Sometimes those of us in California think that what we do here is known by everyone, so for those who actually have lives that do not include checking out what goes on every day in CA: Proposition 8 amended California's constitution to make marriage legal only between a man and a woman.  I voted against it (although, to be honest, I think only civil unions amongst both men and women and those of the same gender should be certified by the state and marriages should be the province of religion or just a lot of partying for the agnostics and atheists in the crowd); somehow, even though I didn't support it, Prop 8 passed, that saddens me.  I am almost equally saddened though by the resignation of Scott Eckern as artistic director of California Musical Theatre.

Mr. Eckern used his personal money to make a donation in support of Proposition 8; that may not make me happy but it is his legal right.  Several high profile individuals made donations - some of them very substantial - to fight Proposition 8, as is their legal right; whichever side I stood on in the issue I would not ask that a person lose his/her job for expressing his/her opinion and supporting that opinion with money.  (No one here, of whom I am aware, asked that Mr. Eckern lose his job but I don't believe protesters didn't realize that was a possibility.)  This is, admittedly, a very grey area; while Prop 8 is - in my view - discriminatory, I do not think Mr. Eckern's support of it in the same way as I would if someone belonged to a hate organization or preached violence against gay men and lesbians.  I am not a lesbian but as a woman I do think I can understand - in many ways - discrimination and I would not ask for a person to lose his/her job if he/she voted against a similar piece of legislation concerning women.  Among my friends there are many people who are anti-choice and who vote against pro-choice legislation.  I find their votes to be in direct opposition to my rights as a woman (although I am in no way pro-abortion, no one that I know of is); still, I would not want anyone to lose his/her job because he/she might contribute to a so-called "right to life" organization or vote for a so-called "right to life" constitutional amendment on the state or national level.

I do understand the ridiculousness of the idea that allowing marriage between two people of the same sex somehow harms marriage or children especially when any number of heterosexual couples betray the "sanctity" of marriage with their numerous casual, minutes long marriages.  Still - and isn't there always a still with me - I don't see how obliquely forcing Mr. Eckern out of his job advances the case for gay marriage.  On this subject, as many others, hearts and minds will not be changed by intimidation nor by punishing someone for exercising his/her right to make a political donation.  Hearts and minds will be changed by interaction with gay and lesbian couples and by education; when enough of those hearts and minds are changed and when those changes are  turned into votes, Proposition 8 will be overturned - until that happens I do not want to endanger my rights to donate to causes and to vote for causes without fear by endangering the rights of others with whom I disagree.