Schwarzenegger speaks out on Proposition 8

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Much to his credit, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was against California's Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that, in passing last Tuesday, banned same-sex marriage in the state. Schwarzenegger has been somewhat erratic on the issue of same-sex marriage over the years, but he seems now to be, at the very least, not against it. And he's come out swinging:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sunday expressed hope that the California Supreme Court would overturn Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that outlawed same-sex marriage. He also predicted that the 18,000 gay and lesbian couples who have already wed would not see their marriages nullified by the initiative.

"It's unfortunate, obviously, but it's not the end," Schwarzenegger said in an interview Sunday on CNN. "I think that we will again maybe undo that, if the court is willing to do that, and then move forward from there and again lead in that area."

So he was against Prop. 8, he's against nullifying existing same-sex marriages, he's for the courts overturning Prop. 8 (and presumably reinstating the legality of same-sex marriage), and he's urging the same-sex marriage proponents to keep fighting despite this latest setback:

On Sunday, he urged backers of gay marriage to follow the lesson he learned as a bodybuilder trying to lift weights that were too heavy for him at first. "I learned that you should never ever give up... They should never give up. They should be on it and on it until they get it done."

I would urge the governor to fight alongside them. Along with his work on the environment and global warming, this could be one of the key components of his legacy. Not to mention it's the right thing to do.