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News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media

Would you vote against Prop. 8 if Emily Deschanel did?

Happy Halloween! I just saw the scariest costume: Millions of people in California are dressed up like homophobic zombies/vampires/Death Eaters, and instead of "trick or treat!" they're going around saying, "And on the third day, God created the Remington bolt-action rifle, so that Man could protect himself from the dinosaurs — and the homosexuals." Isn't that creepy? I'm so glad it's a Halloween prank.

OK, I tried for lighthearted, but I just can't do it. The Proposition 8 vote is just a few days away, and the most recent polls show that the yeses and nos are neck and neck.

Team Equality has had some great success, though. First of all, the 8 Against 8 bloggers reached their fundraising goal in only three days. The Screen Actors Guild took a public stance against Prop. 8. And even more celebrities wrote checks for the cause: among them Bones star Emily Deschanel and Mary McCormack from In Plain Sight.

Melissa Etheridge spoke out in The Daily Beast this week with a blog post called "Keep Your Laws Off My Family."

I called my son over. I said, “Read this, tell me what you think.” He, being 9 years old and very proud of his reading skills, read “Changes California Constitution to eliminate right of same sex couples to marry.” He looked at me, very matter-of-factly, and said, “Wow, that’s lame.”

My favorite story to come out about Prop. 8 this week was from a phone bank worker who finally took a stand when she saw a Pepperdine Law professor blatantly lying on a "Yes on 8" commercial.

The main excitement of my first night was talking to an Undecided who cited one of our talking points in a perfect, easy lob. Joe, sitting next to me, heard me say, “Actually, that’s not true …” and, seeing me shuffling for my talking points page, leapt in for the assist with his. It actually sounded pretty smooth and natural. And once I had assured my callee that second-graders would not at any point be lined up in the gymnasium for Calisthenics and Same-Sex Soul Kissing Drills, she said she’d be voting no.

One. I had changed the mind of one undecided voter.

(Read the entire article. You won't be disappointed.)

I wish I could end this post with something clever, but the entire time I've been writing, the only thing I can hear in my head is Harry Potter's voice: "If Voldemort's building up an army, I want to fight!" I try really hard not to simplify things into good versus evil, but in this case, I can't see it any other way. So, you've got four days left to fight: raise awareness, donate your time or money, and mostly, go vote!

  • StuntDouble's blog
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  • Nothing's picture

    It's so sad

    to see the homophobic right coming out in support of Prop 8 by insisting that God hates homosexuals and they shouldn't have the same rights as everyone else.  It's such blatant discrimination that has lasted far too long in our nation.  I wish this were a federal vote - hopefully some day soon we will see equality for all in the entire nation.  Right now, it's one State at a time.  In as much as this is not a proposition about what to teach our children in school, that's the only thing the religious bigots could come up with in order to convince people to vote yes.  I can't wait until next Wednesday in the hopes that we will finally see this argument settled in favor of same-sex couples to marry, just as all other humans have the right to.
    SubtextRules's picture

    Honestly, no...

    The world puts so much emphasis and value upon celebrities that it’s sickening. I enjoy entertainment as much as the next girl, but what celebrities think and feel is not gospel to me. I’m proud that actors are taking a stand for constitutional rights. It just re-instates my faith in people. But I feel better knowing that my friends and family support me.

    Kim's picture

    Prop 8

     I don't really understand what the prop.8 is as far as if I say yes what am I saying yes or no to it's confusing to me.

    I know what it is.I just don't understand what yes or no means.

    I am a 44 year old bi woman I think that the government should treat ANY relationship the same no matter the gender.

    The "Man and Woman" thing was created by the Christians everyone is not Christian.

    I am Wiccan and I believe that everyone has the right to love and marry who they fall in love with, the heart doesn't know gender so why should the mind.

    the linster's picture

    Clear explanation

    This site should clear up your confusion. If I can understand it, anyone can!
    roc's picture

    clarification

    No on prop 8 (the correct voting selection:)) means you are against the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and yes (the incorrect voting selection) means you are for the amendment banning same sex marriage.

    Now here's the tricky part...Only clarify what the two sides actually mean if some one tells you that they are all for gay marriage and plan to vote yes for gay marriage! Stop them as quickly as possible to tell them to vote NO!!! NO! NO! to prop 8. But, if you are having a discussion with a rube who for reasons unknown to logic believes that civil marriage of gay people infringes some how on his/her rights to be happily or unhappily married to some one of the opposite gender there fore they are whole heartedly against gay marriage and plan to vote no to gay marriage on prop. 8! whatever you do tell them this is correct and encourage them to vote no on the ballot:)

    IfOnly's picture

    About Prop. 8

    This reminded me of a kind of, interview/debate/smackdown I watched last night on CNN International. Yes on Prop. 8 was a woman named Jenny Roback Morse, founder of the "Ruth Institute" and No on Prop. 8 was a man named Jody Huckaby, Exec. Dir.(?) of PFLAG California. This is the first I've heard of Prop. 8 except on this site. It was kind of cool to watch this (over 10min!, on CNN International) since the anchor, the brilliant and gorgeous Becky Anderson, at one point started to debate with the woman herself (not something you see every day year on CNNI). And it was very upsetting to actually hear from someone on the other side. I realized I've never known what insane arguments they use.

    Here's the link to the interview: http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2008/10/30/anderson.us.calif.prop8.cnn?iref=videosearch

    Oh, and Kudos to Bones Brennan Temperence Emily Deschanel. I love her.

    Susi's picture

    Wow, that woman was scary.

    Wow, that woman was scary. The way she was sitting there smiling while basically throwing out one crazy hateful comment after another. It makes me so sad and angry and mostly frustrated that people can be so close minded and so hateful. It will never enter into my head how people who call themselves christians cannot accept the equality of all people and how they can spend so much money and energy on something that basically consists in hurting people and depriving them of their rights.

