are not available to everyone. And everyone is not able to join that institution, either because they can not find a partner, choose not to, or are in relationships which do not fit the definition prescribed by the state. In that sense, when I see signs saying "Equality For All," I do not buy the argument--do not want to be a part of that movement--because it is a lie. It is NOT equality for all, it is only about being added to the list of people who are privileged with the rights which the institution of marriage affords.
However, I do not believe it is okay to change the constitution to disadvantage one group of people. What is next, shall we vote to rewrite the constitution to not allow blond people the right to vote? Of course not. This is about bigotry and homophobia, which we must fight. But do not tell me it is about equality, it is not.
Now get out there and make some noise! And a big thanks to everyone who did just that today.
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