Via blogout, it looks like the NAACP is really stepping things up. They’re all over AKA William today! Here’s why.
In a letter to legislative leaders, NAACP national board chair Julian Bond (who spoke out against the chimp cartoon last night on Olbermann) and president and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous urged passage of House Resolution 5 and Senate Resolution 7, which would put the legislature on record calling for invalidation of Prop 8 as an improper and dangerous alteration of the California Constitution. Jealous said:
The NAACP’s mission is to help create a society where all Americans have equal protection and opportunity under the law. Our mission statement calls for the ‘equality of rights of all persons.’ Prop. 8 strips same-sex couples of a fundamental freedom, as defined by the California State Supreme Court. In so doing, it poses a serious threat to all Americans. Prop 8 is a discriminatory, unprecedented change to the California Constitution that, if allowed to stand, would undermine the very purpose of a constitution and courts–assuring equal protection and opportunity for all and safeguarding minorities from the tyranny of the majority.”
It might have taken a kick in the butt for everyone to come together around gay rights as civil rights, but the people we have needed to stand with us are now beginning to stand up for us. This is great.
The Senate Bill (Resolution 7) will be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee today. I’ll post more info on that as it becomes available. Its companion bill (Resolution 5) passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee Feb. 17th and is immediately eligible for a vote before the full Assembly .
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