    Now, living in Sweden, there's not much I can do about the outcome of this election (if I had any I would donate some money) but I wanted to show some solidarity with the people of California and I really do hope that you'll get to keep you're right to marry.

    IfOnly's picture

    I agree!

    I agree! ..med varje ord. Hemskt är vad det är!

    Yeah.. I'm in Sweden too so they won't be "my" rights but everyone who can, go out and vote NO!

    RivaKel's picture

    Anger!

    I agree - this video and the arguments used by the woman in it are just sad. I live in Australia and am not even gay, so really his has very little to do with me but I am oh so angry right now! I can't believe the close-mindedness that is driving thie 'yes' side in this debate. These people are ignorant and haven't even given a thought to the arguments of the other side because if they did, they'd realise that they barely have a leg to stand on. I hope those of you that can all vote on Tues and ensure that the correct side wins out!

    P.S. Sorry for my ramblings - u can tell I'm meant to be studying and am procrastinating but this really did make me angry.

    IfOnly's picture

    Halloween, for serious

    Yeah. Scary is what this is. And that woman.. My blood froze with her evil smile. Talk about Halloween for real.
    aedwards6692's picture

    woah

    The lady from San Diego looked like she was high or something. Or is just natually that cold hearted. She was definetely the scariest part of Halloween.

     

    Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don't mind, then it doesn't matter.

    ChaosSerene's picture

    Scarier still...

    was that makeup. Allow me to be shallow just one bit to wonder if she did on the subway looking at her reflection in the steel.

    Plus the smiling. Constant. No end. I can't take a person like this seriously.

     

    And it's important that celebrities speak up on this. If their opinions have depth or not I believe to be secondary to the fact that people listen anyway.

    Lunakiss's picture

    I wish I Can Vote No On Prop 8 in Calif But I Live In Ar But

    www.myspace.com/lunakiss7

    we got our own battle to fight. This snippet was taken from HRC website(I gotta give them credit)

     In 2006, the Supreme Court of Arkansas affirmed that the Arkansas Child Welfare Agency Review Board regulation 200.3.2 unconstitutionally violated separation of powers doctrine. Dep’t of Human Servs. and Child Welfare Agency Review Bd. v. Howard, 367 Ark. 55 (Ark. June 29, 2006).  In 2008, voters may decide whether to pass a new law barring individuals "cohabiting with a sexual partner outside of marriage" from adopting.  Proponents of the measure are currently gathering signatures in an attempt to place this measure before voters in November 2008.

    I voted early this week. I voted against this crazy law. This  aw is completely unconsitutional.  It even prohibits straight couples,single people besides Lesbians and Gays from adopting period. Absurd? For example:  So you are 30 something single female and your parents died in a car crash  and you have a 15 year old brother. No matter what your sexual orientation is you can't adopt your own  little brother b/c you're not married.  This stupid law assumes you're sexually active,it doesn't even matter if you're celibate.  Tell me that's not F up.  It discriminates againsts everybody's rights except married people. It  discriminates against single people for sure.  Their trying to make it a privilege" or see what "benefits" you have if you marry someone of the opposite gender.   This S%$#^ is on our ballot and it has to be voted  by theAR residents. I hope it doesn't pass. If it does I need to hurry and move. For real.

    BAS's picture

    Sad but that might help it get voted down

    It's sad, but these types of laws that are aimed at eliminating gay rights have the best show of getting shot down if they also eliminate the rights of some straight people.  The AZ same-sex marriage ban was defeated in large part because it would also have significantly disrupted the rights of elderly straight unmarried couples.  It was a much more sweeping law than some others.

    That law seems to be broad enough that hopefully enough straight folks will realize what it will do to people like that 30yr old, and will vote it down.

    There's also anti-same-sex-marriage amendments on the books in at least a few other states.  In CT, it's not specifically anti-marriage but it's a prop to form a constitutional convention, and that is mainly so that they can ban gay marriage.  There's one in FL to ban marriage as well.

    So I urge everyone to find out if their state has an anti-marriage amendment on the ballow, especially if it's a strange one like the CT one.

    rainbowcoloredbutterfly's picture

    Why are the Pop 8ers lying?

    Why are the Pop 8ers lying? Isn't it unChristian to lie? We should be refuting all their lies in our ads. Even if it does pass (and I hope not) change will come and they will be on the losing side of history.
    Caitlin's picture

    Yes I would...

    I will do whatever Emily Deschanel tells me to do, because she is awesome. As is Mary McCormack. Speaking of awesome, the article about phone banking was just that - I really wish I could be in California to make a difference in this war on ignorance.
    Jill's picture

    Use your powers for good, not evil

    You are so right, it is good versus evil.

    Californians have a chance to show the rest of the country and the rest of the world what they are really made of . . . . 

    A no vote is for freedom, acceptance, unity and love. . . .

    A yes vote is for bigotry and hatred . . . .

    I can't vote (I'm Australian) but I'll sure be hoping that the result is a big resounding NO.

    Stephanie's picture

    I would vote against prop 8

    I would vote against prop 8 even if Emily Deschanel wasn't.

     

    Only two more dreadful days... pull it together California.

    Babs's picture

    i would vote against prop 8

     

    ...oh believe me baby, we're trying...

    and by the way, who the f*** is Emily Deschanel, and why should i care what she thinks? 

    Ally's picture

    Personally wouldnt vote any

    Personally wouldnt vote any way if a celebrity was, I like to form myown opinions on laws and research thoroughly before I do. Man, I wish I was American so I could vote. This whole thing is not fair

    Has anyone seen Wanda Sykes interview on Ellen about Prop 8? Its hilarious. Check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5M3iS2O0Es