Where did we leave off?
In December, a (sort of) repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell was passed by the Senate and signed by the President. I predicted a long, slow and agonizing death of the policy while John McCain lamented the end of DADT saying that soldiers will lose their legs if gays aren't kicked out of the military.
Fast forward to the present and now Defense Secretary Robert Gates is eager to get the repeal implemented and Sen. John McCain's (R-Arizona) resistance to faggotry in the military seems to be waning.
Maybe I'm being too negative. If John McCain can smile away the blues then I suppose I can too! I'm turning a new leaf in 2011! Resolutions!! The glass is half full, goddamnit!! Exclamation point!
For example, let's look at the latest news regarding Proposition 8 -- California's ban of same-sex marriage. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
justices, who now has to decide whether or not to uphold a lower court decision concluding that Prop. 8 is unconstitutional, is now asking the CA State Supreme Court to help them out.
There
is the matter of "standing" to be resolved. The appellants - the Yes on 8 advocates -- might not have the right to defend Prop. 8 because no state
government representative is participating. Imperial County wants to be
the Prop. 8 lovin' governmental pimp, but the justices told them this week
that it will be a cold day in hell before they let them take that role.
So
now the Ninth Circuit wants the California Supreme Court to figure it out
because they don't know the answer -- although it seems as though they want
the appeal to proceed. Maybe they are looking for a scapegoat in this matter; someone to share the blame should Prop. 8 end. It's starting to sound like
the Life cereal commercial from the 1970s - "I'm not gonna try it. You try it!"
But there I go being negative again.
I prefer that the Yes on 8ers be required to defend and explain
themselves over and over again in court room after court room as the
stakes on their claim grow higher. The more often they try to
rationalize their irrationality, the less respectable they appear.
That irrationality will soon get a full airing in Rhode Island where the new governor has called for a quick passage
of a marriage equality law. The usual players are lining up on each
side of the battle lines.
Stay tuned for another nor'easter.
Leap
frog over Massachusetts and you will find a completely different marriage story in
New Hampshire. One year after establishing marriage equality in New Hampshire, the
new Republican majority in the state legislature is determined to take the right away from gay couples.
I'm trying to be positive. I really am.
For
example, California has experienced great LGBT legislative victories in
recent years that haven't been threatened and the inclination is to
give credit for this success to the big gay rights organization in the
state, Equality California.
Unfortunately, EQCA was not
successful in defeating Prop. 8 three years ago and the bad taste of that failed campaign still lingers.
Our sister publication, LA Weekly, published a lengthy piece on EQCA
this week that exposes some of the unpleasantness that has long been
suspected about the largest gay advocacy group in the state. Yes, EQCA
has participated in some of the legislative gains in California, but
they have also been so focused on self-preservation and self-promotion to a debilitating extent.
Last fall, Marriage Director Mark Solomon left EQCA for a position at another marriage advocacy group. Executive Director of EQCA, Geoff Kors, announced his impending departure. Now contributions are declining and offices are closing.
But
isn't that good? Shouldn't we be relieved that there is less need
for a full-time, highly-compensated, LGBT advocacy organization? Is it
time for us to hang our "Mission Accomplished" banner here in California?
Maybe
that's being too optimistic, but what exactly does EQCA still need to
achieve? The sexy streetwalkers for EQCA were occupying every corner along Market and Church Streets last week asking those walking by: "Do you want to
protect same-sex marriage?" Hasn't this hot
potato already been tossed from EQCA over to the state
and federal courts?
