Well, Prop 8 to deny same sex couples the right of marriage - was passed in CA.  Hate and religious fervor won.

Transsexuals and same sex partners will no longer have the right to marry in CA.

Until today I never truly felt like a second class citizen.  Now I understand what it means to be disenfranchised.  I never thought I'd live to see the day in the USA when existing rights would be stripped from a class of people.

It wasn't too long ago that Obama's bi-racial parents would have been denied the right to marry. Maybe that will be the next right taken from the American people.

I know that many people supported our rights, and I thank you for your efforts, but sadly the largest Proposition funding effort in US history backed by the Mormons, the Knights of Columbus and Howard Ahmanenson outspent the GLBT community 2 to 1.

And Measure K in San Francisco which would have decriminalized prostitution also failed. The government and fear mongers would rather continue their campaign of shame against sex workers than legalize the right of consenting adults to do as they wish in private.

Well I for one am PROUD to be a transsexual prostitute.

It's so sad though that so many people are so concerned with what happens in my bedroom.

Sigh,
TS Jamie

It is indeed very sad.  Narrow-mindedness has so many faces, but it's about fear.  Fear of losing a control that they actually do not have.  Fear of losing an identity that they really do not have.  They interpret life in terms of winning or losing--all based upon gain or loss.

Instead of following the constitution, they follow their fears and dress their fears up as morality--especially when it conflicts with the constitution's right to freedom: freedom with expression, freedom with equality, and freedom from tyranny.

(as if a law makes someone "moral")

I look forward to the day when the chapter of this decade speaks to our efforts for equal representation.  We are rolling forward even with these setbacks.  There are more people than ever before in the history of the world who are identifying as transexuals, and there are more of us in the world than ever before who flock to these Internet boards.

The old ways will pass, if not quickly, then, with a whimper.

And what a glorious day that will be!

Very well thought out post. I agree with your thoughts.

I agree with your thoughts. I and appearently many others thought the same, just not enough. Could be that the way prop 8 was presented. I don't know for sure, but, it could have been. Yes on 8, many may have thought it meant it was a yes vote to gay marriage. As many people do not really bother to check what they are voting for. I can honestly say I voted NO on 8 and YES on K.

these 2 props fail, and we elect a president who has been a senator for a few years, 2 of which he has spent campaigning for president.  The people have spoken I guess.   Reminds me of a saying:
"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." -H.L. Mencken

Unfortunately much of organized religion is based on fear and oppression.
The Puritans fled England to escape religious prosicution and the first thing they did was to prosicute other beliefs, hence Rhode Island.
Religion fought science and fostered ignorance from its inception. ( only royals and clergy could be taught to read )
rather than letting ignorance lower your self esteem
feel sorry for those so narrow

Hello the Equal rights amendment prohibits these laws they are makeing, state or otherwise fearnot my friend these will be over turned in our life time they shaddow it all in religion but we are talking the basic rights setdown in the bill of rights(the presuit of happiness) so why not abolish marrage altogether that way they know how igonrant there really being

Throughout most of history religion and science have worked hand in hand.  Most scientist of days yore were clergy and some aristocracy.  Think of your statement about only clergy and and royals being taught to read.  Which illiterate scientists have contributed to our knowledge of the universe?  None.  If they are illiterate, they cannot transmit their knowledge gained by discovery, nor can they learn or contemplate anything written.  

You may ask, "What does this have to do with anything?".  What this has to do with the topic at hand is that "we", meaning our identity group, is just as guilty of ignorance as "them", meaning your perceived enemy.  How do you know these people are ignorant and narrow?  Perhaps a better strategy in advancing your political ideas is to understand your enemy.  Find their true arguments against gay and transsexual marriage and counter them.  Make the issue of gay and transsexual marriage what it truly is at it's core:  it is about giving people freedom live the life they choose and it transcends where one prefers to stick one's penis.

In all democratic political endeavors you will encounter dogmatists that cannot be swayed.  If you truly believe in freedom though, these people should be free to think as well as free not to think.  You can sway the people who think.  If you assume the ignorant position that your political opponent is ignorant, how will you ever sway anyone?

Sorry, there is no right to the pursuit of happiness written in the Bill of Rights.  The Declaration of Independence has written in the preamble, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.", but it is mentioned nowhere in the US Constitution.

I think abolishing civil recognition of marriage is an excellent idea.  When you legally recognize a marriage you give special privileges to people who participate in a social custom, which is denying rights to people who chose not to marry.  Marriage is also a religious institution.  You seem to hate the religious people, yet want to be like them and adopt their institutions.

Then the would be proved correct in their claim of 'The Gays want to destroy Marriage!', which would only bolster their cause against marriage for same-sex couples.

As it stands it does however give straight people special rights. Maybe they didn't intend for the constitution to allow for same-sex marriage, but most of the framers didn't intend to allow for Blacks or Women to vote, but we as a nation became more enlightened.  

Some very well written comments here, thank you all for your comments.

