Over 2,000 people met in San Francisco last night in a vigil to mark on on-going fight for same-sex marriage in California – following Proposition 8's narrow win, which bans gay marriage in the state. At the saem-sex marriage vigil in San Francisco. Pic: San Fran Chronicle Vigil-goers carried signs, candles and "unbreakable optimism" reports the San Francisco Chronicle. "We are not sending up a white flag," said outgoing state Senator Carole Migden. "It's a tough state, a conservative state, it's a big mother of a state - and we did brilliantly." Meanwhile, the estimated 18,000 same-sex couples who have wed in the state this year have been assured their marriages are still legally valid. TV talkshow host Ellen Degeneres, who married her partner actress Portia Di Rossi in an August ceremony, says she's "saddened beyond belief" at the state's decision. She told The Associated Press that she, "like millions of Americans, felt like we had taken a giant step toward equality" by electing Barack Obama as president, but that with the passage of California's Proposition 8, "we took a giant step away." Lesbian singer Melissa Etheridge has also voiced her anger at the marriage ban, and is even vowing not to pay her state taxes. "So Prop 8 passed. Alright, I get it. 51% of you think that I am a second class citizen," she blogged. "Alright then. So my wife, uh I mean, roommate? Girlfriend? Special lady friend? You are gonna have to help me here because I am not sure what to call her now. "Okay, so I am taking that to mean I do not have to pay my state taxes because I am not a full citizen. I mean that would just be wrong, to make someone pay taxes and not give them the same rights, sounds sort of like that taxation without representation thing from the history books?" she wrote. "I don't mean to get too personal here but there is a lot I can do with the extra half a million dollars that I will be keeping instead of handing it over to the state of California. Oh, and I am sure Ellen will be a little excited to keep her bazillion bucks that she pays in taxes too. Wow, come to think of it, there are quite a few of us fortunate gay folks that will be having some extra cash this year. What recession? We're gay!"
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Friday, 7th November 2008 - 10:33am