Prop 8 Portrait: My friend Jason.

This is Jason and he's my friend Rob's significant other.  It's such a relief when your good friends are in a relationship with someone who you really like as well.  They are such a great couple and it's a pleasure that I can call Jason a friend too.  He's funny, compassionate, and dare I say--- easy on the eyes.  On a side note, something I love about Jason is his true blue Madonna fan status.  If I need to rant and rave over a new Madonna song, he's my first email.  :)      

I emailed Jason last Friday afternoon to see if he'd be interested in participating in this series and, if so, to get his thoughts on marriage and Prop 8.  Jason emailed me back minutes later with the following response which you can read in the second half on this posting.

Here's how the series is shaping up so far.....

                   Please click to see a larger size.

I believe that marriage should be honored and recognized by every state ... giving equal access, support, and freedom to all adults, regardless of sexual orientation. It confuses me when I try to understand the rationale behind strictly defining marriage by governments. I have a hard time digesting that our leaders, taxes, and communities support such bigoted unequal policies! I mean, it can't be faith, we separate from that right? Its not economics. We create law and do so to make things more balanced. All men created equal! I really don't get it.

I went to a wedding this summer of two friends of mine who are gay. It was a day full of such love, celebration, and connection. Not only between the two getting married but for their families and friends, their church, and in this case, the governments of Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canada. I always cry at weddings, but on their wedding day my tears fell for reasons far beyond their happy, hopeful union. I felt such overwhelming acceptance and support of their love by friends, family, church, God, government, the caterers, dj, EVERYONE! There was no judgments on them because of who they were, only on their love. And I believe that is all marriage should be … recognition of two people join in a partnership by love. I hope we get there, and soon.

 Passage of Prop 8 killed by election day buzz! Seriously! Once again (as in 2000 and 2004) I felt like I lived in some kind of bubble that popped and where all of a sudden everything and everyone around me was foreign! I never once thought that Prop 8 would pass in California. Never! In 1992 when Amendment 2 passed in Colorado I got angry! I felt energized to fight back! When I heard this news of prop 8 I became very dejected and grievous. To know that such extreme ideas about gay people exists made me very sad. To realize that a majority of the population in a blue state still thinks that gay people should be treated differently ... should be treated as less … made me hang my head and feel down, defeated. And makes me feel slightly exhausted at just the idea of how much work we'll al have to do to turn these ideas around. Saying that, I believe the work will get done and change will happen. Personally, I'm starting by marching with my boyfriend this Saturday for marriage equality in Washington State. I hope to find new inspiration and energy in those gathering for the same issue this weekend. And am fairly confident I will.

Thanks Jason!  You make me proud too.

Portrait of Jason done with pen, ink washes, and gouache for the eyes on 9" x 12" hot press watercolor paper.

Comments

[Alexis]

Regardless of the content of Prop. 8, America is a Republic and not a Democracy. People having a vote, in another persons rights goes against everything that this country is built on. The stripping of a persons rights based on a majority vote is UN-AMERICAN!
Protesters need to WAKE THE F UP!
Prop. 8 is unquestionably unconstitutional at it's base but, (BIG HUGE FRIGGEN BUT) it is illegal to ever have it put to a vote.
USE THE COURTS PEOPLE!!!!! WE LIVE IN A REPUBLIC NOT A DEMOCRACY!!!! THE PURPOSE OF A REPUBLIC IS TO PROTECT THE MINORITY FROM THE TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY!!!!!! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! YOU ARE FIGHTING THE BATTLE AND NOT THE WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and the portraits are lovely.

[Susie]

I rarely comment on blogs written by people I don't know but felt the need here. I think your friends are beautiful people. I can tell that not just by your incredible drawings but by the words they write. They put their hearts in their words. I can feel the anger and sadness stated so beautifully that it brings tears to my eyes. Change is never easy for some but I'm confident that it will come. I just wish it would come sooner.
Thank you for sharing your friends with me.

[twatty mcsnatch]

um, excuse me! Where the hell is my portrait! Are you prejudice against your female friends.