On Tuesday, singer Melissa Etheridge stopped by The View to promote her holiday album, A New Thought for Christmas. Prior to singing Blue Christmas for the audience, Ms. Etheridge sat down for a brief talk with the ladies.
The conversation quickly turned to Proposition 8. In simple and eloquent terms, Ms. Etheridge expressed her disappointment with its passage and clearly described what a "yes" vote on the measure meant to persons like herself. Ms. Etheridge is openly gay and has been married to her partner Tammy Lynn Michaels since 2003. The couple have a set of two-year old twins.
I appreciated the fact that Ms. Etheridge spoke of what a "yes" vote on Prop 8 meant from a human perspective and clearly explained how the proposition took away rights - a fact that I think many California voters were unaware of. Furthermore, Ms. Etheridge never attempted to convert or bully anyone into understanding or agreeing with her lifestyle, nor did she attack religion. I wholeheartedly agree with this approach and believe it to be the best way to obtain and grow support for gay marriage and rights.
Lastly, Ms. Etheridge further gained my respect by calling out co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck for her fear-mongering rhetoric surrounding Prop 8. Check out the full exchange here
