November 1, 2008

Vote no on Prop 8

By County Supervisor Ken Yeager
Special to the Times

I am writing to encourage you to vote no on Proposition 8. Proposition 8 is the initiative on the November ballot that would take away the rights of committed, loving couples and deny them full protection of our laws.

I have personally officiated at more than 40 same-gender marriage ceremonies. Many of those couples have been together for decades. All of them are deeply dedicated to each other. Their stories are powerful and touching.

Defeating Proposition 8 is important for every Californian, not just those in the GLBT community. It is important to send a resounding message that it is not appropriate for the government to interfere with our personal lives. It is important to say overwhelmingly that we will not stand for the doctrine of “separate but equal.”

A win for Proposition 8 will buoy those who promote intolerance. If Proposition 8 passes, whose rights will they go after next? Don’t let zealots and bigots abuse the initiative process to write discrimination into the Constitution.

The California Supreme Court probably put it best in its ruling legalizing same-gender unions: “The ability of an individual to join in a committed, long-term, officially recognized family relationship with the person of his or her choice is often of crucial significance to the individual’s happiness and well-being.”

Unfortunately, funds are pouring in to pass the same-gender marriage ban. Those funds are coming in large sums, much of it from groups outside of California. They are putting that money into negative and misleading ads that distort the issues.

The good news is that we can counteract them with just small donations from each of us individually. If we pool our money into the statewide campaign, we can challenge those attacks with our own message.

The time is now! The need is critical! Please take the link below to donate to the statewide No on Proposition 8 campaign. Give what you can. Every bit helps. https://secure.ga4.org/01/equalityforall

You can also click this link to volunteer in the campaign: http://www.noonprop8.com/events/volunteer-for-no-on-8

Together we can win this!