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• Let’s talk about proposition 8

On Tuesday, the state of California voted to uphold Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment adopted by voters in November that restricts marriage in the state to being between only a man and a woman. buzz sat down with LGBT Resource Center Director Leslie Morrow to find out what exactly Proposition 8 is, what it means for the LGBT community and to talk about the changes that have taken place within the community in the past few months.

buzz: What exactly is Proposition 8?

Morrow: Proposition 8 is language that would ban same-sex marriage and would restrict marriage in the state of California to that of one man and one woman.

buzz: California voted on Tuesday to uphold Proposition 8. What does that mean for the LGBT community?

Morrow: It’s upsetting. I’ve been talking to a lot of people and reading various blogs. It was expected. What I’ve heard over and over is, “How could they possibly overturn the will of voters?” At the same time, they are allowing those 18,000 couples already married before this Prop. 8 debacle for their marriages to remain valid. That is encouraging, and I think that is going to build momentum for overturning Prop. 8 and eventually the Defense of Marriage Act. It is a setback, but I think it’s also a rallying point for many of us in the LGBT community to remain vigilant.

buzz: What did the California State Constitution say before, and how has Proposition 8 changed it?

Morrow: Proposition 8 came about because California legalized same-sex marriage. After reading their constitution, they felt that current laws were in violation to same-sex couples based on the equality clause. Groups got together and mounted a campaign, which they entitled Prop. 8, to petition the state of California and allow the people to speak using their language as to whether or not the California Supreme Court should make that decision or it should be made by the people of California through the popular vote.

buzz: Why is California such an important state?

Morrow: For so long, people have looked to California and New York, especially where LGBT rights are concerned, as kind of the leader, as the more progressive, as the more liberal-leaning states. After the November elections, there was shock. There was a huge concern that it was setting back the political rights that the LGBT community has fought so hard for. Now, I’ve seen a lot of conversation that maybe we have to look to the reality that [California] is no longer the leader, that there are other states.

buzz: Vermont became the last state to legalize same-sex marriage, and other states have civil union bills in the works. What is the difference between a civil union and same-sex marriage?

Morrow: Basically, because of the Defense of Marriage Act, which passed in 1996, that is federal legislation that denies federal benefits to same-sex couples…As far as same-sex marriage and civil union, the big issue has been the word “marriage” and what that has meant culturally, socially and politically in society for years. That’s been the argument. [Couples] felt that having it called a civil union was still conferring a second-class status.

buzz: A civil union bill is in the works in Illinois. Do you see any obstacles in getting that passed?

Morrow: From what I can understand, [the bill] passed the first step. There didn’t appear to be much opposition. I really do think Iowa is key, not only for Illinois but for other states. It displaces that myth about the Farm Belt or rural states not being as progressive. I think Iowa’s passage will greatly help.

buzz: As more states legalize same-sex marriage, what has been the impact on the LGBT community?

Morrow: Particularly for LGBT students, for so long, [marriage] has never been a possibility. We’ve had conversations about it. It’s hard for them to think about it because they are focused on school and their studies. But to present a bigger picture, societal attitudes have long affected LGBT student identity development, and honestly, quite negatively. With the passage of same-sex marriage in many of these states, it shows a growing trend to more progressive behaviors and beliefs that being gay is not negative, is not alternative. It’s about being who you are and embracing that part of yourself. So long story short, this is just great news for the community.