As it always does, Election Day has come and gone. By coming together, we saved rent control and affordable housing through the defeat of Proposition 98. We reaffirmed our commitment to improving our public education system, through the passage of Proposition A, giving San Francisco schools the ability to recruit and pay teachers a living wage. Senator Barack Obama is the presumptive Democratic nominee for president of the United States. Senator Hillary Clinton has graciously and unequivocally embraced his candidacy, calling on everyone to join hands to prevent a dangerous third George W. Bush administration in the name of John McCain. As Senator Clinton reminded us in her endorsement speech Saturday, "Yes we can."
As we approach the November election here in San Francisco, I encourage all Democrats and decline-to-state voters, progressive, liberal and moderate, and all others to come together to ensure Barack Obama's victory. Additionally, by harnessing the energy poured into this race, we will raise our collective voices to defeat a number of mean spirited and un-American ballot measures.
We need to stop, for the third time, an anti-choice initiative known as "Parental Notification" as well as an effort to overturn the May 15 California Supreme Court decision providing equal marriage rights for all loving and committed couples. Will California backtrack, returning to a discriminatory 20th century, or continue to lead our great nation into an inclusive, respectful, and just 21st century? It is incumbent upon us all to fully engage in the effort to guarantee the latter.
The path to marriage equality has been long and challenging. Our steps have been incremental, steady, and successful. It would have been impossible for us to have succeeded with either Assembly Bill 849 in 2005 or Assembly Bill 43 in 2007, had it not been for the leadership of then-Assemblywoman Carole Migden, who created a domestic partner registry by statute in 1999, for the first time in any state legislature. It was to be the genesis of our state's legal status for same-sex couples. Senator Migden's landmark accomplishment is the foundation stone upon which marriage equality has been established in California. Due to this legislative success, Californians began an important conversation about how to honor the loving commitment that can indeed exist between two women or two men.
As that discussion continued, the state Legislature built upon the initial rights and benefits afforded to same-sex couples, expanding them to provide additional rights and responsibilities equal to married partners. At that point, the questions could be asked, "Are we not all human beings, gay and straight, capable of, and desiring to fall in love and form relationships? And if we can agree to that, is there any compelling reason to have our government dictate who we must love should we choose to marry?"
With thanks to our Legislature's actions to end this discrimination, our Republican-appointed California Supreme Court provided its legal answer when it told us what we already knew to be just and true – we are indeed all worthy of the fundamental right to marry the person whom we love.
The Pride Committee could not have picked a more appropriate theme for this year's Pride festivities with "United by Pride, Bound for Equality." In this proud spirit of ongoing community cooperation, let each of us commit to the tasks before us to help defeat this proposed amendment, which would codify discrimination into the state constitution. Contact Equality for All, Equality California, or Marriage Equality USA to get involved. There is much work to be done to assure our victory in November.
Additionally, on June 17, join me in celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club and commemorating the 30th anniversary of the assassinations of Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. It will certainly be a bittersweet occasion, but also a wonderful opportunity to bring the community together as we focus on the challenges of the upcoming election season. Finally, let me also extend an invitation to the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club's annual Pride Breakfast on Sunday, June 29. It is always the place to be just prior to the parade with San Francisco's entire elected family in attendance to pay respects to Pride, Alice, and our full inclusive community.
In the words of Langston Hughes, "We have so much to sing about, we have so much to shout about." These are exciting and accomplished times in the course of our struggle for liberty and justice. Let's all get engaged and celebrate the wonders of living in the San Francisco Bay Area and the great state of California.
Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) is the Democratic state Senate candidate for the 3rd District.