San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome has taken the bold position of political and civil rebel in his defiance of the California law against gay marriage. I applaud the Mayor and only wish that other mayors would join his stand against this theocratic rule of law. Of course, the more cynical side of me is questioning the boldness of Newsome's defiance.
The percentage of gays in San Francisco is obviously high and those that aren't gay are most likely socially liberal; that would make his decision a pretty safe political move on his part. I am not doubting his belief in the cause, but most other mayors would not have the job security if they joined the fray. The other thing that seems to be a win-win situation for the mayor is the major influx of cash this rebellion is generating. A marriage license in California ranges from $50-$80. So far, there have been over 3000 licenses issued for the happy couples; I am going to assume that they aren't being issued for free. Whether the Governator or Dubya ends the rebellion (which I truly hope does not come to pass) or not, this is a great influx of cash for the city; at the high end, the fees total more than $250,000.00. I am not sure if the state gets a portion of the marriage license fee, but that still adds up; and if the state wins, the Mayor should refuse to give the state its portion. The state would be defrauding all those couples if they sought monetary gain from a marriage that they annulled. Newsome should keep that it mind.
Enough of the devil's advocate speculation. I hope that the Mayor wins his fight and that the rebellion spreads. Maybe some other brave mayors will heed the call and put political security at risk for the sake of the simple right for all couples to make their spiritual commitments a legally recognized union.
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