For the past couple of months California Mormons have focused on trying to secure the passing of Proposition 8, the proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage as a “union between a man and a woman.” There’s been a lot of hooplah about it on the blogs (if not in the media). Yesterday I received this email from a couple in my ward. They’re very reasonable, intelligent people, so for this reason I took the plug pretty seriously:
“AB 2567 passed the California Assembly and the Senate is awaiting Governor Schwarzenegger’s signature or veto.
This bill will set aside May 22nd as a special day to celebrate the life of homosexual politician Harvey Milk in the public schools. Harvey Milk will be honored in the same manner as our Founding Fathers and Martin Luther King, although the only thing he is actually known for is being proud to be a homosexual!
If you haven’t heard about this bill it is because the supporters have kept it quiet and have used the budget impasse issue as a cover to hide their agenda. This strategy has worked so far.
Fortunately this is not a law – at least not yet. It is on Schwarzenegger’s desk for signature. He just needs to know if he should approve this piece of garbage or VETO it. Here is how you can make your position known:
1) Dial 1-916-445-2841. This gets you into the Governor’s phone system.
2) Press 1 for English.
3) Press 2. This gets you into the poll to comment on legislation.
4) Press 1. This gets you into the queue to ‘vote’ your opinion on AB 2567.
5) Press 2 to record a ‘No’ (or VETO) vote.
It takes less than 15 seconds.”
After several attempts I finally got through. Apparently one or both sides are working very hard to get their way with our austere governor.
Before Prop 8 and the Church’s support of it came about, I was pretty apathetic about the whole same-sex marriage issue. What did it have to do with me? It wasn’t until some specific points were brought to my attention (not the least of which was my prophet asked for my support) that I chose to back the proposition.
This other piece of legislation, though, needed no prompting from the hierarchy. While I have nothing against Harvey Milk (he was probably a wonderful guy) the purpose of this bill is to support gay pride in public schools, pure and simple– and that’s something I will not tolerate. It’s nothing like racial pride or nationality pride– it’s sexual preference and lifestyle pride. Frankly, I think Church members should enlighten people about this while lobbying Prop 8.
My two cents.
18 responses so far ↓
1 TheFaithfulDissident // Sep 19, 2008 at 8:36 pm
I beg to differ. I think we do need to “tolerate” certain things, one of them being gay pride because it’s here to stay whether we like it or not.
However, I can tolerate and respect something that goes against what I believe in, without “accepting” it as being true or morally correct. And I can say that I object to it, even if no one cares to listen. Maybe some will even support me in my views.
That’s what living in a democracy is about to me.
2 s'mee // Sep 19, 2008 at 8:58 pm
I learned of this on September 8th, one day after the bill was voted in by our leaders.
I researched the topic via the state website, took some digging, but finally found the bill, read it, and decided for myself that I didn’t think Harvey Milk, nice guy that he was, is up there with Lincoln or MLKJr., so much so that he needed his own dedicated day. Indeed, setting aside days for tree planting and mother earth may not be as worthy as Washington or our Vets, however I didn’t have a say in those celebrations, so given the opportunity to make an opinion, I went forth.
I also noticed how the bill was not only Mr. Milk, but Teachers, John Muir, and CA.Poppy days included. Kill one kill them all. O.k.
I wish to state here for all to see that I, as many of the bloggers, have GLBT friends (some life long and very dear to me), and perhaps even family. That however does not change the fact that GLBT lifestyle has not-to my knowledge- been o.k.’d by the 1st Presidency. So I put personal feelings aside and teach the ideal of almost perfect parents and children who all attend the temple for saving ordinances one day. To me, this is what it boils down to, the right of every child to have temple/sealing ordinances from birth. Sorry that is a religious view, which I completely understand merits no weight currently.
I called and was eventually hung up on without answer, called again, and got a message saying the party on the other end was no longer accepting phone calls. So I wrote letters.
I also decided to make this issue aware to two LDS mommy bloggers who have extremely high traffic, and also a group blog with high traffic. From one I got a pretty clear message that I was outta line with my prejudices about Mr. Milk, his example *was* worthy of teaching to K-12, and that by no means would she endorse such things that would cause the GLBT public back into closets, jails, etc.
The second request was completely ignored, albeit I am hearing her reply just the same.
Warning Warning Mr. Dave! You are making the popular kids nervous! Keep it up and you too will be labeled a hater, prejudiced, closed minded, and someone who wants all GLBT people thrown back into jail for sodomy.
3 cheryl // Sep 19, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Wow. This makes me glad I don’t live in CA anymore, because I would be on the same page with you, Dave, and I would not only *cause* anger (like s’mee talks about), but I would be angry myself.
