Occasionally, I stray from talking about science fiction and fantasy because something is important to say, or some event is happening that means a lot.
The Prop 8 trial is happening in California right now, under the expert guidance of trial lawyers Olsen and Boies, best known for being on opposite sides during the Gore v. Bush Supreme Court moment in 2000. Now they are together, and they are laying out the case for overturning Proposition 8, the nefarious way conservative folks ended marriage for the GLBT community in California.
Thousands and thousands of people are watching this trial on liveblogging. The Supreme Court has denied cameras and videotaping of the proceedings, with a ruling that happened only hours before the actual trial began last week. Instead, we have had to follow some fantastic transcription of the trial.
What we are learning is that we have been fed FICTION for a long long time. And while it has been successful fiction, it’s not very good, and can’t really hold up to textual analysis, or any kind of scrutiny. When you shine a light on it, it just because hatred, bigotry and discrimination, and very, very unchristian.
The joy of reading the transcription—and please think of selling this as a book to people (I’d love a book of this trial for a donation to Courage Campaign Institute)–the joy of reading that transcription is the slow erasure of the lies that we’ve been told all our lives: that we will harm children, that we are living in direct violation to God and the scriptures, that we will hurt straight marriages, that we will bring destruction on America if allowed to marry (that last one has a Pat Robertson spin).
Denying American citizens the right to marry each other is denying them the protections and promises of the Constitution. First, we live as Americans and that document is our bible–it is what we rule by, live by, act by. Second, there are countless, wonderful books—by theologians–that map out how the Bible is being used to discriminate, and that God loves everyone–including gay and lesbian people–and wants them, if they so choose, to find someone and love them as Christ loves people. Christians who believe that gay people are not acceptable to God are treading a path away from God, away from Christ, and, unfortunately, away from the rest of us. Just as they were some of the last holdouts on repealing slavery, and on granting the rights of women, so they are the last holdouts on accepting gay and lesbian people.
It is so bad for the Church because many are walking away from God and Christ when they turn their backs on the church. This goes against all that Christians stand for–they want no one to walk away from them empty-handed. And yet…. I know they will be really upset when they figure this out. It makes me sad. What a horrible representation of God’s love.
The trial is exposing those lies. Though we have been blocked from seeing the trial ourselves, the truth is getting out there. I am so proud of the people who are liveblogging this. I am so proud to be a gay man right now, to see the truth unveiled, to see everyone slowly realize that we are not the scourge you made us believe we were.
I encourage everyone to read the transcripts of each of the daily summaries. You will be amazed. And then, for folks who are still struggling with religion or faith and sexuality, this uncommonly simple, but thorough book, Jesus, the Bible and Homosexuality by Jack Rogers. 
To my fellow GLBT, God is not “theirs”—he is Ours. They do not own Jesus, or the words of Jesus, and they cannot block you from his love. There are plenty of churches now who accept us, and know that accepting us is perfectly good in the eyes of God. You can go through those doors and receive love from everyone.
Thank you, Olsen, Boies, and the rest of you for erasing the fiction that has been fooling us. May everyone get the truth.
Bear Witness 