Vote No on 8

Voting day is upon us. I would be remiss if I didn't remind our California readers to please vote NO on Proposition 8. Someone asked me, why does the "word" marriage matter if gays and lesbians already have domestic partnerships? There are two answers to that:
1. If the word "marriage" doesn't matter since gays and lesbians already have domestic partnerships, why are the conservatives so up in arms about it? Why not let gays and lesbians marry just like everyone else?
2. Words do matter. Clearly there wouldn't be such a big fight if they didn't. Gay and lesbian teens have a much higher suicide rate. Think of how hard it is to grow up in the closet knowing the people around you, often the ones you love hate gays and lesbians just like you? No wonder gay and lesbian kids run into issues with depression and suicide. What about the married people and their spouses that suffer for years in marriages where one spouse was gay but married to avoid the stigma. The whole family suffers. What do you think it is like to think that your parents, spouse, kids and friends hate you or, at least, this one very important part of you, IF ONLY THEY KNEW? Having separate but different labels, domestic partnership versus marriage, only perpetuates the belief that it is just fine to discriminate against gays and lesbians.

Please, if you live in California, vote NO on proposition 8 and help make this world a little kinder, gentler and saner.