4 s'mee // Sep 20, 2008 at 1:24 am
Cheryl, if you feel strongly one way or the other it is best to speak up now as these things are happening and are escalating at a rapid rate. CA is a large state and influential as well. If it has not happened in your state, you can bet it *is currently* being discussed and will be proposed at a soon in the future date. Do not hope that there may be a state is too cloistered as to eliminate ‘progress’ in this regard.
5 xoxoxoxo // Sep 20, 2008 at 4:49 am
Dave-I gotta hand it to you buddy, buying real estate there would be the last thing I’d ever do.
P.S. In your intro paragraph, you say “a union between a man and a union”…when I think you meant woman.
6 David // Sep 20, 2008 at 4:55 am
xoxoxoxo,
Dang! Thanks for the heads up… now that 109 readers have already seen what a swift proofreader I am.
7 Karron // Sep 21, 2008 at 3:56 am
Ya know, I am getting really tired of being told I have to tolerate things and behaviors that I find inappropriate. I don’t give a fly flip what anyone does in the privacy of their bedroom, but I DO care what my children and grandchildren are FORCED to hear about as ‘typical and acceptable’ when what they are taught go against everything I believe in.
Don’t tell me that Harvey Milk is worth having a special day for. He isn’t any more important than anyone else who has been murdered, no matter where it happened. My son was murdered, while doing a good deed, and no one wants to have a special day for him.
Harvey Milk’s only claim to fame was being gay. That’s it. I am sure he was much loved, but I can’t support his lifestyle, and if they want to honor him, leave his sexual preference out of it, and just honor him as another victim of murder by a crazy person.
How about, instead, there be a special day of mourning for all victims of violent crime in America? Wouldn’t that be more fitting?
Back to the whole toleration thing. When people are willing to ‘tolerate’ LDS doctrine and principles, without mud slinging or hateful rhetoric, then maybe I would be willing to be more tolerant myself. Standing for what I believe is NOT intolerant, it is a moral stance and one that I am not willing to step away from. Things have become so backward. No longer is it a good thing to be religious unless one is Muslim. No longer is it good to be heterosexual, one must be metrosexual or homesexual, or a little of both. I find it annoying.
I have gay and lesbian friends and friends who can’t make up their minds, I love them, but I do not condone their lifestyle and I shouldn’t have to do so. They know how I feel, but we still respect each other and treat each other with kindness. But they keep their bedroom out of my life and I certainly don’t talk about my bedroom life either.
Since when did sexual behavior become a character trait? Doesn’t that just seem wrong? That is the least thing that denotes who a person is in the world. Idiocy. Next sexual preference will be a character reference.
Karron.
8 David // Sep 22, 2008 at 3:55 pm
s’mee–
Warning Warning Mr. Dave! You are making the popular kids nervous! Keep it up and you too will be labeled a hater, prejudiced, closed minded, and someone who wants all GLBT people thrown back into jail for sodomy.
Bring it on!
xoxoxoxo–
Dave-I gotta hand it to you buddy, buying real estate there would be the last thing I’d ever do.
Right back atcha sweet cheeks.
Karron–
Standing for what I believe is NOT intolerant, it is a moral stance and one that I am not willing to step away from. Things have become so backward. No longer is it a good thing to be religious unless one is Muslim. No longer is it good to be heterosexual, one must be metrosexual or homesexual, or a little of both. I find it annoying.
Amen to that. Who would of thought we’d be singing along with Archie & Edith to “Those Were the Days”? Honestly, it just snuck up on me, and now I wonder if AIDS (and Tom Hanks) wasn’t the culprit that made the whole issue “political.”
9 xoxoxoxo // Sep 22, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Homosexuality has been a “societal” issue since time began, and as far as I know, God has remained consistent on His stance about it for the exact same amount of time.
The laws of this country were written under the inspiration of God and for the most part, matched His divine doctrines and teachings. From day one, satan has been chewing at the foundations of the constitution and trying to weaken a plank here, loosen a bolt there. I really don’t think it snuck up on us, as much as we just ignored the fact that the trees had feet and seemed to be inching closer together. It is only when we finally realize that the entire view we used to enjoy has been obscured that we wonder where the clearing went.
Satan’s greatest accomplishments happen under the mask of truth. God told us to LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS, and then society says-”Well, to REALLY love your neighbor, you have to love everything about him”. Parents stopped teaching accountability and gave in to their children’s “expressions of who they are” because idiot child psychologists told them that is wasn’t “loving” to expect too much or give them any consequence that were distasteful. Now that generation of children are adults who think that society should be as spineless and undemanding as their parents were-and their parents are joining in the fight because they refuse to accept that they were duped.
Anyone who is a Christian in any sense of the word knows that as God’s creations, we only have a “right” to have what God determines to give us. We don’t get to tell God “I want this blessing and that on and this one over here, but I’m not going to do things your way to get them”.
