Days of Equality

A couple weeks ago the California legislature (both houses) passed the "Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act". The legislation protects religious freedom while ensuring equal treatment under the law for same-sex couples by allowing them to marry. This bill would remove the discriminatory barriers to equal protection under the law by returning the relevant California Family Code statutes to gender-neutral terms, as they were from 1850-1977. Governor Schwarzenengger has said he will veto the bill when it lands on his desk in the next couple days.

The HRC and Equality California have urged people to write letters to local newspapers. Today mine was printed in our local weekly newspaper, Palo Alto Weekly:

Equal-rights awareness
Editor,
I am a gay Californian. My same-sex partner and I are proud parents to six kids. My spouse, E---, and I were married in a religious ceremony on June 19, 2005, in Los Altos Hills.
Our wedding was performed by the head rabbi in our synagogue. It was a celebration of family and faith. The wedding affirmed the groundbreaking stand Reform Judaism has taken that same-sex unions are holy and valid.
Although we consider ourselves spiritually married, we lack the legal rights and privileges given to opposite-sex, married couples with children. We are second-class citizens in the state.
Early this month, the California Legislature passed a historic marriage-equality bill. The courage and integrity that our representatives have shown is especially moving. There is real harm in denying same-sex couples the right to marry. For the sake of all Californians, our governor must stand on the right side of history by signing this bill.
Ed---