My Feelings on Proposition 8

Hi friends,

Most of you have probably heard of proposition 8, the protect marriage amendment. I've thought about this a lot, and wondered if you would permit me to share my feelings about it.

I was initially conflicted about this proposition. My father is a musician, and so I grew up among some of his gay friends. One in particular, was a dear friend to my father. He introduced him to baroque music, and was often over at the house playing music with my parents. When I was 14, my parents took me to a workshop in San Francisco, put on by the San Francisco Early Music Society. Most of the attendees were gay, and attended with their partners. I think my parents and I were the only traditional family in attendance. During this trip, we visited my father's dear friend in the hospital who was dying of AIDS. He had already lost his long time partner to this disease.

When we first moved to San Diego, Graton and I became friends with a man who had lived the gay lifestyle, but was attending our church and no longer associating with the gay community. He eventually fell in love with a woman at our church and was married. I've also had other friends from high school who either currently describe themself as gay, or have in the past.

All this to say, that I don't feel any desire to discriminate our harm anyone in the gay community. Especially those who are my friends.

However, in researching the subject, I feel strongly that proposition 8 is very important for the following reasons:

1) I believe that marriage was ordained of God from the beginning of time, and has been the natural and fundamental unit of society throughout the civilizations of the world. I don't believe it is just a contract between two people who love each other. We don't legally allow marriages between parents and children, or uncles and nieces, or even first cousins. Marriage provides a safe haven for children to be reared in love and stability. Research from sociologists indicate that children thrive best in a family that consists of a father and a mother.

2) I believe in tolerance. Proposition 8 would not change any of the rights that same-sex couples enjoy due to domestic partnership laws. In California, they have all of the same rights as any domestic partner.

3) I believe in religious freedom. If proposition 8 doesn't pass religious freedom is threatened as illustrated in the following examples:

Catholic charities is no longer offering adoption services, because the government would not let them place children in homes that only contain a father and a mother. A Methodist church lost their tax exemption because they would only rent out their facilities to couples who were married traditionally. Some religious universities are being pressured to offer marriage housing for gay couples. If gay marriage is considered equal to traditional marriage than religions lose their right and their freedom, to make choices according to their private beliefs.

4) I believe in individual rights. We live in a democracy where we are free to teach our children our own values, be they Christian, Druid, atheist, etc.. If proposition 8 doesn't pass then the public school districts could be obligated to teach our children that gay marriage is the same as traditional marriage, undermining the rights of parents to teach their children as they may.

5) I believe that we have a loving Heavenly Father who wants us all to love each other as brothers and sisters. We are all his precious children. But I believe that God ordained marriage as part of his plan of happiness for us. Attempting to change His definition of marriage is detrimental to that plan and his purposes for us on this earth.

I hope you'll consider for this issue for yourself, (prayerfully, if you're a prayerful person). and cast your vote accordingly on November 4th.

Much love!!

Valerie

http://www.afa.net/prop8video/index.html (Video on prop 8 put out by American Family Association)

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-divine-institution-of-marriage