As I'm sure we all are, I am sad and angry about the passage of the discriminatory Prop 8, and also of other anti-GLBT propositions in other states
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I feel totally heartbroken about Proposition 8. I don't live in California and I'm not married. If I choose to get married, I can go to neighboring states (Connecticut or Massachusetts) or to Canada, where I was born and most of my family is. So it's not a personal loss in that sense. But at this moment when so many hopes are coming true, with this joyously historic election, to see the people of California choose to take away basic civil rights from gay men and lesbians feels so terribly wrong.
And part of me feels that if only Obama had come out for equal rights instead of against them, we would have won both the presidency and retained the California Constitution.
While I agree with wishing that Obama was for equal rights, I fear that might have actually lost him votes. He does, at least, agree with civil union, which is hardly fair, but at least a step in the right direction. This country still has too many ties to religion within the state structure, and until we can enforce an actual separation of church and state, it will be a horrible uphill battle to get people to realise that this isn't about granting people a right...it's about not taking away a right that they were born with, being a citizen of this country, and a human being. But I'm ready for the fight, and I think America, with the hope of change ahead of us, is too.
I do think he made a political calculation and he had to do what he thought would win him votes. I don't believe him when he says that he is opposed to equal marriage rights because of his Christian faith - after all, the man is a professor of constitutional law and has been well able to separate his religious beliefs from public policy on other issues. And I didn't want him to die on this issue - I wanted him to be POTUS. But I can't get over feeling bitter.
When Bill Clinton ran for POTUS he was the most pro-gay candidate we had ever had in a major political party. And we did make huge gains under his watch, in spite of the disaster that was Don't Ask Don't Tell. But I felt really betrayed when he signed DOMA even though I knew he needed to do it to get re-elected. I'm feeling similarly now. I am almost overwhelmed with joy at Obama's win, but this puts a damper on it.
I completely agree. I, too, am overwhelmed by Obama's win, and while I think he can do so many good things for this country, so much of that joy is shadowed by the upset of gay rights across America. I guess I was overly hopeful for more change, and now I'm grounded by the fact that our struggle will be that much harder, because while there will be changes across America, the gay community has had major setbacks as well.
But, like I said, I'm ready for the fight. I too, was upset at Clinton for signing DOMA, but if I don't have faith that our new president will listen to us, then I shouldn't have voted for him at all.
I agree with most of what you said. I don't have faith that he'll listen to us, but I hope he will. And I didn't vote based on gay rights at all, really. On many issues I do feel like he represents what I want for the country and on others I feel like he's the lesser of two evils. I had much more enthusiasm for Obama than I've had for a candidate in a long time, because there was more of the former and less of the latter than I've experienced in a long time.
Well, I suppose I meant, "listen to us all" as in the country, not just "us" as a gay community.
I will admit that I don't eye-to-eye on everything with Obama, but there is a site that might be a gateway into getting our voices heard on any and all subjects: http://www.change.gov. I think the important thing is that we as a whole nation are heard. All of our individual communities are heard, and that even if something isn't instantly changed, that we now have the opportunity to do something about it without being ignored or without persecution. That we can start change without worrying that it will be stopped in four years, or eight, or even a hundred. I have to have some faith and hope in that or... Well. I'm not sure how to end that sentence, but I guess the fact that I now have actual faith, and not just dwindling hope means something.
I think coming out for equal marriage rights would have cost Obama too many votes. He was against the prop 8 amendment, though, so it's encouraging that that didn't seem to make much difference.
And the fight's not over yet. Lambda Legal is challenging the validity of the amendment since it is a major alteration to the Constitution.
This is a setback. It isn't necessarily permanent.
I don't think it's permanent by any means. I think it will eventually be resolved at the Federal level, as Loving v Virginia was. I hope I live to see it.
And part of me feels that if only Obama had come out for equal rights instead of against them, we would have won both the presidency and retained the California Constitution.
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I really love your icon, btw. :)
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When Bill Clinton ran for POTUS he was the most pro-gay candidate we had ever had in a major political party. And we did make huge gains under his watch, in spite of the disaster that was Don't Ask Don't Tell. But I felt really betrayed when he signed DOMA even though I knew he needed to do it to get re-elected. I'm feeling similarly now. I am almost overwhelmed with joy at Obama's win, but this puts a damper on it.
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But, like I said, I'm ready for the fight. I too, was upset at Clinton for signing DOMA, but if I don't have faith that our new president will listen to us, then I shouldn't have voted for him at all.
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I will admit that I don't eye-to-eye on everything with Obama, but there is a site that might be a gateway into getting our voices heard on any and all subjects: http://www.change.gov. I think the important thing is that we as a whole nation are heard. All of our individual communities are heard, and that even if something isn't instantly changed, that we now have the opportunity to do something about it without being ignored or without persecution. That we can start change without worrying that it will be stopped in four years, or eight, or even a hundred. I have to have some faith and hope in that or... Well. I'm not sure how to end that sentence, but I guess the fact that I now have actual faith, and not just dwindling hope means something.
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And the fight's not over yet. Lambda Legal is challenging the validity of the amendment since it is a major alteration to the Constitution.
This is a setback. It isn't necessarily permanent.
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