Holy. Freaking. Shit.
We have a black man as our president!!! I never thought that a country that keeps such backward racist ideals alive would progress to a point that something this affirming and amazingly progressive could happen. This is amazing, and I am so incredibly happy that people are changing!! We have an amazing chance at making real changes in this country, and this victory proves that Americans were, and still are paying attention. It proves that people are growing, and change is coming. This is one of the most amazing things that I have ever been lucky enough to experience and be a part of in my life time, and I am just so proud to have Obama as our president. I hope that seeing this shift in attitudes to minorities will thrive and grow, and even though bigoted actions like Prop 8 are still an issue in California (WTF California!?!), I hope that people can begin to see all people as what we are: EQUAL. This time of oppression has got to end; and this election proves that we are ready to make it happen… we just have to keep fighting.
Suddenly… it feels great to be an American again, doesn’t it?
UPDATE: The more I read, and think about Prop 8 passing (as well as the actions that passed in several other states last night as well), I am more and more disgusted by people’s outright hatred of gay people. Why are gay people so fucking threatening? WHAT about us is so harmful to YOU? Having a black man in the oval office is a HUGE stride towards overcoming oppression, but at the same time, we have a VERY public message that gay people are still not welcome. It just hurts. I will never understand it, and I will never get why someone can just hate someone because of who they are; I have never been that way, and never will be. I honestly feel sorry for every other gay person in America today, because while we have been made aware of the continuing progression of our nation, the people in it clearly don’t want us to have the same civil rights as everyone else. It just makes this victory overwhelmingly bittersweet, seeing that it was coupled with such bigotry.
Americans FTW!
Re: Prop 8 and other gay marriage ballot initiatives
You will see those repealed in our lifetimes. Hope? Yes, we can!
oh you poor lil fella… people like us will never get to be equal. One state voted to legalize physician assisted suicide, it passed. Killing someone is fine (I support PAS) but two men or two women marrying??? OMG! Get the torches! Storm tha castle! It ain’t gonna happen in our lifetimes I’m afraid.
Jen, I hope so, but this very public and amazingly backwards statement so fervently against homosexuality is not only discouraging, but it is frankly scary that so many people hate us because of who we were born as. I hope that things will change, and I believe that they will, but this just shows that it is still going to be a long road for us.
otter, I hope that you are wrong. I am more and more beaten down each day, but again, I hope you are wrong. It is so disheartening and frankly upsetting that people hate us because of how we love. Why are we so threatening?? WHY!?!
“It ain’t gonna happen in our lifetimes I’m afraid.”
Most people said that about a black President too.
You can guarantee that a ballot initiative to unenshrine discrimination in the California Constitution will be up for vote every two years.
I’m thrilled about Obama and the Congress. However, as the day has gone on, the sting of what happened in Florida, Arkansas, Arizona, and especially California, has taken hold. Obama’s election is a huge step forward; the amendments passed in those states are very big steps backward. I hate to say it, but I think that as the racial divisions in this country have slowly healed, some of that hate has been directed toward us.
Jen, that is the only thing that gives me hope, but you have to admit that with more than half of the people out there being against us, it isn’t very reaffirming.
Steven, it seems that way doesn’t it? Why are we so evil??
Who knows. Unfortunately there’s something nasty about human nature in that we jump very easily to fearing and hating those that are different from ourselves.
The danger is that it’s very easy for us to redirect that same hate toward those who direct it toward us. Yet that makes us just as guilty as they are.
Suddenly… it feels great to be an American again, doesn’t it?
It has always felt great to be an American. We have our problems (what country doesn’t?), but I stand firm in my belief that this is and always will be the greatest country on Earth. My love of country is not based on the political party in power or who sits in the Oval Office, but on how we have successfully mastered the “salad bowl” concept- some of us are lettuce, some of us are tomatoes, some of us are even radishes. But we all taste good when you put us together (especially if we’re tossed in a nice vinegarette, but I digress).
I was wondering why you were so upset. While my man did not win last night, I say congrats to all the Obama supporters. I do think that the voting booths were full of first-time and misinformed voters. You could probably take that into consideration for the Prop 8. While I lean towards fiscally conservative views, I do believe that people should be able to affirm their love for whomever they want. Don’t lose hope;)
Easy on the salad tossing reference Rich
Regarding Prop 8…the people of CA that voted yes do not “hate” gay people. They voted on whether or not they think the definition of marriage should be changed. They fear the idea of the sanctitude of marriage being diminished. What they don’t realize is that it is Hollywood and celebrity culture that has ruined the sanctitude of marriage. It has been made a mockery and those with traditional values don’t see how allowing gay marriage will make it any better. Obviously any couple that wants to be together should be able to have the same freedoms as anyone else no matter what your sexual preference. I am not gay but I could care less who is married to who. What I don’t understand is why the hell you want to deal with marriage.
