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I'm ecstatic about Obama, but it looks like lots of anti-gay laws are passing.
Obama's win is an historic event, but our work is far from done. We need to seize this opportunity to push for educating the public on gay issues. Obama's not totally in line with full gay equality, but he's a smart and compassionate person who will listen to us. We need to be loud and clear!
posted by Ryan Grant Long, at
11/05/2008 3:22 AM
Eshto, if you heard Obama's speech last night, he ennumerated the different groups, and gays and straights came at the top of the list, gays being listed before straights! Let's hope Obama takes up the civil rights issue of equality! I, too, am ecstatic!
posted by richard schillen, at
11/05/2008 8:13 AM
I'm thrilled he won but this is also very bitter-sweet. African-Americans in California are overwhelmingly supporting proposition 8. Ironic that millions of white gay voters helped elect an African-American and his own ethnic group bashes us by voting for hate legislation. I'm so frustrated and angry. We must now expose all of those organizations that have voted for and contributed to this proposition's success and to form a nationwide movement for removing tax-exempt status of every religious or faith based-organization that has helped to legislate discrimination. Its time to bash back with impunity, no more making nice.
posted by Anonymous, at
11/05/2008 10:21 AM
It is indeed a great day for my American cousins but also bittersweet. I cannot help but feel sorrow that so many visible minorities, having themselves been deprived of equality for so long, would choose to commit such an overt act of violence against an entire group. How quickly some forget.
posted by Unknown, at
11/05/2008 10:25 AM
Looks like hate and ignorance prevailed again on the gay marriage issue, and the irony of the night was that it was largly due to the black and latino vote. Does anyone know if this issue can be taken to the supreme court (after Obama gets some more liberals on there)? Someone told me he didnt think the SCOTUS could hear marriage related cases as these are state matters. I didnt think anything was really off limits for them!? Also, the mormon (moron) church should lose their tax exempt status for pouring millions into passing prop 8. CA made a small fortune in the goods and services that catered to gay marriages, this will all now be lost. A friend of mine who is in the biotech fiels told me that CA and MA are in competition in this field for the best and the brightest. CA will now suffer a brain-drain as glbt people (especially the younger generation) are now more likely to work for companies in MA. Last night was a bittersweet victory for us. Gary (NJ)
posted by Anonymous, at
11/05/2008 10:26 AM
Robert, I am with YOU. I am hurt and angry also, especially BECAUSE Obama won and there was a night of breakthrough and coming together for everyone BUT the fags, of course. I have searched my soul over the past few hours, and all I can come up with is this:
GOOD: Marilyn Musgrave, the most openly homophobic member of the House, went down in flames and was replaced by the pro-gay Betsy Markey.
GOOD: Jared Polis got elected in Colorado's CD2 and is the third openly gay member of Congress!
GOOD: Barack Obama won, and he mentioned gay people in his address which was broadcast worldwide.
BAD: We lost Prop. 8 in California (and the other Propositions). I am deeply disappointed in our black friends out there who apparently went for this nonsense in droves. I am speechless that a group of people who should KNOW how anguishing it is to be placed under a different set of laws should do the same to gays and lesbians, and on such a historic night, too.
The battle begins anew...it's time to start collecting signatures in California again! This time, for a Proposition to "Restore the right of same-sex couples to marry."
posted by Chris L., at
11/05/2008 12:04 PM
I agree with Chris and Robert.
unfortunatly, it is easier to give up a right then to get it back. The restore amendment would be tough. I don't like the idea of the supreme court getting involved. This could threaten massachutes pro marriage law if the anti gay side were to win the arguement in the high court. Right now we should be pushing for domestic marriage rights in states that ban gay marriage and work to protect gay marriage in states (two of them?) that allow it. Furthermore, vote with your dollars. don't travel to states (read florida) that are hostile to gay marriage. Buy a copy of the blue pages.
posted by Seattle-Jeff, at
11/05/2008 12:25 PM
Chris, Jeff.....I don't know how we're ever going to get marriage rights back in California. Now that African-Americans and lationos are practising discrimination against us, we really have to get serious about bashing back with impunity. We have to be relentless in doing it. Further down the road, I think some form of civil unrest might be another avenue we may have to go down. I'm sick and tired of waiting and being told I shouldn't have identical rights to every other American. If they want war with us, they're going to get it.
