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Prop 8 ruled unconstitutional

There's still a long, long way to go. But some day, people will look back on this as an important step in a cultural evolution on par with the equal rights movements of the past. And they'll be just as astounded that it even needed to be fought, as we are about those.

It's going straight to appeal, of course, and there's no telling what'll happen there. But today, for a change, justice and common decency actually won one.

Iowa republicans seek to exclude LGBT students from Safe Schools Law: http://www.iowapolitics.com/index.iml?Article=184560

No matter what political party you belong to, or whether you lean right or left, this sort of deliberate persecution is inexcusable. I know some of you reading this are Republicans. You, especially, need to spread the word and speak out, that this is not what your party is supposed to represent.

Okay, I haven't said a lot in my LJ about California's Proposition 8. (That's the one that would change the law to annul the various gay marriages already performed there, and prohibit any further ones.) I should have said something, and I have donated to the "No on Prop 8" campaign, but I didn't get around to posting anything about it.

(Edit: I've been told that it wouldn't annul prior marriages, just forbid future ones. That doesn't make it any better a proposition, and it certainly has no bearing on what's discussed below, but I wanted to go ahead and make the correction.)

Fuck that. Not anymore.

Recently, some of the businesses who have donated to Equality California--that's one of the groups running the "No on Prop 8" campaign--have been receiving threatening letters from "ProtectMarriage.com." These letters state, and I am quoting:

We respectfully request that [Company Name] withdraw its support of Equality California. Make a donation of a like amount to ProtectMarriage.com which will help us correct this error and restore Traditional Marriage. A donation form is enclosed. We will be most grateful and will advertise on our website [Company Name's] generous contribution.

Were you to elect not to donate comparably, it would be a clear indication that you are in opposition to traditional marriage. You would leave us no other reasonable assumption. The names of any companies and organizations that choose not to donate in like manner to ProtectMarriage.com but have given to Equality California will be published. It is only fair for Proposition 8 supporters to know which companies and organizations oppose traditional marriage.

Yes, you read that right. They're threatening companies that donated to the other side.

Now, I don't think there's a legal case for blackmail (much as I'd love to see these fuckers jailed), since the info as to who donated to Equality California is already public on EC's site--that's how these bastards got it. But that doesn't change just how revolting the attitude behind it is.

I've already donated extra to EC, in response to this bullshit. You can do the same here: https://secure.ga4.org/01/noon8