Love, Not 8: Get On the Call!

This is an important week for civil rights in California and across the country. On Thursday, March 5, the California Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case of Strauss v. Horton, a legal challenge to Proposition 8, the same-sex marriage ban passed by California voters in November. The challenge is spearheaded by Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Lambda Legal’s website provides the context for the Strauss challenge:

According to the California Constitution, significant changes to the fundamental organizing principles of state government cannot be made through the initiative process, which involves petition signatures and then a simple majority vote. Instead, such changes first require the support of 2/3 of the state legislature, and then approval by a majority of voters. This would not be the first time the court has voided an improper initiative. In 1990, the court struck down a measure that would have stripped California’s courts of their role as independent interpreters of the state’s constitution.

Want to learn more? Lambda Legal is offering a special opportunity to Care2 members to join a national, members-only conference call after the arguments on Thursday. The call will feature Jenny Pizer, the Marriage Project Director and Lambda Legal’s lead counsel in Strauss. You must register before 5 p.m. ET on March 3 to participate in the call.

Ask a question when you register and join the LIVE Twitter conversation during the call! This is a special invitation for Care2 members to join the conversation about returning marriage equality and civil rights for all couples in California and across the United States. If ensuring the civil liberties of gay and lesbian couples is important to you, please register to participate in the conference call today.

When: March 5, 2009, 3 p.m. PT, after the arguments in Strauss v. Horton (Prop 8 challenge)
Who: Jenny Pizer, Marriage Project Director and Lambda Legal’s lead counsel; Jon Davidson, Legal Director; and You!
Registration deadline: Tuesday, March 3, 5 p.m. ET
Register Today!

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Wendy W.

4:59AM PDT on Mar 10, 2009

Irene, how about I tell you you can no longer go to your church, its outlawed.
Same sex relationships were before your god was created. Who say's it inhuman? I know you did not mention religon but with such a close mind and I maybe assuming but with your thoughts I can not help thinking that it is church provoked.
Devora. Kuddos it has nothing to do with religion. I feel I do not need a piece of paper stating my love for someone blessed by someone or something I do not believe in. I do believe in higher being, just not the Church's.My thoughts are everyone should have that choice. Freedom, right?
Who is anyone to judge?
Why through out love? It is far and few between. Blame your governmant for making it easy to get a divorce. To not commmit to anyone for very long. It is a fact that homosexual relationships last 75% longer than hetorosexual. Why deny anyone the peace for true love?

send a green star

Jan B.

3:39PM PST on Mar 5, 2009

In a world full of hatred, despair & disappointment...it is my thinking that if you are fortunate to find a person to love....you are blessed and I do not care who you are. And who are we to say was is right or wrong or natural?

Cynthia D.

6:05AM PST on Mar 5, 2009

It's about love

"That it is neither the sole province of unions between one man and one woman, nor a luxury we should ever take for granted. It is a luxury so precious that denying of some people any and every expression of its unique and awesome qualities, treating their love as different, as less, is an affront to the tremendous gift we have been given in our capacity to feel love."

"If we really understood love, we would not just build in its honor noble temples and altars, and offer solemn sacrifices, but would believe without reservation that to deny its existence in every human heart is to reject our humanity."

Deb L.

6:39PM PST on Mar 4, 2009

P.S.
Irene,
Do you treat ALL people with respect. Or, just the people who are like you?
(Straight people)

6:34PM PST on Mar 4, 2009

Irene,
I have just read your posting response to the Love Not 8. I'm a lesbian. My lover and I have marched in the prop 8 protest. I am very offened by your comment. I went to your care2 page to see just how straight and narror minded you really are. I happened across this on your page, and thought I would cut & paste it;
>>> What/who changed my life and why my father because he was honest, had integrity, and taught us the right way to treat people with respect.

Lori H.

6:13PM PST on Mar 2, 2009

The world needs more love, not less! The gay and lesbian people should have the same rights as their friends. It is a civil rights issue, not a religious issue! Lori H.

Claudia T.

10:38AM PST on Mar 2, 2009

Justice above all!

Tracey P.

8:38AM PST on Mar 2, 2009

Irene K., first of all, evolution is NOT in its grave. Second, homosexual behavior has been observed in more than1500 species of animals. Clearly, homosexual behavior is no more abnormal among animals than heterosexuality is.

I think that you should check out these links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mammals_displaying_homosexual_behavior

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_birds_displaying_homosexual_behavior

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animals_displaying_homosexual_behavior (includes fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects and other invertebrates)

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:ZFTMRyEXeS8J:www.nhm.uio.no/againstnature/index.html+Against+Nature%3F+University+of+Oslo&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a (About an exhibit at the University of Oslo called "Against Nature?", showing just how common homosexuality is among animals of all species)

Nature should not be used as an excuse to deny people the right to formally commit to those they love. Heck, until 1967, it was illegal for people of different races to marry in a number of American states. Then Virginia v. Loving struck down the laws that made marriage between whites and non-whites a felony. Hopefully, Strauss v. Horton will be the first step in making civil unions for gay people (let's leave religious marriages out of it) legal everywhere in the USA.

Flor G.

8:08AM PST on Mar 2, 2009

I hope everythimg works out for the gays and lesbians. I was very upset that they banned gay marriages. America is suppose to be a free country. I feel bad for the close minded people. They can't step out of their box. Don't they know that love has no gender!

devora w.

8:04AM PST on Mar 2, 2009

This is not about religious ideology on who can form a legal contract and in regards to nature; hetero-sexuality is not across all life forms on this planet. What is being heard is Constitutional Rights of all humans and how a few of our Constitutional Amendments should be withheld. A part of the 1st Amendment is an obvious one - Freedom of RELIGION! Heterosexual marriage is only for those churches to decide who they will or won't marry. Due to this 1st amendment of the separation of church and state, religious organization do not have any say on rights to all humans in this country. My understanding of the case is can an initiative make significant changes to the state constitution or does it need to go through state legislative 1st then the voters. This has nothing to do with religious beliefs; it is about our laws and the rights of the people.