Proposition 8

The blame game has started for the passage of Proposition 8 in California, which stripped gays and lesbians of the court given right to marry.

Here are some of the favorites so far:

Blacks

Mormons

Christian Fundies

Indifferent Homosexuals

Catholic and evangelical Hispanics and African-American Baptists stood alongside conservative white evangelicals in arguing for "traditional" marriage. Exit polls showed 70 percent of blacks supported the ban, a far higher percentage than any other race.

The Mormon Church poured tons of money into California, collecting it from all over the country and the world. Gays are wondering how they can keep their tax exempt status while doing that. It is clear, no one wants to challenge them. Thankfully gays and lesbians have been protesting in front of Mormon churches and offices in California and their headquarters in Salt Lake City, demonstrating that we will not just sink into a hole and go away.

The members of this powerful opposition also spearheaded the rise of Barack Obama. Blacks, Hispanics even a lot of evangelicals came out in force for him. Opponents of Proposition 8 were in a no win situation. These people had to vote for Obama to get him in to the White House, but they in turn voted to ban gay marriage. Obama himself has not the courage to say gay marriage is ok, even though the church he belonged to, the United Church of Christ, has come out in support of full marriage equality.

Compounding the issue, there were, I am sure, thousands of gays and lesbians who stayed away from the polls, feeling their vote does not count or that marriage is not all that big a deal. They miss the point and thus their passive-aggressive behavior makes them as guilty as those who actively campaigned to take away the joy and privilege of marriage for those who do feel it is a big deal.

I do have to unleash a little invective at African-Americans. I remember the 1993 March on Washington and the millions of gays and lesbians who marched for equal rights. I heard then NAACP President Benjamin Chavis speak to the crowd: "We are with you... we are with you!!" I guess no longer. I have sadly seen more hate and opposition towards gays from black people and organizations than I have from almost any other. Sadly, gay and lesbians frequently marched with Dr King and others, often at great risk, feeling civil rights for blacks was really civil rights for all. No wonder many gays and lesbians feel betrayed.

But there is hope. 61% of younger voters, under 30, voted against Proposition 8, regardless of their race. Opposition was actually strongest among voters under 24. The older the voter, the more likely he or she was to have supported the amendment. Younger people are tending not to be as influenced by conservative, fundamentalist churches or politicians. They have gay and lesbian friends, they are accepting. They simply do not feel it is fair to take away the rights of others. To them marriage is not the holy grail that the right makes it to be.

One gay couple said in the aftermath, "we are still going to get married, with our friends and family, but without God and our country."

Sadly Mormons, Blacks and Hispanics are continuing the age old trend; the oppressed soon become the oppressor.