My mind is swirling with many hugely significant thoughts, many of which are interconnected and almost all of which combined are on-the-verge-of-being-completely-overwhelming. Over the past week I have started writing a number of posts on a number of topics, but have stopped (and/or stored) all of them because none seem to do justice to the magnitude of this week and everything I’m going through mentally and emotionally.
This is my initial, and superficial, attempt to articulate some of them and I figure I might as well post it now with the knowledge that this, just like me, is a work in progress.
I followed California’s Proposition 8 closely and I have many friends and loved ones directly involved in the political work leading up to the election and now with the personal, emotional and legal ramifications of it passing. Over the past week there has been a great deal of publicity and commentary on the topic specifically in relation to both race and religion which has become interwoven with my personal thoughts and experiences of late, including my personal and academic reading, a number of meaningful conversations, my participation in an anti-racism training for LGBTQ activists yesterday and my UU church’s sermon today.
Below are some of my thoughts (which I now realize are fairly superficial/censored and I’m working on articulating my position(s) more fully). Included are a number links of interest on these topics. As background, this was my contribution to a thread on my undergraduate program’s list serve discussion about these matters.
Hi All,
I often read the dialogue on [this list serve] with interest, but for many reasons (mainly time, i.e. grad school related) I rarely weigh in. Today I decided to add to the discussion. As a inter-racially partnered queer anti-racist white woman with religious/spiritual ties and political convictions, I am invested in many of the topics that are coming up in media and community-based discourse surrounding the topic of Prop 8, race and religion.
I would love to share with you some of the recent media and blog posts that have caught my attention:
Dan Savage’s “Black Homophobia” on the Slog: http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/black_homophobia
Collection of responses and posts on Racialicious:
http://www.racialicious.com/2008/11/08/links-on-prop-8/
http://www.racialicious.com/2008/11/07/on-proposition-8/
http://www.racialicious.com/2008/11/06/quoted-dan-savage-on-black-homophobia/
As far as the religious impact on Prop 8, one of the most interesting things I read on the subject was actually a quote from the IRS tax codes’: “Section 501(c)(3) of US Code Title 26, which governs tax-exempt organizations, that reads:
(3) Corporations, and any community chest, fund, or foundation, organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes, or to foster national or international amateur sports competition (but only if no part of its activities involve the provision of athletic facilities or equipment), or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided in subsection (h)), and which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.”
Which I read as being intended only for churches that are: “organized and operated exclusively for religious…purposes…[with] no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation.”
So the question is, are there tax-exempt organizations (churches) that were carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation?
There are many people that feel that there are, including some that have begun to challenge specific churches such as the LDS. See: http://lds501c3.wordpress.com/
While I feel that it is too simplistic and too problematic to blame any one specific group, and although I’m not necessarily endorsing the specific tactic of submitting official complaints to the IRS, I do see these as manifestations of political action on the part of individuals and as part of the on-going dialogue about the separation of church and state.
For more on this topics check out: http://www.irs.gov/charities/churches/index.html
http://www.au.org/
http://www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=pr&page=NewsArticle&id=10051&security=1002&news_iv_ctrl=1241
Oh, and for those of you that were ideologically opposed to Prop 8 and/or support equality for same-sex couples, here’s what’s going on now:
And for those that want to DO something, there’s a nationwide protest scheduled for this Saturday the 15th 10:30am PST outside Seattle City Council Offices at 600 4th Ave, downtown Seattle. More info can be found here: http://www.jointheimpact.com/
Best,
Joy
