MyOutSpirit.com EXCLUSIVE: MCC Founder Troy Perry on Loss of Prop 8

Tuesday night, November 4th, was one of the most bittersweet nights of my life.

In one breath, the United States of America changed history by electing Barack Obama the 44th president of our country, breaking the ultimate social barrier by electing the first African-American to the highest office in our nation.  For this, I am thankful.

In the next breath voters enacted constitutional amendments in the states of Arizona and Florida that would recognize only marriage between a man and a woman.

In my own state of California, by a narrow vote, our rights to marry were taken away.

Phillip, my husband, and I had sued and won to have our marriage, which had taken place in Canada, declared legal, along with the right of gay and lesbian persons to marry in our state.

Today a lawsuit to declare the vote unconstitutional has been filed by our friends, Robin Tyler and Diane Olson, who stood with us for the right to marry.  Other lawsuits have been filed by the ACLU, as well as our own city of Los Angeles, among others, to stop the Proposition from taking effect.  It is our belief that only our State Legislature can pass a revision to our State Constitution.

Those who paid for the "Yes on Proposition 8," according to the Los Angeles Times, was, in large part, the Mormon Church, the Knights of Columbus, Focus on the Family, and the National Association of Evangelicals.  I believe they are trying to insert their theological beliefs into our State Constitution.

When slaves were freed after the US Civil War, many states moved to enact "Jim Crow laws" to make freed African-Americans second-class citizens.  I believe our enemies are trying to do the same thing to the Lesbian and Gay community.  Those laws lasted another hundred years before state and federal courts started striking them down.  We cannot let this happen!  Phillip and I promise all of you that we will continue to fight this injustice as long as we live.  So help us God!

We will win!  Please join us as we protest all across America in all 50 states about this injustice.

Comments

[pennyjane]

yes sir! and when you turn around i hope you see a million angry faces, standing with you...unwilling to accept anything but the will of God in His righteousness. may He bless your courage and committment with strength and wisdom. bring glory to His name! much love and hope, pj

[Riverwolf]

Bravo, Troy!