Prop 8 play

Earlier this year, Prop 8 was declared unconstitutional. Prop 8 enforces the idea of “traditional” marriage between heterosexual couples and effectively bans gay marriages from taking place in California (Prop 8 was passed in 2008 but repealed for being unconstitutional in 2010). In February of this year, the decision previously made on Prop 8 was overturned, and determined to be unconstitutional; however, there is a stay on the ruling, which means that they can still repeal this new decision and effectively still prevent marriages from taking place during this time, despite there now being a law against banning same-sex marriages.

 A couple of months ago a play called “8” was created to talk about Prop 8 and show the injustices behind the ruling. The play aired on YouTube and was creating quite a buzz in the news because of the many famous faces behind it, including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Kevin Bacon, and Martin Sheen, among many more A-listers in the cast.

The play was written from real testimony from two same-sex couples as the plaintiffs, as well as the state as the defense. To me, that was what made it so real and empowering – it showed both sides of the argument equally but by the end of the play. The arguments were debated in such a way that you saw the logical and moral verdict pretty clearly: there is no reason that homosexual people cannot marry because that is keeping certain rights from a group of people that would have it otherwise; that is, if they had the “accepted” sexual orientation. It is giving a second class citizenship for some Americans and that is not fair.

This play is beneficial to the issue of gay marriage, especially with this high profile cast, because it shows the positive effects people-with-influence can have. In a society where many listen to celebrities and prove that they have a lot of power and influence, celebrity participation in “8” could open the eyes of many who do not know what Prop 8 (or any other gay rights laws) is or why it is an issue. It is encouraging to see celebrities who use their power in a positive way such as this. The play is back on YouTube and worth watching.