Dear Governor Schwarzenegger –
A lot has changed since 2005, when you vetoed AB 849 saying that you want the people to decide who can access marriage in California.
- More than 9,000 marriages have taken place in Massachusetts (and rather than the sky falling down, they won the World Series.)
- A Republican-controlled congress failed a second attempt to amend the Constitution (and lost control of congress.)
- California elected a new Assembly (and every member who voted for AB 849 was re-elected plus one.)
- The parade of states passing DOMA amendments ground to a halt when Arizona voters rejected a ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage.
- More Californians support gay marriage (48%) than oppose it (46%). (That means gay marriage has double the support of President Bush (24%).)
Clearly, the people are increasingly supportive of the freedom to marry, and the excuses for opposing it are running out. The moment you leave office gay couples in California will be able to choose marriage just like everybody else. As a lame-duck Governor who needs to weigh his legacy against his political aspirations, do you want to be on the side of freedom, or support the opponents of equality?
Please sign AB 43, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, this year so my family can choose the security and simplicity of marriage just like yours. The people have evolved – have you?
Moving forward,