San Francisco's large gay and lesbian population inverts San Francisco as a colonialist power propagating a nationalistic ideal of masculinity to ensure its power and wealth. San Francisco has a rich history in queer culture, is the site of the nation's largest gay population, and oversees strong resistance to a hegemonic agenda. One such resistance is demonstrated in the staunch resistance to the current passing of Proposition 8, which takes away the right for gays to marry.
Proposition 8 was "fought with more than $70 million spent on advertising by both sides-breaking national records for campaigning on a social policy initiative" (news.bbc.co.uk/2hi/america/us_elections_2008/7711127.stm). Such ground-breaking support on No on Prop 8 have been enormous, proving a movement in favor of full equality. Queer organizations and progressives strive to subvert the oppressive dominant master narrative that stigmatize the LGBT community, and this collective resistance has its dominant bases in San Francisco and Los Angeles County. The Brechin-esque conception of both cities as imperialistic epicenters of the Western world is deconstructed by an alternative narrative. This narrative dominated both Los Angeles and San Francisco in the form of oppositional voice before the election, and the protests after Prop 8 passed. In San Francisco, thousands united at City Hall, holding a candle light vigil (see pictures at sfist.com/2008/11/06/thousands_protest_over_prop_8.php?gallery17637pic=3#gallery). In a similar spirit of resistance, West Hollywood and Hollywood's streets were completley shut down with helicopters hovering overhead where protestors were engaged in a more assertive opposition. Despite Prop 8 passing, both cities have prevailing leftist views and strong gay and lesbian cultures, debunking the ethos of male nationalism and conquest. However, such consequences of this ethos, namely following divine intervention and upholding the masculine ideals have led the large remaining geography of California in support of the fundamentalist views of marriage in the Bible, or homophobia (see the stunning map at vote.sos.ca.gov/returns/props/map190000000008.htm).
Despite the wrenching revocation of a fundamental right, pro-gay marriage citizens and organizations continue to unite in the struggle to reclaim constitutional rights. Plagued by the same anti-homosexual sentimenets that reinforced nationalistic masculinity in Manifest Destiny thinking, the marginalized queer voice revolts via Lambda and ACLU filing a lawsuit to stop Proposition 8. The lawsuit was initiated by a multitude of organizations as well as gay and lesbian couples all wishing the right of marriage, and all from Los Angeles County and the greater San Francisco. The lawsuit asserts that the election results posted on the California Secretary of State's website appear "to have rejected a majority of votes." The lawsuit also claims that the elections results, if enacted, would be "invalid because it would constitute a constitutional revision and, as such, the California constitution provides that it may not be enacted by initiative." Furthermore, the document affirms that the petitioners "have no other plain, speedy or adequate remedy at law," and thus requires the protection of their inherent right by revoking the proposition (aclu.org/pdfs/lgbt/ca_prop8_writepetition.pdf).
Staunch opposition perservers through the lawsuit, as California's formerly largest imperial cities continue to express queer voices and demand for equal rights for all citizens. In the struggle to actualize egalatarianism, San Francisco's, along with L.A.'s, queer communities and supporters offer a dominate counter-discourse and continue to fight despite Prop 8.


Bibliography
aclu.org/pdfs/lgbt/ca_prop8_writepetition.pdf. This is where the lawsuit against Prop 8 can be found in its entirety.

h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=10766. This site discusses prevailing Manifest Destiny and anti -Communist thinking fueled by the appraisal of the ideal, militaristic and nationalistic man. Such conceptions of masculinity permitted no room for homosexuals, and allowed an open forum for the master narrative's raging homophobia.

news.bbc.co.uk/2hi/america/us_elections_2008/7711127.stm. Basic article describing Prop 8.

sfist.com/2008/11/06/thousands_protest_over_prop_8.php?gallery17637pic=3#gallery. Photo Documentary of the candle-light vigil held at city hall in San Francisco.

vote.sos.ca.gov/returns/props/map190000000008.htm. Stunning map of the California geography of voters on Prop 8.