We didn’t really have all that much planned for the day. We each needed to do some laundry, and I had to go buy cat litter, and we needed to swing by the grocery store. I was pondering doing another big baking fest, restocking the freezer with scones, and Richard had a write-in he was thinking of attending, but really, we could have just as easily lounged around all day in our pajamas, doing nothing productive whatsoever.

And then my parents called, to let us know that there was going to be a rally at the state capitol to protest the writing of discrimination into the California state constitution, and I knew I needed to be there.

When we got there at 12:30, there was no parking to be found anywhere near the capitol building at all, and the crowds were getting thick. By the time the thing started at 1pm, there were people everywhere.

News reports say there were about 3000 people gathered there this afternoon. Young people and old people. Gay and lesbian people, and straight people. Single and married, some with their kids. People of every color and culture, standing shoulder to shoulder with each other, waving signs and cheering and chanting and singing. And right there to one side, my parents stood, proudly holding the banner from their church, and carrying their No on 8 signs, displaying to the entire gathering that not all Christians agree with discrimination. It was touching how many people stopped to give my mom hugs, thanking them for being there.

There is passion and hope here. There is love here. If my marriage – which is based solely on love and into which no child shall ever be born (by our choice) – can be considered valid, how can the marriage between ANY two unrelated consenting adults not also be just as valid and true? Marriage is NOT a religious institution, no matter how much some churches might want to claim that it is. It was created primarily as a means to transfer ownership of property (and I will also remind people that back when it was first instituted, *women* were considered property); the church only got involved later. In a state where two people can be married simply by signing some papers; a contract that DOES NOT REQUIRE any mention of a god or goddess nor any involvement of any type of religion whatsoever; in a country where separation of church and state means that we all have the right to NOT have someone else’s religion foisted upon us, I would really like to get one legitimate reason why this type of marriage can be considered wrong.

It’s NaBloPoMo time again!