Right-wing ballot measure
Big money behind attack on same-sex marriage
By Preston Wood
Los Angeles
Once again, in the regressive and reactionary tradition of
big money and right-wing mobilizations in California, two
state ballot measures passed on March 7. One intensifies
repression against young people, primarily Black and Latino
youth, and the other upholds discrimination against the
rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Proposition 21 lowers the age that a youth can be tried as
an adult from 16 to 14 years of age. Proposition 22--known
also as the Defense of Marriage Act or the Knight
Initiative--reinforces an already existing ban on same-sex
marriages in the state.
These measures follow right in line with previously
divisive and racist campaigns like Proposition 187 that
denied basic rights to immigrants in California, Proposition
209 that struck a blow against affirmative action, and
Proposition 227 that targeted bilingual education.
While the repressive components of Proposition 21 are
hidden in a huge volume of words, Proposition 22 uses only 17
words to take a direct shot at the fundamental rights of
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to equal
treatment under the law.
The measure designates this whole group of people as unfit
for the rights accorded to heterosexuals. It is alarming that
a measure so bigoted and hateful could even be granted ballot
status.
And it calls into question: Who will be the next target of
the right wing?
How did these reactionaries win these two divisive ballot
measures? By spending millions of dollars in slick ad
campaigns designed to manipulate and confuse the public. They
spent a reported $16 million just getting Proposition 22
passed.
They reinforced racist and anti-gay stereotypes. And they
mobilized the most conservative sectors of voters.
Those who voted represent a small percentage of the
population in this state. Disenfranchisement alone excluded
prisoners, millions of immigrants and others.
Of the 46 percent of registered voters who cast their
ballots, the heaviest voter turnout was in conservative areas
of the state where the California Reaganite Republican Party
still has a strong base.
Fundamentalist Christian religious leaders and the Roman
Catholic Church hierarchy actively mobilized their
members.
The statewide voting results were almost identical for
both propositions: approximately 60 percent voted for and 40
percent voted against. Voting patterns among different
demographic groups were pretty much the same for both
measures.
The results of this voting were disheartening and even
shocking to many. But they reconfirm the basic lesson that
progressive change doesn't come from the ballot box. The
anger and alarm of progressives and the consciousness of
those prodded to take a position on these measures can
strengthen the movement for lesbian/gay/bi/trans rights and
against the racist prison-industrial complex.
After the voting results were in, militant demonstrations
took place in San Francisco and in Latino neighborhoods in
Los Angeles against Proposition 21.
And lesbian/gay/bi and trans activists have vowed to
intensify their struggle for equality and take that struggle
into the streets.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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