Why the hell we want to deal with marriage is because it’s a legal right recognized by the government given to some American citizens that is explicitly not given to us – I’m glad that you and your wife can get a tax break, power of attorney, and the ability to see your partner in the hospital while we have to jump through several different hoops to get even one of those legal rights.
Slubbage:
They voted to strip people of civil rights, plain and simple. Regardless of the reason why, it is a move that can certainly be seen as based in hatred. I honestly don’t give two shits about marriage being “legal”, but in this case, that is a symbol of equality; and in this instance, it is a clear signal that they do not want us to have equal rights.
Be careful of saying “sexual preference”; I don’t define my sexual orientation as a preference. I am gay, I didn’t chose it. These statements being said, I appreciate your support, and I know that you are just trying to make things seem better; which again, I appreciate. As far as dealing with marriage… I want it probably because I can’t have it! LOL
Stu: Honestly, if they would take away marriage from governmental oversight, I would be fine. Take it away from everyone; you shouldn’t get tax benefits because you are hitched. I think that if it were purely a religious union (which is what they bitch that they want so badly), and not something the government denies us, then the problem wouldn’t exist!!
If taxes are truely what concerns you then I would suggest reading up on the FairTax. As far as power of attorney, and the ability to see your partner in the hospital I was under the assumption that a civil union provided you with those benefits. Is that not true?
My apologies on sexual “preference”. Wiki cleared it all up for me (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_preference) so atleast I learned something today.
Slubbage: I have read about FairTax, and honestly, it is a GREAT idea!!! I just don’t know how it would actually play out, you know. It is a leap of faith, but then again, everything is. If it worked exactly as described, I am all for it!
As far as power of attorney and the hospital visitation, James and I had papers drawn up to protect us; total cost: $1500. I assume that a civil union would also allow those rights, but I am unsure if it would permit one very important thing that marriage allows, which is the passing of property without taxation to your partner. I think that marriage should just be a religious thing for everyone; not just gay people. Get it out of government all together. Everyone should get “civil unions”, and if you want to religiously, then get “marriage” in YOUR church. My Republican friends have got to appreciate that I am all for less government on this issue.
No worries about the preference comment; I just wanted you to know that it is one of those things that is a misused description, and can carry a connotation of “choice”. Learning is fun!
I feel like it is Christmas, but there’s no present for me. For all the work I did for Obama, I get none of the joy, because the same voters that voted him in, voted me out. Last night Obama said “America is a place where all things are possible.” Not if you are gay and want to get Married. That sure as shit ain’t possible, not now. And the best way for straights to look at it is to flip the argument, change the “gay” to say “black” or “Red Headed” and see how silly it sounds. We shouldn’t be talking about separate but equal in 2008 and certainly not when we just nominated an African American President. Civil Unions are separate but equal. And yes Duane, a civil union is vastly more expensive and difficult to get than a marriage – take it from someone who has done both, it aint all that equal once you’ve been through both processes. The marriage took 4 days start to finish ($150) the civil union took months, lawyers, and ($1500). But you can’t know that as a straight person, because you’ll never have to go through that, and that’s something you should be very very happy about straights. Sincerely I’m happy for Straight people to not have to go through this, it sucks.
good meeting you tonight…hope to see y’all again next month!
I am still bubbling yes “bubbling” with joy. I actually voted for the first time yesterday althouth our backwoods state still hasn’t finished counting the votes. With regards to Prop 8 I think that there is hope. I truly believe that the young new voters boosted Obama to the place we needed him to be. My encouragement and action would be to take the exact or similar approach of the Obama campaign. Walk the streets, eat with people, and knock on their doors. I can’t tell you how many Obama supporters I have seen in the past week. At least 2 a day (estimated). From the more “rigid” party we got 15 phone calls on 11/3 it was just annoying and I quit answering the phone. Study, study, study Obama’s approach to win America he went with the least biased group (young people). It will get better (I believe or maybe I have to) as the “young people” get old and they have children, they will be even less bigoted citizens. I think that everyone will be equal at some point.
I think most people are for full equal rights actually but have the beliefs that religious term marriage is for man and woman.
With a full separation of state and church the problem would be solved, separating the legal document from the religious ceremony.
The church would lose their right to legally marry, but free to formulate the ceremony. And I don’t think a gay person is gonna try to get married in a church that doesn’t perform gay marriages.
This is what evangelical church leaders here in Sweden have proposed to the government. Full equal rights (which gays already have through the partnership ceremony) and the freedom for a church or pastor to say no if they find it irreconcilable with their interpretation of the bible.