I also urge to boycott red states where possible, do not help their economies and for those who are lucky enough, move out and flock to Massachusetts and Connecticut. Now that the NYS senate is controlled by the democrats, we too will have marriage equality legislated in our favor making it the third state to expanding marriage to our community and another magnet for would-be out of state migrants to consider moving to. It will be the only state wherein marriage equality will have been legislated, history in and of itself and a first.
posted by Anonymous, at
11/05/2008 12:38 PM
I am delighted that Obama won and got up very early this morning here in Europe to watch his speech, and also McCain's. May he be a good president and not screw up -- eight years of a Democrat appointing judges and Supreme Court justices would be a very, very good thing. As far as the referendums go, it seems to me that America's bigots are losing on every issue but one. They failed to ban stem cell research in Michigan, they failed to declare two cells a human being in Colorado, they failed to block euthanasia in Washington, they failed to limit abortions in California and South Dakota. What's left? The faggots. GLBT people are the last group left in America which can be treated with despicable bigotry without a massive outcry from others. It is a shameful aspect of American life, and it is particularly shameful among those who falsely claim to be followers of Christ. Christ did not teach bigotry, that came along with stupid people who completely misinterpreted His message. (And it is no coincidence that these are the same people who tend to interpret Christ's message as saying "it's great for you to get just as rich as you can possibly be" when in fact He said exactly the opposite thing). Eshto is absolutely right, a great deal of work remains to be done. Thank goodness that Obama won, because McCain was so deep in the hip pocket of the knuckle-draggers. But it's time for the community to stand up. Of course, it's pitiful that there are the so-called "Log Cabin" Republicans, the Uncle Toms of the GLBT movement, but the hell with those self-loathing bigots. This campaign season showed, to quote the man himself, that yes, we can. We just need to work that much harder.
posted by Kārlis Streips, at
11/05/2008 12:41 PM
Yes, those who supported Proposition 8 are deeply, deeply misguided at best and bigoted at worst. I also found the idea that teaching children about their gay and lesbian neighbors is some sort of "threat" to be deeply offensive. However, in Connecticut, voters rejected a constitutional convention there, meaning that marriage is legal in MA and CT.
The United States of AmeriKKKa did it to us again. They just couldn't leave those same-sex couples alone in California and just let them grow old together in their marriages. They had to denigrate them like that; how pitiful.
As usual, I am with Robert. If I had the balls, I'd be disrupting Mormon worships services and causing a siege amongst those who would denigrate us like that.
We could appeal this to the Federal Court...but it would be unwise to do so at this time. One day, the Supreme Court will be asked upon to strike down all of these amendments, and they will. We are not there yet...BUT we are getting there.
Some of the greatest revenge is living our lives openly and with our heads held high. We will NEVER give up, we will NEVER stop, we will NEVER accept this status as a second class citizens. And personally, I will continue the sad burden of continuing to speak the truth to my fellow citizens and to my country: America, for all your talk about "liberty and equality for all", too many of you are an awful bunch of disappointing, ignorant hypocrites, especially with your false patriotism and your small-minded superstitions and fears of people who are different. Shame on you, America, shame on you.
posted by Chris L., at
11/05/2008 1:03 PM
Also . . . the Democrats took control of the NY State Senate for the first time in decades. Let's hope we can respond to California's savagery by bringing equal marriage rights to New York and New Jersey, too. New England has always been ahead of the rest of the country in this regard.
posted by Chris L., at
11/05/2008 1:13 PM
Thanks, Chris. Yes, NY State will be next now that we have control of the senate and....it will be the first state to legislate it which means chances of overturning it will be very unlikely.
New Jersey just needs to change the terminology of civil unions, a simple thing to do. As long as Corzine is Governor, he will sign any change and won't oppose it, but he needs to do it while he's governor with a democratic majority. Obama may ask him to be treasury secretary so its going to be interesting to see how NJ fares in all this.
We must form a national movement to fight this abomination in California and elsewhere. NGLTF, HRC, Equality California and others have all helped but where has it gotten us? We should have won this one. We need to come up with something far better as a cohesive force and not be so nice next time.
posted by Anonymous, at
11/05/2008 1:26 PM
You wouldn't believe the ridicule, the jokes and homophobia coming out of the mouths of right wingers on the John Gambling show this morning on WOR710 AM in the NYC area. Gambling and his gang of neocons claim they're not homophobic, but hearing them this morning supporting proposition 8 you'd be hard pressed not to think otherwise. So much for the christians they all claim to be. He stated that marriage is a religious rite and therefore, not compatible with same-sex marriage, though he did indicate he could live with civil unions instead.
You can imagine some of the callers with their equally homophobic comments about men wearing white wedding white dresses. Gambling poured scorn on the NY Times publishing same-sex marriage announcements by saying..."we're seeing fewer wedding dresses". This bigot claims he's not homophobic, pleeeeeeeeeeeease!
