Filed under: gay rights, government, politics | Tags: gay marriage, harvey fierstein, prop 8, proposition 8
Gay actor, playwright, and activist Harvey Fierstein echoes the eloquence and outrage of his colleagues Tony Kushner and Larry Kramer in this articulate call to arms for gay rights.
As we watch the effects of legalized discrimination unfold in California (not to mention other states that also banned gay marriage like Arizona and Florida), Fierstein urges all of us–gay or straight–to stop sitting idly by and watching our civil rights erode.
His clarion call is not only for all citizens to speak up, but to call out legislators who walk both sides of the fence on the issue of gay rights. He calls out John Kerry (who said he would support a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage) and Bill Clinton (who signed into law the federal DOMA act and also enacted the military’s disastrous “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policies), arguing that these important men and supposed GLBT advocates should have spoken out against Proposition 8. “Hey, we’ve had gay rights in Massachusetts for months and no one’s getting hurt. No one’s getting special rights. No heterosexual marriage is suffering,” Fierstein says, “So let’s stop the panic and act like rational adults.”
Filed under: politics | Tags: gay marriage, proposition 8, samuel l. jackson
I’ve been lax in commenting on the ridiculousness that is the ballot measure to ban gay marriage in California. They’re in dire needs of funds because both pro- and anti-gay marriage advocates have been contributing to advertising. I’m in awe: Is it really that controversial? The decision to outlaw marriage between two individuals is discriminatory and wrong. In this PSA, Samuel L. Jackson draws upon our troubled nation’s history of legalizing the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII and our past mistakes in banning miscegenation.
Marriage is a right for all Americans–straight or gay. Do your part by contributing, advocating, or simply persuading. And God knows if you live in California, get out and vote No on Proposition 8.
