05 November, 2008

One Sad Note

UPDATE: Not entirely sure of this, but Rachel Maddow just said California will honor the same-sex marriages entered into prior to yesterday's passage of Prop. 8. I hope that's true.

California voters have narrowly approved a ban on same-sex marriage, Prop. 8. Unlike my home state (Florida) and Arizona, where voters last night approved changes to their states' constitutions to ban same-sex marriage - a superfluous move since both states had laws on the books defining marriage in ways that prevented same-sex marriage - same-sex marriage has been legal in California since June 17th of this year. As MSNBC host Rachel Maddow highlighted last night, California voters are not simply preventing something, but rather are taking an existing right away from their fellow citizens. Think about that. There is no word on what the ban will mean for the 16,000 committed same-sex couples who have married in the state since gay marriage became legal in June. I hope, but am sadly doubtful, that those unions will be allowed to stand.

Salaam.

No comments: