“And that’s what we did, we put fear and prejudice on trial.”
-“8”: Dustin Lance Black’s Play about the Fight for Marriage Equality
This weekend marked the premiere of “8,” a play that took a magnifying glass to the infamous Proposition that shook California just a few years ago. The story revolves around the court case to overturn Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment that eliminated the rights of same-sex couples to marry in the state of California. Spolier alert: If you’ve been keeping up with politics, you’ll know how this show concludes. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take the time to see George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Martin Sheen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jane Lynch, Kevin Bacon and other fantastically talented individuals in action.
It also doesn’t mean that we can stop caring about the issue. A theatrical piece bringing some of the gritty details to life is wonderful, but it still doesn’t change the fact that the U.S. has a long way to go on the issue of marriage equality. The fact that only six states recognize and offer same-sex marriage licenses and that there is no federal recognition of same-sex marriages is a problem tantamount to those issues at the heart of the civil rights movement. It creates a strata of second-class citizens in a nation that purports itself to be the world leader. Leader on plenty of fronts, sure – but not a leader in tolerance.
The fact is, other nations are miles ahead of us on recognizing that allowing gay marriage doesn’t lead to a country’s downfall. Or the apocalypse. Or donkey-human relations. It leads to a culture of compassion and understanding. Oh, the horror!
Let’s grow up, America. Let’s stop standing idly by as kids get bullied for being gay, stop using the phrase “that’s so gay” as a way to signal something stupid or off-color, and stop making designations between individuals based on who they love.
Love is perhaps the single most important thing that we have to share. It costs nothing, and we as humans are endowed with an unlimited supply. So let’s give some away, shall we?
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If you haven’t had the chance to watch the play yet, full show is available here.
Thoughts on Theatre 
Those people whom I know who are “Pro-life” are equally as adamant in their oppostition to gay marriage as they are to abortions. Yet of the several long-term gay couples I know – none of them has ever had to face the question of having a child aborted. Not to mention that they are not contributing to the continuinng overpopulation of the world – the real source of most of our environmental problems. Hmmmmmm…
I couldn’t agree more! As an expatriated Euro-Brit living in the US some 12 years or so, I was amazed at how ‘backward’ we are here in the Land of the FREE (?). My new home continues to be a conundrum to me: festooned with the most complicated tax laws in the world after a war with my nation because of its injustice… A land of religious freedom, and yet the most religiously confused… A completely undemocratic ‘union’ with only two power parties that practically share the same right of center politics… And, as per your post, totally confused over Human and Civil Rights…!
I continue to tell people to focus on the issue of ‘Discrimination’ not gay-rights, black-rights, women’s-rights, etc. The powers that be, keep us down and in disarray by making us fight amongst ourselves, rather than fight together as a single unit AGAINST all discrimination…!
Again, wonderful piece, I thoroughly enjoy your thought-provoking posts.
Ant :c)
I think you said it well, Ant – we should be pushing for equality in all forms by eliminating all forms of discrimination. And thank you!
Good blog!
I love this – I feel the same way. Wonderful post xoxo
Hear, hear.
Wow backward=pro-life??! Really?…heck. Looks like I am too uneducated to post here. We just need to be more like Europe? Yep that will fix everything. They have really got it together don’t they? It always amazes me how being behind the times means we need to catch up by killing babies, saving whales, demanding marriage rights, making fun of those who live by the Bible..not religion, the Bible. Don’t worry about the over-population of the world tho. If we keep condoning same sex marriages, that will take care of the problem automatically. Of course there is always the test tube route. How natural. How economically and environmentally sound. *pats self on back* G-d help us all.
Signed, Meemawof10 *gasp* 10 more people to make more babies.What ever will they think of next? Off to find my foil cap.
We don’t kill babies. A foetus at 15 weeks is not a person. It has no thoughts or feelings, no self awareness. It can’t survive independently for any length of time.
Why son’t you like gay people (“condoning same sex marriage”)? How does this hurt you.
Mmmm, not sure that I said I don’t like gay people? Did I? As far as I know, same sew marriage doesn’t hurt me…not sure how you drew that conclusion. I know a gay man who is one of the sweetest guys around. But you know what? I can’t hang around him for long not because he’s gay, but because he holds to some political beliefs that just grate me. There would be those who would point a finger at me and say I hate gays because of that. Not true. Not even close. Anyone who demands that I HAVE to accept their way of life, thinking, religion is well, plain scary. And if I don’t accept, I am categorized as hateful. I was taught better than that. 🙂
As to a foetus/fetus…if this baby is not a person at 15 weeks, then is he fetus at 20 weeks? or 30 weeks? If a child must be able to survive independently to qualify as a person, then one would conclue that a newborn to maybe a 3yr old would also not be a person as they have to be fed and cared for in order to survive. Sounds like something Peter Singer might be up for; try them out for a couple of years and if they/a child doesn’t measure up, then get rid of him/her.
I really don’t mean to preach but there is a side that maybe you haven’t heard? I enjoy intelligent and polite discussion but realize that my first comment may have been a bit sarcastic. I really didn’t mean to be confrontational.
Hear, hear! I 100% support gay marriage, as a gay person (with an emphasis on person), a tax payer, and a human being. Thanks for the post!
Well said, thoughtsontheatre. 🙂
Thanks pathwriter!
Clear, crisp and compelling!
As with many of today’s problems, the resolution seems to be in looking to history. As I understand it, the ban on homosexuality dates from when the human population was strugging to maintain its numbers in the face of plagues, famines, droughts etc, so it was every citizen’s duty to try to maintain the population. Hence anythng that prevented this was a genuine threat to the state. We are far removed from that situation, the Bible is a very old book which has passed through many translations and interpretations. As someone in ‘the West Wing’ said, books like the Bible, Koran etc, represent best practice at the time they were written. They should be seen as this, and allow us to establish new best practices in order to promote modern useable ideas of good citizenship and equality. Sexual orientation is not a choice. It just is. Gay people should not be denied happiness that others take for granted. Great post, as always.
Sorkin has a crystalline way with words – cuts to the very heart of the issue, every time. Thanks for sharing the quote, and also, just thank you!
Sorkin is one of many people I want to be like when I grow up. But of course I have no intention of ever growing up,
Bravo! I’m currently visiting the City of Angels and as a Washingtom State resident, am afraid our state is up for a similar fight, so I’ve been polling SoCal residents about their views. Refreshing! Sure I haven’t spoken to every Californian, but it sounds like Prop 8 was a small representation of small minded people with big money. I’m hoping for an equally victorious outcome should our state see a similar ballot issue this fall. Thanks for the encouragement!
Good luck with the issue in Washington! Pulling for you guys.
Bloody brilliant! Loud and Proud!
Whatever promotes love in a world filled with too much hate should be celebrated (not vilified)…
I have just done a post you may be interested in: