I Got Married but NEWSOM IS NOT MY FRIEND!

I Got Married but NEWSOM IS NOT MY FRIEND!

Yeah, I joined in on the excitement, camped out overnight in the rain, waited 13 and half hours to marry my partner of 5 years. It was an incredible feeling; an adrenaline rush, the sense of community and love of the other newly weds and all the volunteers and city workers. However, I was deeply disturbed by the lack of critical analysis of Newsom’s latest political maneuver.

Sure, I don’t doubt that Newsom supports gay marriage and it’s pretty cool that he helped to bring all this on...but I will not sit back quietly while I watch Newscum dole out privileges and rights to one group (predominately class privileged, white queers) while he turns around and launches one of the nastiest attacks on homeless people, poor and working class families, immigrants and people of color in San Francisco. It is a classic example of divide and conquer. I had hoped I could have more faith in the SF queer community but as I heard people yell out ridiculous statements like, “Newsom for President!” and go on about how proud they were of this San Francisco mayor, I was enraged that we as a group who are both oppressed and privileged were falling right into Newsom’s trap.

This strategic move on the part of Newsom and his team will unfortunately help pull white, liberal, even left queers to his defense. How can we so easily accept these privileges and benefits that we have been fighting for for decades and not stand up for the rights of other oppressed and marginalized groups? It’s just not the right way to win victories!

Yes..I’m proud to live in the city that granted the first legal marriage license to same sex couples, but I couldn’t be more embarrassed to have Gavin Newsom as our mayor. When Newsom launches his next attack on the homeless (Don’t forget Prop N and Prop M) or when he pushes poor, working class and even middle class families out of the city by destroying rent control, or even allowing rent controlled building to be demolished and high end condos to be rebuilt in their place (Vote No on Prop J), when he denies funding to critical social services agencies working with immigrant communities, with youth of color, with poor neighborhoods...where are all the happy newlywed queers going to be??? Don’t forget that the queer and trans community includes homeless people, poor and working class people, immigrants, people of color, disabled folks, and other groups who are the subjects of Newsom’s attacks. I hope we are in the streets demanding that Newsom treat all groups of people with dignity and give the opportunities and equalities that we would want for ourselves and our families to others. Let’s not fall into Newsom’s political trap and sell out our sisters and brothers just because we got to get married. Let’s stand up for what we know is right and organize, hold Newsom accountable, and mobilize San Franciscans to demand justice and equality for all!

~SF newlywed