Generation No H8

gen*er*a*tion no H8 – noun – new activists who feel a deep, emotional connection to Prop 8, and are now working towards full federal equality. Judge Walker’s decision was an especially meaningful victory for Generation No H8.

Not many people know this, but I came out shortly after Proposition 8 passed in November of 2008. That makes it officially 622 days since I came out, 642 days since I unflinchingly held a megaphone in front of a rally of 400 students, and 637 days since Amanda Gelender first had the idea to boycott marriage.

It is now just 5 short days since Judge Walker ruled Proposition 8 unconstitutional, and the decision is bringing deep-rooted emotions full circle for young activists like me. Those ‘young activists’ – whether identified by age or number of years in activism – are part of a generation of activists I call, ‘Generation No H8.’ Those belonging to this generation feel a deep, emotional connection to Prop 8, and are now working towards full federal equality in other ways in their own local communities.

As many know, NMB is a member of Generation No H8. The movement began after students at Stanford realized the potential impact that youth could have on the gay rights movement. We saw a serious lack of inclusion for you

ng people, so a group of students co-founded NMB as a way for youth to step up and take a vital role.

This story is one of many, and the outpouring of celebration from activists around the country – most of them from Generation No H8 – is something we are celebrating at NMB. Judge Walker’s decision has not only reversed a discriminatory proposition, but finally righted a wrong that spurred so many of us to take action almost two years ago.

So what does Judge Walker’s decision mean for NMB?
Frequently asked questions and some frequent exclamations…

I'm a boycotter who lives in CA, can I get married now?
No. The NMB pledge states that we will not marry until the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is repealed, and marriage in CA still means that there are over 1,000 rights still denied to same-sex couples at the federal level. Read more about DOMA here.

So what happens now?
Branch Manager Sarah Masimore wrote a complete post on the decision, and we also recommend Autostraddle’s post for a full blow-by-blow.

This is great! I’m so excited!
Us, too! Judge Walker’s decision not only made same-sex marriage legal in California, but it also builds momentum for our movement for full federal equality.

JUDGE WALKER IS MY HERO
Totally. To celebrate Walker’s awesomeness, the Executive Team is currently writing a blog post with our favorite language from the decision. Stay tuned.

Tags: 8, prop