What arrogance.
If you love and want what your “companion” (hetero, metero, or homo) offers more than you love and want what God has to offer-so be it. Just be aware that someday you will realize that your CHOICE was the equivalent of choosing to “take the $500.00 in cash Bob” and walk out of the studio when your REAL FRIENDS were the ones trying to get you to understand what was waiting for you behind ALL the doors on stage.
10 David // Sep 22, 2008 at 9:38 pm
xoxoxoxo,
Well it snuck up on me. Growing up, “gay” was just something you called another kid along with a bunch of other epithets you kept handy for sudden schoolyard incursions.
Quite the impassioned posturing, skippy. Do you mind putting on some glasses and letting me call you Sarah?
11 xoxoxoxo // Sep 22, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Hey, wanna know the difference between a Mormon Mom and a Pit Bull? More puppies!
*g*
And don’t give me your crap about no one being “gay” when we were growing up Captain Oblivion. Pee Wee Herman. Boy George. Little Richard. Liberace’. Freddy Mercury, WHAM….
12 David // Sep 23, 2008 at 12:05 am
You just proved my point. I was a child of the 60′s & 70′s, sunshine. In the 60′s we had Paul Lynde (who knew?) and in the 70′s Elton John and Freddie Mercury, but they were glam rockers and in an entirely different universe. These were exceptions, not strutting pontificators in my backyard.
Little Richard is gay??
13 Karron // Sep 23, 2008 at 12:37 am
xoxoxoxo said:
“Parents stopped teaching accountability and gave in to their children’s “expressions of who they are”
One thing I always taught my kids was that their “self expression” stopped with it ran into my rules and regulations. Used to really tick them off. Now my son, who would never admit it, uses the same tactic on his four year old son. Teach them the way they should go etc.
Things haven’t changed much in the school yard. According to my 13 year old, calling someone gay or a lesbian is tantamount to cussing them to hades and back. The one thing that is different is that it is taken seriously now, instead of being a smart remark like when we were kids.
Having lived in the Bay area for many a moon yonks ago (like man, I was hangin on Haight, ya know.) I was surrounded by the blatant behavior of those who live an ‘alternative lifestyle.” And that can mean anything they want it to mean, from communes to Castro Street. It wasn’t until I grew up a bit (like I stopped saying like very other word and had kids and such.) I realized that I had to get myself and my kids out of there before we were all scared for life, or became liberal democrats. Shudder. . .
And Yes, sorry to break the news to you Dave, Little Richard was/is gay. Yeah, and so what if Paul Lynde was a bit, well, you know. He was still a cool Uncle Arthur on Bewitched.
FYI – I was born in 1954, saw my first TV at the age of nine. That makes me decades older than most of you at the tender age of 53. OK, almost 54 in another few months.
14 xoxoxoxo // Sep 23, 2008 at 4:14 pm
ROFL David (Little Richard)
I was born in the late 60′s and grew up in the 70′s too. But surely you’ve been aware of the people I mentioned for more than a while now. LOL
Karron,
I know what you mean about kids. I’m the same way. And even liberal democrats serve a purpose…I mean, it’s handy to have someone to point at and say “If you ever start acting like THAT…so help me….” ya know? Hehehe
Oh, and I’m only one decade and some change behind ya sister!
15 David // Sep 23, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Karron,
Uncle Arthur– He was the BEST!
Well, based on your birthday, by the time you were old enough to be dangerous, the Haight party was pretty much over– soured at least. That’s about the time Madison Avenue became “groovy.” I’m a mere half decade behind you, when Boonesfarm and Earth Shoes were the thang.
xoxoxoxo,
Yes, but by the time I was aware of them it was the 80′s and the party was over.
16 Karron // Sep 23, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Ah well, David, I ran away from home when I was 16 and married the Mr. We lived in SF and Marin county for a long time. So the scene was fading, but in SF, it went on a bit longer. WE are converts BTW of 27 years.
Ohhhh, I LOVE earth shoes. In fact, I just bought my fourth pair of Birkenstocks. They last me about seven or eight years per pair.
Count me as an old hippie at heart, who moved into the techno world of today. I am currently listening to the best music of the 60′s album – er – CD. That ages me.
Karron
17 David // Sep 24, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Karron,
I watched “Zodiac” again last night, one of my favorite films from last year. Did the killer really have a gripping effect on the area back then?
18 Karron // Sep 24, 2008 at 11:17 pm
It was a big topic among women, that’s for sure. I don’t think a lot of people really got all that involved because of the way things were back then.
It became a bit of a popular thing to try to second guess the police and the killer himself. When it became apparent that the killer was a serial killer, that’s when women started getting scared.
So yes, the effect was gripping in many ways, but like all things that take time to resolve, people started losing interest after a while and it became just another headline.
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