GGS - that is a VERY interesting point you make.  I'd never considered that before, even though I've read the Constitution multiple times and even had a copy on the wall of my office when I was a journalist.

You are right, I've always assumed that as Americans we are entitled to equal rights and happiness, but it is a concept upon which the nation was founded, not a Constitutional right.  

Very interesting.  This is a complete paradigm shift from a lifelong belief, not just of myself but of many people.  Maybe this is something that we as a people need to address, maybe it's time to Amend the Constitution to address such commonly held assumptions.

Hugs,
TS Jamie

yea it may be the consitution and no I dont hate anyone I am just sick of people beating me over the head with a book the has been tranlated into and out of so many languages(the bible) that the idea of take it word for word is for the small mind control freak that are to scared to let go an trust gods plan, hell why not bring back the middle ages to.
The fact is that we are smarter then parts of that book because we now know how to put two different crops next to each other we do know that slavery is wrong and we do know that a man laying with an other man is NOT an abomination to God.
The loveing God of my understanding gave us time to educate our selves; we still have a long way to go.
Have we still not figured out that most of us are gentiles and that most of the old testiment is for the jewish people and that were are not expected to abide by there laws




-- Modified on 11/7/2008 2:37:42 PM

From their perspective and their definition of marriage, yes, gays want to destroy marriage.  

The framers of the constitution created the constitution to be a living and breathing document by allowing the process of amendment, so perhaps "they" didn't specifically look at blacks, Native Americans, and Women as citizens (which is not universally true), but they were enlightened enough to allow for the process of amendment, hence they realized this as a future possibility as evidenced by the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th amendments.

You can't take the credit for any enlightenment beyond that of the framers of the Constitution in my opinion.  You are likely just a product of your times and the media you expose yourself to.  The framers of the constitution by developing a process of amendment shows that they knew they were a product of their times and wouldn't let effective and fair representative government for all citizens be hampered by that fact.

Yes, marriage gives the married special rights, but marriage is not a federal or constitutional issue.  It is a state's rights issue.  The states determine marriage law, not the federal government.  You are wrong about it giving special rights to straights.  It gives special rights to the married and some gays want in on the action.  I'm not sure exactly which states allow gay marriage presently.  I think it is Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and New Jersey.  I think New York recognizes them, but does not issue licenses of their own.

-- Modified on 11/7/2008 7:10:23 PM

There is some very keen and insightful observations that I have come across mainly in the Old Testament.  It's not a book of laws.  It is a historical record.  When reading historical documents you need to be able to cut through people's prejudices and read it with the historical forces at work during the period in mind.  Think about your own superstitions regarding "god's plan".  When did you receive the red phone to heaven allowing you to talk personally with God and learn his plan?  How is your superstition any more justifiable than say Jerimiah's? Despite the fact that you think you are more intelligent or "enlightened' than the contributors to the Old Testament, you most certainly are not.

The Constitution was written to enumerate the powers of government.  The Bill Of Rights really is an extension empowering the people with the means to fight a corrupt government in my opinion.  You have freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to bear arms, freedom to assemble, freedom from Quartering Acts, etc.  These are all designed for citizens to maintain the legal right to confront the government with grievances and if not addressed, assemble a citizen's army and overthrow the government by force.

I can legally marry my female partner?

Wow did you just agree with me, I think you did you must not read it right what I said went right along with it not to be taken word for word.
The laws I am referring to is the book of Leviticus which is a set of laws set down by God to Moses after the Exoduses from Egypt all of these laws are suppose to be followed so they can get into heaven untill the son of god comes (remember the jews dont believe that jesus was the son of god) to this day they are suppose to be practacing these laws.
But by there own admission they believe some of these laws are rediculous  

With some of the commentary already posted, I thought this was interesting:

I think I take issue with your assumption that anyone who does not agree with your stance on Prop 8 is some kind of small mind control freak who doesn't know God's plan, which you of claim to know.  I also do not believe that you can claim to be smarter than the contributors of the bible, including the contributors of Leviticus.

I think the only accurate way to read a translation of the bible is to do it literally, because I look at it as a historical document and not an allegorical story book of moral instructions.  I think I definitely disagree with you on how the Bible should be read as I take it word for word for historical purposes, not figuratively for religious and/or moral validation.

Orthodox Jews do practice the laws and daily rituals as set forth in Leviticus.  The US Constitution does not resemble Leviticus in any way. It's not a moral code or catalogue of priestly duties and rituals.  The Constitution enumerates the power of government and the Bill Of Rights explicitly grants certain powers to the people.

There are Jews who believe Jesus to be the son of God.  Jesus was a Jew and he believed it.  I think all of the apostles were Jews and they believed Jesus was the son of God.  Current day "Jews For Jesus" and Messianic Jews believe that Jesus was the savior, yet adhere to Judaic rituals and customs.

Azkisses insinuated that at least some people who oppose prop 8 are biblical fundamentalists that want to force the laws and rituals of Leviticus on Americans.  She and I were debating this tangent topic.