Obviously I am overjoyed that Obama has won. His landslide victory in many ways redeems my country, and makes so many things possible. And the symbolism that his candidacy represents around the world is stunning. From my travels, I know how improbable his victory was seen around the world. For many, it was a given that the US was too conservative, and too racist to allow this to happen. I think in an instant we have redefined to the world what is possible from America and its citizens. I was also thrilled to see that in my native Indiana, a state that hasn’t voted for a Democrat since 1964, it looks like Obama has won (by a razor thin margin). Indiana was formerly the most reliably Republican state in the union, always being called within minutes of the polls closing. The fact that it has gone to Obama is representative of the sea change in American politics right now.
And the faces. To see the tears streaming down the faces of so many people, especially African Americans, in disbelief and joy, was especially moving. And my own tears, as it was finally announced that he had passed the threshold to win, that we had finally beaten back the monster of the past 8 years, and to see that redemption was possible for my country, and to know that I could go home and help rebuild.
My joy was tinged with bitterness, however upon seeing the results of California’s Prop 8. It appears that California voters have decided to write discrimination into our state constitution, branding me and other gay people as second class citizens, separate and unequal. And how very ironic and upsetting that by far the largest group (proportionally) opposed to our equality should be African Americans.
“Freedom for me, but not for thee…”
I guess my plan to move to New York at the end of the year has just been validated with one more reason.
Hi there. I am stepping out of my travel writing for a moment to ask for your help. I feel very strongly that the upcoming election is the most important one of our lives, and will largely determine what kind of country we are to be going forward. I am feeling some comfort that at least on a presidential level, we will make the right choice as a nation. But recent polling out of my adoptive state of California has me worried. As you may know, the California Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in May, finally making gay and lesbian residents full and equal citizens in the state of California. Unfortunately the culture warriors on the extreme right have put an initiative (prop 8) on the ballot to repeal this fundamental right and write discrimination into the California constitution.
This is truly the last gasp of the hate mongers (at least with respect to equal rights for gay people). With fast growing support for equal rights among the general population, they know that their time is running out. While I fully believe equal rights for gay people in the US will one day become a reality, if this amendment passes that reality will be set back by several years. If they should lose this battle we will see countrywide equality much sooner, as California is a often a bellwether for the rest of the nation.
Initially, it looked like this proposition would go down to an easy defeat. But the right wing YES on 8 campaign has vastly outspent the NO forces on ad buys, and the most recent polling now shows them to have a lead. We need to raise more money and awareness quickly if we are to win. I am asking anyone out there who may have found interest or enjoyment from this blog to please make a small stand for my equality. If you live in California, please make sure you are registered to vote and vote NO on prop 8. If you can afford to give a little bit of money, please do so at the following website: http://noonprop8.com.
Thank you! We will now return to our regularly scheduled programming…
In light of all the hoopla over the recent California Supreme Court decision, there are a few points to make for the willfully ignorant:
- Conservatives love to apply the epithet ”activist judges” to any decision they don’t agree with and imply that this works against the democratic process. The balance of powers is there for a reason, but in point of fact, the California Legislature (duly elected by the people of California) twice passed same sex marriage, only to have it vetoed by the governor.
- It always surprises me to hear conservatives argue that marriage in its current form is an institution dating back many millennia. They clearly know nothing about the true history of marriage (and clearly don’t care to have their beliefs challenged with actual facts). I came across a wonderful article today by a historian named Hendrik Hartog entitled, “What Gay Marriage Teaches About the History of Marriage” that beautifully addresses some of these points.
- It also surprises me to hear people who consider themselves to be “for equal rights” completely comfortable with the idea that the word marriage should be reserved for heterosexuals. I am sure they wouldn’t feel as comfortable with the idea that interracial marriage should be called “transracial union” and same race marriages “marriage”, but that would exactly have been their position 40 years ago, fully believing themselves to be without animus. Separate is never equal.
- Speaking of public perception, the very idea that gay marriage should be something that should be subject to a vote is disturbing. One of the great ideas of our constitution is that some things should NOT be subject to a vote, that there are inalienable rights which are not subject to the tyranny of the majority. As an example my mother often sites in pedagogic settings, there is a reason why the majority can’t vote to make you Protestant or Catholic or any other religion. Matters of conscience are not subject to majority rule. Marriage in our society is such a fundamental right that it should not be subjected to vote, unless the outcome will apply to everyone, not just a disapproved class of people.
- Also speaking of public perception, it is interesting to note that when the Supreme Court ruled in 1967′s Loving v. Virginia case overturning miscegenation laws, a much higher percentage of people were opposed to interracial marriage than are opposed to same sex marriage today.
The California Supreme Court wisely overturned the ban on same sex marriage in the state today. While this doesn’t give gay people all of the federal rights of marriage (which are arguably more significant) it is an important step towards that goal and a stunning affirmation of gay equality and human dignity from my adoptive state.
You know, even though I have been following these things for years in a fairly logical and detached way, I can’t help but get a little choked up as I watch the walls of official discrimination fall.
One potential cloud on the horizon is that hate groups are organizing a ballot initiative to modify to the California constitution to define marriage as only between one man and one woman, thus discriminating against same sex couples. I hope that we have reached a tipping point where this initiative will fail, but there is a lot of organizing work to do before the November election.
