Long term, Prop 8 is a godsend.

[wtmusic]

Hearing about all these protests nationwide, I am amazed at the national publicity our local prop has gotten. These bastards will rue the day they tried to kill gay marriage because it's dropped the issue on every American's lap, where they have to confront it, and ask themselves what's important about marriage: their preconceived notions or what's right.

IMO the legal challenge will end up as a SCOTUS civil rights issue and "sexual orientation" will eventually share the same status as race or gender - and all the sooner because of Prop H8.

[Ian David]

1. And it will be decided by courts stacked with Obama appointees. n/t

[GodlessBiker]

2. I hate going one step backward to go two steps forward. It is too painful.

[wtmusic]

4. I hear you

and not being gay myself I'm not experiencing the discrimination, so wtf do I know.

Did we need a W to get Obama for a president? Did 4000+ soldiers have to die? I would hope not - but the road to progress has never been a smooth one.

[Critters2]

3. I think it will end up being a godsend. If only because it's pushed the glbt community,

and caused others to see that glbt folks are not going to just take this lying down. I think of it as the second installment of Stonewall, but a bunch of straight people supporting their glbt friends, family, and neighbors this time. That will make it even more powerful than the first installment. I think the pro-8 eight people have awakened a giant, and will live to regret it. I hope.

[hlthe2b]

5. Sadly. it seems I may need to remind you that women do NOT

have equal rights by law.... the ERA was never ratified. Perhaps if Prop 8 does go to the Supreme Court, we might have a global comprehensive opinion on civil rights. THAT is what is needed

[wtmusic]

6. Even though the ERA didn't pass I thought discrimination by sex

was prohibited by the 1964 Civil Rights Act? :shrug:

[hlthe2b]

7. NO! (tell that to all the women making $0.70 on the dollar to men)

or to the women (who though serve in combat in Iraq given circumstances) are nonetheless banned from combat positions as but two examples.

Wow.... :shrug: Here's a bit of history on the ERA:

The ERA was written in 1923 by Alice Paul, suffragist leader and founder of the National Woman's Party. She and the NWP considered the ERA to be the next necessary step after the 19th Amendment (affirming women's right to vote in 1920) in guaranteeing "equal justice under law" to all citizens.

The ERA was introduced into every session of Congress between 1923 and 1972, when it was passed and sent to the states for ratification. The seven-year time limit in the ERA's proposing clause was extended by Congress to June 30, 1982, but at the deadline, the ERA had been ratified by 35 states, leaving it three states short of the 38 required for ratification. It has been reintroduced into every Congress since that time.

In the 110th Congress (2007 - 2008), the Equal Rights Amendment has been introduced as S.J. Res. 10 (Sen. Edward Kennedy, MA, lead sponsor) and H.J. Res. 40 (Rep. Carolyn Maloney, NY, lead sponsor). These bills impose no deadline on the ratification process in their proposing clauses. The ERA Task Force of the National Council of Women's Organizations supports these bills and urges groups and individuals to advocate for more co-sponsors and passage.

For a more comprehensive historical account of the ERA, click here.http://www.equalrightsamendment.org/

[wellstone dem]

8. It does have the protection of statute, but

does not have the "strict scrutiny" protection that is given to race by the 14th amendment and religion by the 2nd amendment to the US constitution. The Equal Rights Amendment would have given it that protection.

[wtmusic]

11. Thx for clarification. nt

[wellstone dem]

12. too late to edit but

I am not an idiot, I was thinking 1st amendment, then with a flight of ideas thought about and typed second amendment.

religion--first amendment.

[slackmaster]

9. I wouldn't call it a godsend, but it is a pivotal event in what will be a very long fight

It has to end up in SCOTUS eventually. That is where the issue will ulitmately be settled.

[helderheid]

10. I agree.