Wrapping my head around Prop. 8

Proposition 8. Now there’s a topic.
Here’s what I can’t understand. I know I was raised by two amazing liberal ladies, my mother and grandmother, who believe in equality for all, and that may have influenced my “why do you feel the need to stop gay people from marrying?” attitude, but when the poll numbers were showing, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Why would that many Californians feel the need to stop two people from marriage?
Ah! I get it. You don’t think they deserve the right to an equally miserable marriage? It would just be too painful and you don’t think gay people should go through that. As a child of divorce, I understand your consideration.
You also don’t think they should have the same right to raise children who will inevitably carry on the same mistakes you taught them as children? Messing up kids is only for straight people. You’re right.
Two married men would surely have a higher combined income than a man and woman. And two gay men would surely have better fashion sense, too. I guess the idea of married, rich, well-dressed gay men settling down behind white picket fences is just too intimidating for us? How could we keep up with those Joneses, huh?
Oh. That isn’t it?
It must have something to do with money. But, statistically, married people are more likely to buy homes and settle in a housing community, instead of renting. And married entities pay more taxes than a single person. Sounds to me like more money for Uncle Sam.
I know, I know. It’s the Bible. The Old Testament states that homosexuality is “detestable.”
The Old Testament also asks you to make “burnt offerings” on a consistent basis. Hope you’ve been keeping up with that, along with your Comcast bill.
The Old Testament has regulations on mildew, stating that any mildewed article of clothing must be shown to a priest and then isolated for seven days. Let me know your priest’s reaction this Sunday when you hand him your mildewed clothing for it’s necessary incubation. (Leviticus, Chapter 14, Verse 7)
Does it sound like the Old Testament is strictly relevant to today’s society?
Before you tell me that gay people are going to hell, let me tell you about a boy who was part of my Christian youth group in high school. He deemed me hell-bound after I joined a sorority. I guess sororities weren’t in the Old Testament either. Damn.
Now, he wasn’t perfect, but every time he had an “un-Christian” moment in the sheets with his girlfriend, he would just fast to make up for it.
Well, there you go. You can be gay! You just can’t eat!
Before you tell me I’m going to hell, let me say that as a Christian, I feel no right to cast judgments on others. Who gave me that right? I am in no position to say what is right or wrong for an individual in the eyes of God. I am only human. And so are you.
An amazing friend I met while studying in France happens to be gay. And religious. When I asked him if he struggled with his faith because of his sexual orientation, he said, “I am right with my God.”
I can’t stand here and make judgments on your religious beliefs, because I don’t understand them. I don’t feel the right to criticize the beliefs of something I know nothing about. And I don’t feel the need to discriminate against people that may be different from myself.
And that is why I don’t need to stop gay people from having the same chance of married life that I do. And my beliefs are right with my God.

Chrissy Ramoneda, staff writer