Campus LGBT leaders say they are hopeful the Supreme Court’s decision on Proposition 8 will help gay and lesbian achieve equality.
The court case is focused on Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in California. The Supreme Court’s ruling could have a variety of outcomes ranging from keeping the status quo to a ruling that affects California only.
Associate professor in the School of Social Work Elaine Maccio said since the case has hit the Supreme Court, a lot of people are paying attention to it and have become invested its outcome.
She said overturning Prop. 8, as it’s commonly referred to, would make an easier movement for those working with equality issues.
“If we had marriage equality, I wouldn’t have to waste a considerable amount of time on domestic partnership. We have to spend time and use the court’s time to try to get our laws to do the right thing,” Maccio said.
Maccio also said since politicians have been speaking in favor of same-sex marriage lately, activists and supporters are striking while the iron is hot.
Biological engineering senior and Spectrum president Kameron Kilchrist said all of the excitement about the decision indicates that more people think gays and lesbians deserve equal rights.
“Same -sex marriage is not a political issue for our generation,” Kilchrist said “Regardless of whether you are a Republican or Democrat, our generation sees this as a question of love.”
Maccio said this is an issue that many people feel passionately about and culturally want to be a part of.
“Every year more people are coming out and more people in the heterosexual community know someone who identifies themselves as LGBTQ, so now they have allies,” Maccio said.
Kilchrist also said although the case is a step in the right direction, there are still issues of inequality besides marriage.
For instance, in Louisiana, people can be fired because of their sexual orientation and there are not too many laws for protection, Kilchrist said.
“There are still some issues, and we cannot get complacent,” Kilchrist said.
Maccio said she believes if the case does not bring equal marriage rights to the LGBT community this time around, it will get there one day.
“This is it, this is our time,” Maccio said.
On Tuesday, March 26 Spectrum co-sponsored a candle light vigil at the Capitol with the Capital City Alliance and Equality Louisiana to show support for marriage equality.
“Regardless of whether you are a Republican or Democrat, our generation sees this as a question of love.”
