On Nov. 4, voters will decide how a local girl will celebrate her birthday. Will they light the candles of hope or blow out any chance that she will ever get married?

Only time will tell, but her mother is using that time to try and give her daughter a special gift: No on Proposition 8.

If approved by voters, Prop. 8 would ban same-sex marriages and only recognize marriage between a man and a woman as valid in California. While same-sex couples have been able to register with the state as domestic partners since 1999, 61% of voters banned same-sex marriage by passing Prop. 22 in 2002. In May of this year, the California Supreme Court ruled that Prop. 22 violated unalienable rights guaranteed in the state constitution, meaning same-sex marriages have been legal in California since June 16 when the ruling took effect.

Dr. Kathryn Hall of Lindsay wants voters to know that by banning same-sex marriages they are denying her daughterís rights, including her right to be happy.

ìI understand having political and religious differences, but this is a civil rights issue,î she said. ìDenying someone the freedom to marry seems unconstitutional. And donít we all deserve the chance to spend the rest of our lives with someone we love.î

Hallís oldest daughter, 30-year-old Corinne Ginsberg, has set a wedding date with her girlfriend Dawn Quinn on Aug. 2, 2009 to be held near Mammoth, Calif. Since announcing to her family that she was homosexual about five years ago, Corinne asked her parents to keep her sexual orientation a secret until she was ready to tell the community.

Unfortunately, Hall said she had good reason to be cautions as she sees ìYes on 8î signs in the lawns of neighbors and family friends. ìPeople thatíve known Corinne her entire life are collecting signatures on Prop. 8,î Hall said. ìIt is very painful.î

Hall and then husband, Dr. Lawrence Ginsberg, moved to Lindsay 30 years ago when she was pregnant with Corinne, their first child. Hall practiced medicine in Lindsay for 15 years before joining Visalia Medical Clinic in 1991. She has been a team doctor for Lindsay High School athletics for nearly 30 years and all her children were born at Lindsay Hospital.

ìI could understand if it was coming from people that didnít know her, but many of these people have known her since she was born,î Hall said. ìShe was friends with their children and played sports with them in high school.î

Corinne graduated from Lindsay High School in 1996 with the esteemed honor of being named Cardinal of the Year, an award given to the students who excelled in academics, athletics and citizenship. She played varsity volleyball, basketball and tennis for four years and one year of varsity softball. She was involved in school plays, got good grades, competed in the Academic Decathlon and was named to the Orange Blossom Festival Queenís court in her senior year. Several years later, she returned to serve as OBF Queen.

ìPeople donít choose to be homosexual,î she said. ìItís not something you can change. Itís like making it illegal to marry if your skin is a certain color.î

As a doctor, Hall points to the facts. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) removed the term ìhomosexualityî from its list of mental and emotional disorders in 1973 after concluding that sexual orientation is not a disorder and does not need to be cured. For those who think it can be cured through ìreparative therapy,î Hall points out that the APA has stated that ìtreatment attempts to change sexual orientation are ineffectiveî Ö but the ìpotential risks are great, including depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior Öî

Hall said homosexual youth already have a high rate of drug addiction and suicide and that passing this law would probably increase both of those dire statistics.

ìThis would have a very bad impact psychologically,î said Hall, a pediatrician. ìI see several children whose parents are guy and the children are extremely happy and well-adjusted. Would it be better for those children to have their family structure fractured?î

Supporters of Prop. 8 say that domestic partnerships already provide the same rights and responsibilities as marriage without using the word marriage. The ìDomestic Partner Actî of 2003 does provide domestic partners with all the state-law rights and responsibilities of legal spouses, with two exceptions: They cannot file joint state tax returns, and their earnings are not classified as community property for state tax purposes.

Hall argues that you are still drawing a line based on someoneís sexual orientation, which violates their constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression. Hall said homosexuals do not have any more of a choice regarding their sexuality than heterosexuals.

ìThis law says itís OK to be homosexual as long as you donít engage in homosexual activity,î she said. ìIf society disapproves of your sexuality then you are left with some very unpleasant options. Does that mean that the state is recommending promiscuity?î Hall asked rhetorically. ìThis policy isnít effective or wise, it is just cruel.î

Another argument made by supporters of Prop. 8 is that the word ìmarriageî is a Biblical word that specifically means a union between a man and a woman under God.

Hall, who teaches classes as a Reformed Jew, doesnít buy the argument because people of different religions and even atheists are legally allowed to ìmarry.î

ìWe have separation of church and state to protect freedom of religion, and having same-sex marriages doesnít interfere with anyoneís religion,î she said. ìChurchís can still decide for themselves whether they will recognize same-sex marriages. At our church, God doesnít have a problem with that.î

Supporters of Prop. 8 also say that it protects children from being taught that same-sex marriage is the same as traditional marriage. Hall, who recently did a phone campaign in against Prop. 8 as a member of the Tulare-Kings Chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), said PFLAG argues that local parents and districts set the policy about health and family curriculum, and that any parent can opt out of any health or family related discussions.

ìI think adultery is wrong, but I wouldnít support a proposition against it,î Hall said. ìYou should not try to legislate morality. I think you have to be true to yourself and not do anything to hurt other people. This hurts my daughter and my family.î

For more information on Prop. 8, visit www.protectmarriage.com or www.noonprop8.com.

Print this story

Email this story

Return to Index