Reply #7: A thought: Would it be good or bad, in the long run, if Prop 8 is sustained?

[Athelwulf]

Prop 8's passage was a flash point. It awoke and powerfully galvanized its opponents. People marched in protest, in huge numbers, in all corners of the nation, saying to Prop 8's supporters, "You just crossed the line, and we will rectify this!" It has made observers finally start to realize that this is a legitimate and serious issue. And look where we are now, only half a year later. Two states, Vermont and Maine, have legalized same-sex marriage through legislation. New Hampshire is apparently on the way. New York has made movements. And a showdown over the District of Columbia's new law is expected to happen very soon in Congress. Inertia is on our side.

It seems to me that all our recent victories could not have been won, had we not been dealt such a devastating blow. In immediate terms, Prop 8 is a disaster. But in some twisted way, it's also, in the long run, actually turning out to be a good thing. After being constantly used as scapegoats and as objects of derision, after getting punched election after election, we finally decided to stop withdrawing defensively and start punching back.

Call me twisted, call me a masochist, but I'm starting to wonder if we need the California Supreme Court to rule against us. It's hard to predict how people would react to each outcome. But by now, if the court decides to turn a devastating blow into a one-two punch, I think we'll only come out stronger.