By Samantha Moll
Though about 3,000 miles away from the coast of California, students in Massachusetts have taken up the cause of those fighting against the recent passage of California’s Proposition 8, which amends California’s state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.
On Nov. 15, about 1,800 people plan to protest for gay rights at City Hall at 1:30 p.m, according to a posting on Facebook. The protest is one of many nationwide protests, organized by Join the Impact, in response to changes in same-sex marriage laws after the Nov. 4 election.
On Election Day, same-sex marriage laws changed in several states. In California, Proposition 8 passed. Similar laws banning same-sex marriage were passed in Arizona, Arkansas and Florida. Adverseky, Connecticut joined Massachusetts in legalizing same-sex marriage.
Although she does not think Proposition 8 is a real threat to same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, Natasha Kellet, a junior communication studies major from California, said she voted against Proposition 8, and plans to be involved in getting Proposition 8 repealed.
She said she believes Prop 8 will “galvanize the current population to step up and say what they believe.”
The upcoming protest was organized by Join the Impact, in collaboration with MassEquality, a grassroots organization in Massachusetts working to achieve full equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Join the Impact is a nationwide grassroots organization that sprung up in response to Proposition 8’s passage.
Kate Leslie, one of the event’s organizers, said she saw the website, and volunteered to help organize a protest in Boston.
“I’m furious that this right could be denied to anyone in any state,” Leslie said. “California courts had already recognized the legal right, and voters took it away.”
This is not the first protest of the issue to hit the area. About 200 people gathered near the Massachusetts Institute of Technology last Sunday to protest the measure, according to an article on uwire.com
The goal of the protest is to give people access to information about how to get Proposition 8 repealed, and to get people who are unaware of the issue more informed, she said.
Politicians, ministers and gay rights activists will speak to protesters, Leslie said. There will also be tables set up to inform Bostonians about the next steps that can be taken in the effort to repeal Proposition 8.
While some students said they don’t think the measures’ passage will affect gay marriage in Massachusetts, they said Proposition 8 is a civil rights issue that everyone should be fighting.
“I feel like Proposition 8 raises the concern that people in other states may feel like they can challenge the recognition of same-sex marriage in their states,” said Rory Hanlon, director of public relations for Northeastern’s Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender (NUBiLaGA). “Unless there’s a Supreme Court decision, there will always be that concern.”
Lindsey Seaver, vice president of the Northeastern University College Republicans, said she agreed with Proposition 8, but was surprised that it passed in California.
“I’m for civil unions – if people feel however they feel, they should have the same economic and civil rights as everyone else, but marriage is inherently a religious word,” Seaver said.
However, Hanlon said he believes same-sex marriage should not have to be a specific law, it should be legal because marriage is legal and government-recognized.
“Homosexuals deserve the same rights and protection as minorities,” Hanlon said. “It will take a long time, but if we continue to push for equal rights for everyone, marriage will fall into that.”
In addition to protests, Proposition 8 also faces legal and procedural challenges that will determine whether or not it will become part of the law and enforceable in California, said law professor Brook Baker.
“Fundamental rights based on status and privacy have already been recognized by the courts,” Baker said. “Proposition 8 violates those fundamental rights.”
There is also a question of Proposition 8’s affect on same-sex marriages performed prior to it. They could remain valid, or face contestations, Baker said.
“We need to keep pressing the battle, using court challenges more so than a legislative approach,” Baker said. “We need to go to jurisdictions where it’s more likely to be accepted, let people experience what there is, and change the facts from the ground.”
