Dear Governor Schwarzenegger –
Today was the annual Los Angeles AIDS Walk. Hundreds of thousands of people united to both look for a cure and to provide support for those afflicted.
Every year the number of celebrities and politicians who endorse the event grows larger, and the number of protesters dwindles. APLA raised a record $4M from fair-minded and generous Californians. It is amazing to see what can happen when we are united, not divided.
I believe that one simple and effective way to fight AIDS is to encourage committed couples to make the commitment of marriage. Nothing encourages monogamy and responsibility like marriage, and those principles form the cornerstone of our social attack on AIDS. But it doesn’t work when people are blocked from marriage!
You have been an obstacle to same-sex marriage for a long time, including your recent refusal to sign AB 43, but it’s not too late for you to end at least one division that is distracting us from fighting AIDS. I wish you would support the freedom to marry for all Californians, and maybe someday you will be able to walk with us instead of against us.
Yours,