Castro Comes Together for “No on 8” Campaign

By Bill Sywak

In the final weeks before the Nov. 4 election, the Castro has witnessed intense activity as the center of the campaign against Proposition 8 in San Francisco.

The “No on 8” headquarters at the former Tower Records site on Market Street has been the home base for literally hundreds of students, professionals, families, political leaders and concerned citizens participating in the campaign.

While initially outspent by the proposition’s proponents – especially the Mormon Church and the Catholic Church’s Knights of Columbus, both from outside of California – funding and volunteer activity opposed to the initiative have picked up considerably in a citywide mobilization.

If passed, Proposition 8 will eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry by changing the California constitution to stipulate that “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized” in the state.

According to Northern California House Party Coordinator, Maya Scott-Chung, a central strategy of “No on 8” has been to reach out to different communities, such as Latinos, African-Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, religious leaders and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families and others. The goal is to alert them to the scare tactics that proponents of 8 are promoting and counter these by hearing from “real life human beings who can speak from their hearts and experiences.”

According to Scott-Chung, the most common misleading assertions promoted by proponents of 8 are that people can be sued over personal beliefs, that churches and synagogues could lose their tax-exempt status and that same-sex marriage would be taught in public schools. These are all patently untrue, says Scott-Chung, and it is the job of the “No on 8” workers to dispel this notion by encouraging people to share their experiences with others in their circle of influence.

For Maya, a lesbian with a 4-year old daughter in an 11-year relationship, the possibility that she could ever marry always seemed preposterous. When it happened, she realized that “marriage is the real thing, and this is not just about rights, but it is also about responsibilities and a life-long commitment.” Getting married, she says, was “a deep, profound and meaningful moment, intense and terrifying.”

In looking at the larger picture, Maya adds, “We can’t shy away from the fact that in this country marriage is something that – especially for those of us who are people of faith – is about family, culture, community, tradition, and continuity. These are deep, deep values, and we can’t ignore the fact that when we think of marriage we don’t think of civil marriage – as in going off to City Hall to get married – but we think about connecting our families in love.”

On Nov. 4, opponents of Proposition 8 will see if all their hard work knocking on doors, making phone calls and giving out house signs will result in the preservation of same-sex marriage rights.

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