05 November 2008
Post-Election Tears
Four years ago, I had a friend who burst into tears when Kerry conceded. I thought it was silly. I can understand being sad, disappointed and worried, but -- tears? Really?
And sure enough, I didn't cry when Obama won. (Yes, I voted for McCain. I'm a capitalist; I couldn't vote for a socialist.) Of course, I predicted that Obama would win, so it wasn't really a surprise, but it was still a disppointment.
But I did cry today.
I expect random states to pass anti-gay laws and amendments. Sure enough, Arizona, Florida, and Arkansas all did. (Side note: Arkansas' law forbids anyone but married couples from becoming foster and adoptive parents. That means straight, single people can't adopt, either. Good plan, Arkansas. That'll help kids in need.) It's always sad, but I expect those. What I didn't expect, however, was that California's Proposition 8 would pass.
But even if you'd asked me before the election, I don't think I could have predicted how much the passing of Prop 8 would affect me. I had a knot in my stomach for most of the morning, and if I spent too much time by myself, I would start to cry. I'm feeling better now, but it's still painful.
In closing, a quote from Jennifer Vanasco at 365gay.com:
"[The] fact is that we lost in [California], Arkansas, Arizona and Florida tonight. And it worries me that people who overwhelmingly wanted 'change' - i.e., voted for Obama - don’t think that this change should include full civil rights for gays and lesbians."
And sure enough, I didn't cry when Obama won. (Yes, I voted for McCain. I'm a capitalist; I couldn't vote for a socialist.) Of course, I predicted that Obama would win, so it wasn't really a surprise, but it was still a disppointment.
But I did cry today.
I expect random states to pass anti-gay laws and amendments. Sure enough, Arizona, Florida, and Arkansas all did. (Side note: Arkansas' law forbids anyone but married couples from becoming foster and adoptive parents. That means straight, single people can't adopt, either. Good plan, Arkansas. That'll help kids in need.) It's always sad, but I expect those. What I didn't expect, however, was that California's Proposition 8 would pass.
But even if you'd asked me before the election, I don't think I could have predicted how much the passing of Prop 8 would affect me. I had a knot in my stomach for most of the morning, and if I spent too much time by myself, I would start to cry. I'm feeling better now, but it's still painful.
In closing, a quote from Jennifer Vanasco at 365gay.com:
"[The] fact is that we lost in [California], Arkansas, Arizona and Florida tonight. And it worries me that people who overwhelmingly wanted 'change' - i.e., voted for Obama - don’t think that this change should include full civil rights for gays and lesbians."
Labels: GLBT
# posted by mamurd @ 8:49 PM 
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Life is a lot more interesting if you choose sides, whether its sports or politics.
But sometimes you can end up in a pretty deep funk, alright.
But sometimes you can end up in a pretty deep funk, alright.
There's a difference between being in a funk because the candidate you picked lost and being upset because over half of the voters in California consider you a second-class citizen. The former is, as you point out, an inevitability of choosing a side. The latter is heart-breaking.
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