Stories of Love ... and Loss

Zsa Zsa Gershick and Elissa Barrett

If you took part in any of the Proposition 8
rallies that followed, what stands out to you as the
most memorable experience? The outstanding aspect of all the rallies was
how peacefully people conducted themselves despite the
affront to our civil liberties that Prop. 8
represented. Also, the size of the L.A. rallies was vastly
underreported, and any negativity magnified. The L.A.
Times, for instance, ran a photo of the Mormon
temple march that pictured a demonstrator being handcuffed
by police. The image clearly was meant to convey the
character of the event as rowdy, which it was not. The
downtown march, with thousands crowding the Civic
Center, should have made front-page news. The sight of
endless lines of people pouring out of the Red Line
was unforgettable.

Would you ever consider moving to another state if
it were to legalize same-sex marriage? Massachusetts and Connecticut have recognized
marriage equality. But we're Californians. We're not
moving, we're fighting.

Eric A. Manriquez and Juan M. Rivera

What has changed the most about your life since
Proposition 8 passed in California? We are uncertain of our future as a married
couple. We don't know if we will be forcibly divorced
in the near future by the state of California. We
have, however vowed to continue our daily fight to regain
our civil rights as humans.

What do you think the logical next step is in
legalizing same-sex marriage throughout the state? We think we are on the right track. The fact
that there were lawsuits filed in court and that might
overturn the passage of Prop. 8 should raise more
awareness to all persons residing in California ,and for
that matter, the union will eventually teach everyone
that we are just like everyone else.

Would you ever consider moving to another state if
it were to legalize same-sex marriage? At this point, we would not. We might consider
moving to another country where all persons are
treated the same under the law. It is amazing that in
a country where there are so many liberties, there are many
laws that discriminate against a few persons.