How Surreal

[Toasterlad]

I'm reading over the transcript of John McCain's surprisingly gracious concession speech, and this passage leaped out at me:

"But we both recognize that, though we have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation's reputation and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still had the power to wound.

A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt's invitation of Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage in many quarters.

America today is a world away from the cruel and frightful bigotry of that time. There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States.

Let there be no reason now for any American to fail to cherish their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on Earth."

We have just elected a black man to the office of President for the first time in our nation's history. And this black man does not believe a portion of the population of this country deserves the same rights and privileges that the rest have. Nor does his running mate. Nor did his opponent. And his opponent's running mate DAMN sure did not.

As we watch Florida, Arizona, Arkansas, and quite probably California - upon which so many of us had pinned hopes and dreams - accept bigotry and hate as the law of the land, it is hard for me to feel any joy about the victory of Barack Obama, or the Democratic Party itself, which has given us promises and platitudes, but never stood up for us when it counts. Change may indeed come to America, but it seems increasingly unlikely that change will come for my GLBT brothers and sisters any time soon.

I'm sorry...I honestly don't mean to rain on the parade. I am glad that Obama's supporters are happy, and I hope they enjoy this moment. And I REALLY hope that this presidency is everything they've hoped it will be. I truly wish I could feel as optimistic as they must be feeling right now. Unfortunately, I feel just as excluded tonight as I did this morning.

President-Elect Obama, Senator McCain - I do NOT cherish my citizenship in this, the supposed greatest nation on Earth. And it saddens me more than I can express that one of the only things that unites the two of you is your complete indifference to the plight of all of us second-class citizens. Your eagerness to pass the buck to the states - to let the majority decide the fate of the minority, regardless of the morality involved, demonstrates a contempt for the lessons of history and a betrayal of your oaths to serve this country - ALL of this country.

Again...my apologies for dampening the mood. Just something I had to get off my chest before turning in. Perhaps I'll wake up to find that at least Prop 8 was defeated, and then I'll feel a lot better about everything. But I'm not counting on it.

[Luminous Animal]

1. That was a beautiful post.

I'm of a similar mind. It is not a happy day in my home. There will be a lot of newlyweds in tears tomorrow.

[But....]

2. Yes I know it rough...

not every race went our way, and I know this probably doesn't help-but we are making progress. And we are not giving up.

[theHandpuppet]

6. Yeah, last night's results in CA, FL, AZ & AR felt so much like progress

:eyes:

[Democrats_win]

3. GLBT people need families. The bush years have been 10 times as bad for us.

Yet we can't marry the person we love, the marriage that so many other Americans rely on to help them make it through bad times.

What gets me is the Mormon church doesn't pay taxes yet they have the money to interfere in an election. Should GLBT people confront this church telling them what they did was a tremendous immorality? Tell them that their actions brings shame to their filthy church whose foundation is now a big lie. (For those who are Christians, a church's interference in an election is a massive sin. By doing this the church puts a stamp of approval on MANKIND's government rather than God's government.)

Or do we follow the Obama lead? GLBT leaders have a massive mountain to climb to get GLBT Americans the rights that are supposed to be allowed by the constitution but have been denied by hypocritical false "christians."

[bluedawg12]

4. I am not a trained political operative type

I can only use reason to figure out how to procede against adversity.

We need to first come together. Regularly, meet share ideas and experiences and DU is a great place to work from.

We need to take stock of who the enemy is and how they operate.

We need to understand, as did Pres. elect Obama, of how to reach beyond the bigotry.

We need to have a strategy, a leader and a clear message and position.

Yeah, maybe in 2004 gay marriage was untimely, what with Kerry being assailed on his actual service for Gosh sake. But this is 2008.

By now we have had States pass gay marriage laws and then, we saw one State turn it back and repeal human rights legislation because the enmy snuck it in during a national election, formed a coalition and threw a ton of money towards their hateful goal.

What we haven't been able to do, IMHO, is actually explain to het's that gay marriage is not about "playing at being married," it's about rights and privileges.

I mean who are our leaders? Where's our message? I did a search yesterday for another debate in another fourm, and the most common result was the lame: gay-marriage pro and con bull.

What about reaching out to andy sullivan, what about the log cabin repugs, maybe they will come over?

Just throwing out ideas.

[Toasterlad]

7. The Log Cabin Republicans Are Probably the Only Ones Who Feel Worse Than We Do.

Not that I have much sympathy for them.

[thrift_store_angel]

5. I feel the same way.

I just read McCain's speech, and the same passages stuck out to me. "America today is a world away from the cruel and frightful bigotry of that time." -- Really where? Because I am not feeling it. Maybe that particular incident of bigotry is gone? To be replaced with a new and improved form of bigotry that is much easier for the general public to stomach?

Yeah it is better that Obama got elected than McCain, but beyond that I am not feeling really enthused.

[roody]

8. Freedom is coming, just like the Berlin Wall fell.