Reverberations continue surrounding
passage two weeks ago in California of a ballot measure that bans gay
marriage in the state by amending the California constitution to
restrict marriage to heterosexual couples. Politicians who support
gay marriage appear to be the newest targets.
Proponents of the gay marriage ban –
known as Proposition 8 and dubbed H8 by gay activists – held their
first press conference since Election Day Friday, where they lashed
out at leaders supporting repeal of Proposition 8 and events
organized by gay activists to express solidarity against the gay
marriage ban, persistent and intensified protests and boycotts by gay
activists included.
“Amidst all this lawlessness,
harassment, trampling of civil rights and now domestic terrorism, one
thing stands out: the deafening silence of our elected officials,”
said Protect Marriage Campaign Co-Manager Frank Schubert. “Not a
single elected leader has spoken out against what is happening.
Where is Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger while churches are being
attacked? And where is Senator Dianne Feinstein while people are
losing their jobs and grandmothers are being bullied by an angry
mob?”
Schubert was referring to the non-stop
protests by gay activists that have taken place virtually everyday
since Election Day, culminating in Saturday's coast-to-coast protest
at 300 city halls and public venues. Violent patches have been
reported at several pro-gay protests, but most ended peacefully.
On Thursday,
several Mormon temples received mailings containing unknown white
powder. On Friday, the FBI said the powder was nontoxic and has not
publicly cited any evidence to link the incident to gay groups.
“Well, I think it's absolutely
galling that the proponents of Proposition 8, who just spent $40
million in a deceitful campaign to strip a group of people of their
fundamental rights claim victim status,” Molly McKay,
a spokeswoman for Marriage Equality, told
KPIX, a San Francisco CBS affiliate.
It
goes without saying that supporters of the gay marriage ban – a
coalition made up mostly of religious organizations – would speak
out against protesters who blame the Mormon Church for tipping
approval for Prop 8. But why are supporters of the gay marriage ban
singling out Senator Dianne Feinstein and Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger? Is the coalition opening a new political front
against politicians who support gay marriage?
California Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger's stance on gay marriage simply defies logic. He
recently repeated that he believes marriage is “between a man and a
woman” and has twice rejected legislation that would have
recognized gay marriage, most recently in 2007. However, in May,
just after the California Supreme Court overruled a 2000
voter-approved gay marriage ban, he appeared supportive at a gay
marriage rally saying, “I'm wishing everyone good luck with their
marriages and I hope that California's economy is booming because
everyone is going to come here and get married.”
And in April – a month before the
court ruled – Schwarzenegger told a group of gay Republicans, “I
will always be there to fight against that [a constitutional ban
against gay marriage], because it should never happen.”
But as the gay marriage campaigns duked
it out on the airways and streets of California, the Republican
governor failed to deliver on his promised “fight.”
Since Election Day, Schwarzenegger has
left proponents of the gay marriage ban worried as he appeared to
back gay marriage once again.
While discussing the passage of
California's gay marriage ban during a CNN interview, he said: “It's
unfortunate, obviously, but it's not the end. I think that we will
again maybe undo that, if the court is willing to do that, and then
move forward from there and again lead in that area.” Then, using
his own weight lifting experience, he added: “I learned that you
should never, ever give up ... They should never give up. They
should be on it and on it until they get it done.”
Attacks against the governor increased
last week, when Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council wrote to
supporters: “Since Election Day, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has
made statements supporting demonstrations against Proposition 8, and
urging California's Supreme Court to block the amendment's
enforcement ... Condoning street protests and supporting judicial
activism scams to overturn a popularly approved state constitutional
amendment approaches advocacy of anarchy. Gov. Schwarzenegger is
playing a dangerous game, and it needs to stop. Now.”
But while speaking to ABC's
George Stephanopoulos, Schwarzenegger did reject protests by saying,
“I think that the important thing now is to resolve this issue in
that way [through the court system]. In a peaceful way, rather than,
you know, going out and protesting, and going out and boycotting and
all those things. I think that's not the best way to go about it.”
“The claim that our governor
advocates anarchy simply because he supports the repeal of Prop 8 is
not only absurd, it's offensive,” said Equality California Director
Geoff Kors in a statement.
While the governor continues to express
his support for invalidating the gay marriage ban, he also said he
would not be joining forty-four Democratic legislators who signed a
friend of the court brief to overturn Prop. 8.
With Schwarzenegger restrained by term
limits, Feinstein has shown interest in filling the governor's seat
in 2010.
In September, Feinstein issued a
statement supporting the right of gays and lesbians to marry. “I
believe we should uphold the ability of our friends, neighbors, and
co-workers who are gay and lesbian to enter into the contract of
marriage,” she said.
Several weeks later she agreed to
participate in a No-On-8 commercial, where she told voters: “In my
lifetime, I've seen discrimination. And I see it again in
Proposition 8. Proposition 8 would be a terrible mistake for
California. It changes our Constitution. Eliminates fundamental
rights. And treats people differently under the law.”
Whether Feinstein's opposition to the
gay marriage ban has politically weakened her 2010 gubernatorial bid
remains to be seen. Gay marriage foes, however, appear committed to
dividing voters with the issue.