Alright everyone. As most of you know, this is not my night for newsletters, but since Josh is grounded from the computer, Brad has asked me to fill in. On very very short notice. So if my newsletter is shorter than usual that is why.
So a few minutes ago when Brad IM'ed me, I was in the middle of reading an article about Levi (the company), showing their support for gay marriage through their white knot program. (More on that in a bit). In the wake of California's decision to uphold Proposition 8, I thought I would address gay rights today and why I believe gays should have the right to marry.
For every generation, or for every time in this country that a major civil rights topic comes into the national spotlight, there are people for change, and people against. Time and time again we have seen this, whether it be for black's rights or women's rights. With both these battles came victories in the form of change. Black's gained their freedom, the right to vote and their equality. The Supreme Court case ruling separate but equal was overturned in Brown v. Board of Education because separate but equal is most certainly not equal. Women today too have all the same rights as men. While gender discrimination in the workplace and in other places still exists, we are leaps and bounds ahead of where we were just 100 years ago.
Every time change has come about, and new generations have been born, they have become more and more tolerant of those past changes. Today, the percentage of whites who feel they are superior to, or deserve more rights than another race based off of skin color is only a tiny percentage of what it once was, and even the most conservative Americans believe in racial equality. The same holds true for equality with women. And yet, when we find ourselves in the midst of yet another huge civil debate, the debate regarding letting gay people do something as simple as marry who they love, there are still two sides to the debate.
There are always two sides to these debates, and yet it never ceases to amaze me that their can be. If you can support gender equality, once a big issue, or racial equality, also once a major issue, then why must you stand in the way of somebody else's right to love?
I think one of the major factors contributing to people's beliefs is religion. While I am not saying that every religious person is anti-gay marriage, or that every non-religious person is pro-gay marriage, religion thus far has proved to be a leading factor in people's opinions regarding this topic and because of that, our laws across this country have been affected.
We are a country with a separation of church and state. If we continue to let this remain something true only in theory and not in context, our country cannot hope to promote equality for all. We have already determined once in this country that separate but equal is not equal, so if our own government, and our Supreme Court can not see that we have come to a point where that decision must again be taken into consideration, and applied beyond its original boundaries, then we cannot hope to be a world leader in a time when other countries are already taking the initiative.
Slowly but surely I believe we are making progress, even if decisions like California's Proposition 8 seem retroactive. Someday when the entire country has embraced true equality for all, I hope that people who are currently anti-gay marriage will look back and realize just how much their stance mimics that of the slaveholders back in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Having finished my little speech there, there is something else on the issue which I would like to readdress and that is Levi's White Knot program. This is a program that encourages people to wear a knotted white ribbon on their clothing to support gay marriage and I think it is a wonderful idea. Here is a picture of what the ribbon looks like on a mannequin:
So a few minutes ago when Brad IM'ed me, I was in the middle of reading an article about Levi (the company), showing their support for gay marriage through their white knot program. (More on that in a bit). In the wake of California's decision to uphold Proposition 8, I thought I would address gay rights today and why I believe gays should have the right to marry.
For every generation, or for every time in this country that a major civil rights topic comes into the national spotlight, there are people for change, and people against. Time and time again we have seen this, whether it be for black's rights or women's rights. With both these battles came victories in the form of change. Black's gained their freedom, the right to vote and their equality. The Supreme Court case ruling separate but equal was overturned in Brown v. Board of Education because separate but equal is most certainly not equal. Women today too have all the same rights as men. While gender discrimination in the workplace and in other places still exists, we are leaps and bounds ahead of where we were just 100 years ago.
Every time change has come about, and new generations have been born, they have become more and more tolerant of those past changes. Today, the percentage of whites who feel they are superior to, or deserve more rights than another race based off of skin color is only a tiny percentage of what it once was, and even the most conservative Americans believe in racial equality. The same holds true for equality with women. And yet, when we find ourselves in the midst of yet another huge civil debate, the debate regarding letting gay people do something as simple as marry who they love, there are still two sides to the debate.
There are always two sides to these debates, and yet it never ceases to amaze me that their can be. If you can support gender equality, once a big issue, or racial equality, also once a major issue, then why must you stand in the way of somebody else's right to love?
I think one of the major factors contributing to people's beliefs is religion. While I am not saying that every religious person is anti-gay marriage, or that every non-religious person is pro-gay marriage, religion thus far has proved to be a leading factor in people's opinions regarding this topic and because of that, our laws across this country have been affected.
We are a country with a separation of church and state. If we continue to let this remain something true only in theory and not in context, our country cannot hope to promote equality for all. We have already determined once in this country that separate but equal is not equal, so if our own government, and our Supreme Court can not see that we have come to a point where that decision must again be taken into consideration, and applied beyond its original boundaries, then we cannot hope to be a world leader in a time when other countries are already taking the initiative.
Slowly but surely I believe we are making progress, even if decisions like California's Proposition 8 seem retroactive. Someday when the entire country has embraced true equality for all, I hope that people who are currently anti-gay marriage will look back and realize just how much their stance mimics that of the slaveholders back in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Having finished my little speech there, there is something else on the issue which I would like to readdress and that is Levi's White Knot program. This is a program that encourages people to wear a knotted white ribbon on their clothing to support gay marriage and I think it is a wonderful idea. Here is a picture of what the ribbon looks like on a mannequin:
I really support gay rights and gay marriage as you can probably tell. If you want more information on this program visit WhiteKnot.org.
Before I go there is one more thing I would like to try. According to the website, you can get a free white knot by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to
White Knot for Equality
PO Box 691517
West Hollywood, CA 90069
I am most likely going to do this and show my support for gay marriage by wearing the white knot on my clothing. I would really like to spread the word about this and for any of you who are also pro gay marriage to do the same. I think it would be really cool to get a lot of people to show their support, especially in the wake of California's decision to uphold Proposition 8.
Anyways, thats all for today! Thanks for reading!
May 27-2009
-By Kasey
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