Keywords: Proposition 8, California, gay rights, gay marriage, equal rights, unbiased journalism, Prop. 8, same-sex marriage

Question:

I am a resident of California who strongly supports diversity and equality of all individuals despite race, religion, gender, age, etc. No one should be treated differently for their inherited traits. However, one thing to note with Prop. 8 is that same-sex couples within state of California have access to the same rights and benefits under CA Family Code as any "opposite-sex" married individuals.

Proposition 8 is solely an issue about the definition of marriage; it is not about rights. Same-sex couples can choose to join together in union, but marriage is and has always been a legal agreement between a man and a woman, not "Party A" and "Party B."

And how we will define "party?" What is to be considered Party A vs. Party B? It may seem like pure semantics, but our legal system feeds off of such semantics. Consider this: If I, as a mother, and other mothers are tired of being called such and would rather be called fathers because it has a better connotation (to us) or has more (or better) rewards, can I simply create a coalition to change my title because I (and others) deserve the right to be called fathers too?

A father is a father and a mother is a mother. Each is rightly called so, and each person with such a title should accept and respect that role as it is and has always been. Again, each individual needs and deserves to be valued and provided equal opportunity for who he or she is but not for the sake of changing the definition of a foundational institution of our society.

Answer:

Thank you for your e-mail, but I'm afraid I completely disagree with you.

First, let's get our facts straight: By a court decision earlier this month, Proposition 8 is now officially titled the "ELIMINATES RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY" initiative; it is an elimination of current rights and a denial of future rights. It is a cruel proposition, and the original wording of the initiative (by its proponents) was misleading. There is nothing benign about this and there is no shelter from the fact that this proposition will deny people human and civil rights.

You are factually wrong about Proposition 8 and I disagree with the rest of your logic. Slavery was a "foundational institution" of our society, as was male-only suffrage. As far as tradition, please refer to the columns I've written about the use of the Bible to support slavery, deny women the right to vote and defend segregation.

If you "strongly support diversity," then you should strongly support a person's right to both gender identity and gender expression. I completely agree with the Human Rights Campaign's mission statement: "HRC envisions an America where gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are ensured equality and embraced as full members of the American family at home, at work and in every community."

That means a person who is transgender and decides to express who they know they truly are may indeed change from "mother" to "father."

The bottom line is there is no "except for" when it comes to diversity and/or human and civil rights.

Read more Ask the White Guy columns related to this topic:
Why Anti-Gay Voice Shouldn't Get Equal Time
Does Freedom of Speech Mean Bigots at Work Must Be Tolerated?

Christians Should Apply: More on Religion, Christians and LGBT Rights

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