News
Same sex marriage ban in California faces charges
Ted Olson and David Bois, both veterans of the Bush vs. Gore case in 2000, are now working together to sue California federal government and Proposition 8 for being a breach in the constitution.
Biology teacher Miriam Heurmann has spent fifteen years of her life fighting for gay rights, and is hoping that this trial will reflect a change our modern society, specifically an opening to awareness.
“I think we need to allow people to have equal rights no matter what, to have the same benefits and acceptance no matter who you are. We don’t choose who we love,” said Heurmann.
Heurmann has already seen a lot of change in this respect around the school, seeing more tolerance and acceptance of the LGBTAQ community.
“I mean we still have a bullying issue, but a lot of that is based on ignorance,” Heurrmann said.
Sophomore Thayne Henderson is also a supporter of the actions being taken in California. Henderson considers himself a homosexual, is Christian and hopes the world can stop seeing everything in black and white.
“If God was truly against it, wouldn’t he make it so no one was gay?” Henderson said.
Henderson has been a member of this cause since middle school and is rooting for Bois and Olson to finish what needs to be done and set the law straight.
“It’s up to what you believe. If you believe it’s fine to marry the same sex then saying no is a violation of the constitution,” Henderson said.
California’s Proposition 8, also known as the, “California Marriage Protection Act,” voted into action in California last year, is the law under the attack. The ban on same sex marriage states, “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”
According to protectmarriage.com, main online supporter of Proposition 8, the actions were taken by California families in order to protect the family unit, and prevent the social definition of marriage from changing in the state.
Iowa court went through the process of legalizing same sex marriage earlier this year, and, as far as Heurmann is concerned, that decision didn’t do any catastrophic damage.
“We haven’t had anything here in Iowa; marriages weren’t compromised because of same sex marriage. It isn’t the end of the world; it isn’t the end of marriage. It’s these time that we have to continue to do what is right,” Heurmann said