Yes We Did!

[dawn_felagund]

As I posted about on Monday, I was not particularly nervous about President Obama's chances of reelection yesterday, as--popular vote aside--he seemed to have more than enough electoral votes. My true worry was Question 6, the Maryland ballot question that would extend marriage rights to same-sex couples. As I said Monday, this issue is one of the

Comments

[engarian]

I must admit that I went to bed, but knew Obama was winning because my DH was very grumpy. I was worried about our two amendments - both needing "no" votes to carry the way that I was hoping they would. The cities weren't the problem, but the northern counties, where the Catholic church had put a lot of money and time in trying to get out the "yes" vote, that worried me quite a lot.

But, waking up this morning and realizing that the measure to allow same sex couples to wed in Maine and Maryland and the mandate to not allow our constitution to be changed defining marriage as only legal if between one man and one woman had been defeated - well those made me so joyous.

This vote was for my cousin and her partner of more than twenty years who live in a state that doesn't allow same sex marriage. It was for my gay friends from college and my working life whose partners love them as much as any partner in an opposite sex relationship. This vote was for people - all people throughout our great nation and beyond.

Someday people will wonder what all of the fuss was about. Why it was so necessary to protest, march, and dedicate ourselves to establishing something that is considered just one more aspect of human sexuality. I hope that day comes soon.

Bravo Maryland, Maine and Minnesota, and (it looks like it may also pass in) Washington. Thanks to all of the voters who recognize that everyone deserves equal treatment and respect under the law. Now...lets work for a Federal constitutional amendment...

- Erulisse (one L)

[dawn_felagund]

For us, it was Baltimore City pastors and African American congregations that might have been the barrier to the passage of Q6. That makes me really sad, as many people who voted against Q6 were part of the civil rights movement.

We do need a federal law. The good news, I think, is that public opinion is rapidly changing; even the Republicans are recognizing, it seems, that they must evolve or die as a party, and same-sex marriage is an issue I hear being brought up a lot in those conversations of outmoded ideas that they need to get rid of.

Congrats to Minnesota too!

[ssotknapsack]

That was so beautifully said, Erulisse (one L).

[engarian]

Thanks :-)

- Erulisse (one L)