Students Mourn Gay Marriage Ban in California

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As a foreign gay-marriage supporter, I have to say in our view, it is a backslide of America. Quite a few asians, including me, used to admire America's "freedom and justice for all", such as gays' rights in several states. However, with one of the most liberal states CA's ban on gay marriage, I feel both Asia and America have a long way to go toward genuine freedom and equality. America should be a pioneer. You know, even SOUTH AFRICA ALLOWS GAY MARRIAGE...

4:54PM January 10, 2009

GAY Students Mourn Gay Marriage Ban in California

Adam of TX 12:05AM November 09, 2008

I think that people totally miss the point when they naively question, "why not?" "Why can't gay couples marry?" As if the majority support for prop 8 could be oversimplified to base homophobia and prejudice. This question oversimplifies the issues behind prop 8, because the real issue for most prop 8 supporters is not simply gay marriage itself. If gay marriages were performed in a vacuum and had no real effect on the rest of society, this wouldn't be a ballot measure. However, the ban on gay marriage confronts what is, in the majority's point of view, the moral, ethical, and value-based implications of sanctioning a law that allows gay marriage. For the religious, it's an issue of religious freedoms: churches could possibly lose tax-exempt status if they refuse to marry gay couples. Now what happened to the freedom of religion, one of our constitution's oldest rights? For concerned parents, it's an issue of having others force their children to believe in a value that they do not agree with - when a Massachusetts school taught gay marriage, two parents were prosecuted and sued because they wanted to take their kids out of school because their child was being forced to agree with a value they didn't believe in. If the freedom to choose your beliefs and exercise religion is really a civic virtue, then prop 8 directly confronts what would threaten these rights under a pro-gay marriage law. Although prop 8 protestors contest that prop 8 threatens the "right to marriage," prop 8 defends another institutional right. It's not about homophobia. The real issue behind prop 8 is the freedom to choose, for majority voter base, the right to legislate their own moral and ethical thoughts in their lives, or for a dissenting minority, the right to marriage. It boils down to a simple [and $70 million] clash of ideologies over an ethical issue. Only one side can become law. Unfortunately for gay marriage supporters, in a democracy the majority often - and in this case did - win.

Paula of CA 7:10PM November 07, 2008

Over and over we hear "blacks were not allowed to marry whites" and other such racial comparisons...HOMOSEXUALS ARE NOT A RACE! They are a gruop of folks who have made a lifestyle CHOICE. They have no right to change the definition of marriage. Why can't they simply make up a new name for their relationships?

Wags of Calif. of CA 6:58PM November 07, 2008

I watched this vote closely from Switzerland. I'm so glad CA voted for Prop 8. It's not about civil rights, it's about what's right. Please, let's not confuse the two. The world is watching. Most people don't want this. It makes most people's skin crawl. It's just that most people stay quiet. The noisy minority seem to get all the attention.

6:20PM November 07, 2008

Please correct the headline which appears on the homepage. Obviously a majority of Californians are not mourning.

Chris of IL 5:43PM November 07, 2008

No bias here. No wonder you are going out of print.

AMAZD of MD 5:04PM November 07, 2008

The voters of your state spoke in accordance with the constitution. Rioting and causing disturbances will not change the outcome of legal referendum. Civil unions are fine, but marriage is not. What if I wanted to marry my sofa? It's my fundamental right to marry whomever I want, right? So I choose my sofa. The problem with liberals is that they simply do not respect the results of an election unless they explicitly agree with said results. Respect the vote and simply accept that neither this state nor this nation is not willing to redefine marriage as anything other than what it truly is: a sacred bond between a man and a woman.

Joseph A Bank of MO 1:37PM November 07, 2008

I am not happy with the presidential results as I prefered McCain but I am happy & proud to be an American and believe everyone has a right to vote for who and what they believe in.So we all need to accept the results of an election and go forward with our lives as American's.

of NY 1:16PM November 07, 2008

"California Mourns..." is an entirely inaccurate and false title for this article or the election in California. More accurate titles woule be "Majority of Californians Rejoice" or "Minority of Californians Mourn." The ballot proposition was supported by a majority of voters. That is not tanamount to the entire state mourning. Come on US News, get it right.

Allen of TX 12:57PM November 07, 2008