Shuck and Jive


Thursday, November 06, 2008

Finish the Work

This is a note from Jody Huckaby of PFLAG National:
November 6, 2008

Dear PFLAG Family & Friends,

Earlier today our allies in California confirmed that they believe voters have approved Proposition 8, a measure that rolls back marriage equality in the nation's most populous state.

While our families have encountered a heartbreaking obstacle on the road to full equality in California, the broad coalition of Americans who support fundamental rights for everyone will continue to work towards a day when the dignity of every American is respected. Families are defined by a love, and a commitment, that is beyond the barriers of a ballot. No struggle for equality is won easily, and great strides do not come without great strife. They also, however, require the great strength necessary to push forward in the wake of disappointment and persevere in the face of pain.

On Tuesday, millions of Californians stood with our families and valiantly tried to beat back a mean-spirited, un-American attack on LGBT people. While we fell short of the majority we needed to prevail, each time the public has addressed this issue, those who stand with us grow in number. A decade ago, it would have been unthinkable that so many people would have endorsed marriage equality at the ballot box. If we continue the critical work we began this year, it will be unthinkable, a decade from now, that anyone would not.

All of us at PFLAG remain committed to securing the rights our families and loved ones deserve. With a new Administration and new Congress in Washington, there are many reasons to believe that we will soon prevail. As Dr. King to eloquently reminded us, "[T]he arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." On Tuesday, millions of Californians tilted that arc a little bit closer to liberty, and we must now commit ourselves to finding the strength we need to finish the work they have begun.

Sincerely,

Jody M. Huckaby
PFLAG National Executive Director
Thanks, Jody. Your local PFLAG chapter could use your help. If you are near our mountain, check out PFLAG Tri-Cities.

2 comments:

  1. The good news is that this has moved closer to reality. California's constitutional process requires only a 50% majority. Perhaps a year from now this can get overturned. We're moving that direction -- or I should say my former state is moving that direction.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That is the deal. A vote one way one year can go another way the next.

    ReplyDelete