*Whew* sort of...

[prusik]

On one hand, President Obama. Wow. Racism isn't dead, but the country just saw past the idiocy and fear to elect the best qualified candidate. I'm not so much jubilant as much as I'm just plain relieved. I'd made up my mind months ago. I've merely been waiting to see if we, as a country, could actually do the right thing. And... (like everyone else as said) yes, we did.

On the other hand, Florida passed an amendment limiting marriage to be one man and one woman, and barring civil unions. So much for the canard that they don't want to take away our rights, they merely want to keep the term "marriage" for themselves. That's pretty bizarre to begin with, but their propositions, more often than not, disallow civil unions in the process.

Arkansas passed an initiative stating only married couples can adopt or be a foster parent. This, BTW, is why straight people ought to support gay rights. When the narrow-minded and fearful disenfranchise homosexuals, sometimes, they engage in friendly fire.

Arizona passed a proposition limiting marriage to be one man and one woman. This proposition doesn't actually do anything else. The version with the full-on hate failed in 2006.

The sad fact is that anti-gay propositions have passed way more often than they fail. Arizona in 2006 is the only failure I know of. We've yet to figure out how to see past the idiocy and fear when it comes to anything which might challenge our heteronormative assumptions. (This, BTW, is the reason why I was thrilled to see Massachusetts's anti-same sex marriage proposition not reach the ballot.)

However, Connecticut's anti-same sex marriage in disguise ballot measure failed. Apparently, the bigots in Connecticut didn't trust the voters to do what voters in every other state that has had an anti-same sex marrage ballot measure has done. Instead, they wanted to sidestep all democratic institutions entirely. Instead of disenfranchising just homosexuals, they wanted to disenfranchise everyone. This is a bizarre tactic for a group of people who typically insist on mob rule. In any case, good on Connecticut for voting it down. (I mean, is it possible to be more insulted by a ballot question? How did this even get on there?)

I'm still hoping that voters in California will ultimately vote down Proposition 8. And that Proposition 8 would not only fail, but fail decisively enough that they don't try it again. Proposition 8 is the first time that passing an anti-same sex marriage ballot measure actually renders already existing marriages illegal. I had hoped that would make a decisive difference. Voters would be faced with tangibly take away rights from they know and make the sane, compassionate choice. Apparently not.

Not all the results are in yet. I will be thrilled if even just 50% plus one vote went against Proposition 8. California tends to be a cultural harbinger. In this case though, there have been so many anti-same sex marriage measures before California, I was hoping that it would lead the charge towards equality and freedom, not get swallowed up in the rip tide.

Comments

[athenais.livejournal.com]

I think it's pretty clear by now that Prop 8 passed. I tell you, I really think it was the campaign the Yes on 8 people ran. It was far more effective (in part using the classic scare tactic of assuring voters their children would be taught about it in school, where "it" means whatever it is they are most afraid of) and far smarter. The No on 8 people were everywhere to be seen, but their radio ads sucked.

We'll just have to work hard now to get gay marriage reinstated. I think the trend is positive in general, I honestly do. We'll get it back.

[krylyr.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Prop 8 is looking like it's going to pass. It sucks but I think it shows that no matter how much we've demanded "change," we still have a ways to go.