In the wake of Proposition 8 I have found that a lot more lesbians are becoming politically active. Many lesbians I know were members of the HRC before Prop 8, but now I think that more lesbians, comfortable in their domesticity, are becoming more aware of the need to become politically active. I recently watched an episode of the L word, in which Shane is doing the hair for a bride and her bridesmaids. She is asked if she will ever get married, and one of the girls replies, “gay people can’t get married, idiot.” And the other one says, “well I know but they can pretend!” It is funny because it is true. Many lesbians have “commitment ceremonies” (maybe this can be another entry) and while I know that they are the best we can do at this time, I find them a little lacking. I want a marriage recognized under the law. So I think that lesbians are, and will continue to become more politically active now that a law has been passed to actually take away rights. As comfortable as you are in your domesticity, it would be comforting to know that if I were to die tomorrow, my girlfriend who I would call my wife if allowed under the law, was allowed to make decisions on my behalf. And if I had any assets to my name besides a car payment and school loans, that she would be legally bound to receive them. So anyway, not to digress onto a diatribe about gay marriage…activism. Get more active. I see more people doing it, and we have found that while we have nothing to lose, we have everything to gain.