Now that his huge, devastating setback has occurred, I think the only way its going to to be overturned is to legislate it. Get rid of girlie man and replace him with a democrat, get control of both state houses and legislate it. Its harder to overturn. Connecticut has banned a state constitution convention that could have amended its consitution to ban marriage equality. A smart move. NY will also be harder to overturn once its legislation is passed. State supreme court judges don't have enough power to make their decisions stick anyway. You can bet the haters will now try to resurrect the challenge to Massachusetts marriage laws. These haters are relentless and ruthless. I'll say it again, we MUST push for tax-exempt status to be removed from any or all religious organizations contributing to and advocating for discrimination. We have to fight back, only harder than they do.
posted by Anonymous, at
11/06/2008 11:00 AM
My apologies for any typos in my last posting. I'm just angry and frustrated at the outcome of this recent hate legislation in California.
posted by Anonymous, at
11/06/2008 11:03 AM
The defeats marriage equality have suffered this past election day have made me sick. I thank the fates my spouse and I married in Canada. We decided to go to Canada because we are sick to death of fighting this battle over, and over, and over. Canada has managed to legalise same-sex marriage and so far, the last I checked, Canada is still there.
When we went to get our marriage license, we were treated exactly like any other people coming in to deal with a civil manner. No one made nasty comments when we sat in the "Newlywed Swing" near the Windsor City Hall. It was so We wonderful to be treated decently. We had a beautiful ceremony by the Detroit River--and we knew that our legal marriage was likely to say that way. My spouse and I have decided that as soon as we are able, we are emigrating to Canada.
GLBT people feel angry and betrayed, especially in California, Florida and Arizona--and they have every right to be. We were AGAIN denied our rights--and by people who have themselves been the victims of prejudice and discrimination. The figures in California speak for themselves: 70% of African-American voters voted for Prop 8. I do not understand why those who have been oppressed would wish the same upon others. I feel badly for all the African-American LGBT people who were betrayed by their own. I also do wish to thank those African-Americans who voted against Prop 8 and who worked to defeat it.
We let the religious wrong have entirely too much power in this country. If these people want to preach politics, then let them pay their fair share of taxes. They are allowed to spew hatred and to influence elections with impunity. Nothing is done about it and any time anyone says anything, they come up with the freedom of speech. I'd buy that if they paid their taxes as ordinary citizens are.
Canada may have fundies, but they do attempt to keep them on a reasonably short leash. It's a shame that the same cannot be said of the United States--all 50 of them.
posted by Merlyn, at
11/06/2008 11:56 AM
Robert, NYC : Not to rub salt in the wound (at all!) with you, but...this was already predicted in various articles, that the huge African-American voter turnout for Obama would also be just what was needed to push Prop 8 through. I don't understand all the big surprise.
posted by Joey, at
11/06/2008 6:29 PM
Joey, I know, but what galls me is that African-Americans by voting for discrimination have learned absolutely nothing from their own history. It is a shameful day and one they will live to regret.
It is now incumbent on New Yorkers, the next state to pass marriage equality, to make sure that no such proposition appears on any ballot in any election.
The neocons are now regrouping in this state to make sure that Governor Paterson is never returned to office now that they have lost their two seat majority in the state senate, the obstacle that prevented Governor Spitzer's marriage equality legislation from coming to the floor for a vote. We already have the votes to pass it and it must happen while Governor Paterson is in office, hopefully towards the end of next year. We must also work to make sure that we do not get the same result as happened in California. There are a lot of haters in our state, particularly upstate and on Long Island. It is our job to make sure they never succeed in their evil mission and believe me, they will try.
posted by Anonymous, at
11/07/2008 8:38 AM
Yeah, but the African American community is also one where its members kill each other at four times the rate they did before the civil rights movement, so...(waves hand); If it's any consolation, gay marriage WILL be legal in this country eventually. Even the conservative girl on Bill O'Reilly last night stated she's pro-gay-marriage, as most of her generation are (or at least they're not against it). The votes on Prop 8 reaffirm that too. It's greatly a generational thing. That doesn't mean not to keep fighting and working towards it though.
posted by Joey, at
11/07/2008 10:31 AM
Now that prop. 8 has been passed, how do we legislate for marriage equality? Doesn't 8 indicate that California now bans same-sex marriage altogether? Who would have thought a liberal state such as this could have done such a thing? I think the equality groups didn't do enough in campaigning at the schools and churches and other places of worship. They stayed away and I think some in our own community didn't do enough either. Many of us thought we could achieve what Massachusetts did. How wrong we were. Of course, many in the Log Cabin group voted yes on 8, make no mistake about that. This is a terrible blow, one we could have done without. I can't believe people actually voted for discrimination, we've not come that far in spite of Obama's success. Some are scoffing that we're the only western, non-African country to elect a person of color, but sadly, we were not the first to grant full equality to its gay citizens who are discriminated against more than any other minority, nothing to be proud of while other countries surpass us. Shame on those African Americans who voted to discriminate against us. Of all people, they should have known better and that goes for the vast majority of latinos who voted with them to help the Mormons defeat us. A shameful day in history and in America. We won't forget what they did, nor should we. Yet anoher day that will live in infamy.
posted by Anonymous, at
11/07/2008 11:46 AM
