From Our Readers Laurin (age 8), Oakland, wrote this piece for her 3rd grade class. The essay was forwarded to us from her mother. (The piece is verbatim and does not include any changes or edits.) I think that people should be able to marry who ever they want. For me it’s a big deal, because my parents are lesbian. I think that people are afraid of LGBT folks and that’s why people voted Yes on Prop 8. Where a lot of people voted yes was the central valley and Southern California. There are other Props like Prop 2, but I have a very strong opinion on Prop 8 and that’s why I’m writing about this topic.
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Now let’s hear a quote from Ruby: she thinks that you should be able to marry however you want and not have too marry a different gender. Now a quote from Clara: she thinks that people should be able to get married to whomever they want. Clara also has two moms just like me. Last year a girl in Mona’s class, named Ruthie, said that the results for the election was 4,888,460 for No, which is 47% and 5,387,939 for Yes, which is 52%. 499479 is the difference. If you want Prop 8 to stop you can wear a rainbow ribbon. If you are gay or lesbian and are not married legally, you can’t visit them in the hospital and you can’t get health care either. For a while Prop 8 was legal, but then they changed the law. But you will not go to jail though. When they decided Yes on Prop 8 yes, it was at the time of the elections. People decided in the state of California. I hope that some day people will stand up and say No on Prop 8. People really have strong opinions about Prop 8 like me. People want to be able to have the right to do all the stuff other couples can do. Justyn, San Francisco, sent this letter in response to the cover article, “Expect the Unexpected,” from the 2010 Winter newsletter (Vol. 15, Issue 1). As a family law attorney, I was happy to see that the author sought out an attorney with whom he and his partner were comfortable with before proceeding down the path to having kids. I was, then, deeply troubled to read that the parties were at the hospital during the birth and surprised to learn that only Mr. Gayle’s partner’s husband, and not he, would be treated as the “natural,” legal parent under the law. While it was important to the parties to find a “queer, poly-friendly” attorney, it is also essential that they found one who is sufficiently experienced in the relevant field. A competent attorney would have, in the course of drafting a preconception agreement, explained how the law currently treats children born during legally recognized marriages. This should not have been a surprise, and it’s reassuring that it’s worked out well thus far for Mr. Gayle and his partner. However, they may continue to forfeit opportunities for him to protect his relationship with his kids for lack of an experienced lawyer.
Spring 2010 Newsletter
Registration begins in December!
THE COMMUNITY WHERE
Become a part of a warm, welcoming
community that reflects one’s own family. Keshet LGBTQ Family Camp is for LGBTQ individuals, couples, and families and their friends.
Y OU
B E L ON G
> Located at the doorstep of
Yosemite, Tawonga is American Camp Association accredited with a staff to camper ratio of 1:1.5 > Campers of all ages are welcome!
Offerings include childcare, teen programming, specialized workshops, and all the great activities of a summer camp session squeezed into four days. > Program runs September 2-5, 2010.
Financial assistance available.
C O N TA C T U S T O D AY T O L E A R N M O R E A B O U T TAW O N G A P R O G R A M S , FINANCIAL OPTIONS & COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS IN YOUR AREA.
keshet.tawonga.org | 415.543.2267 | info@tawonga.org 5