Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Midnight Election Confessions

As you probably know by now, Obama won. Kick some ass, sir. Everyone's talking about Obama, so I'll talk about something that almost everyone is talking about, instead (at least here in California). I like to be different like that. While Obama's win was surprisingly (and mercifully) fast, we're still waiting for the results to come on for Prop 8. As of now-- a bit past midnight-- 63% of precincts are reporting, with 52% voting "yes" (to ban same sex-marriage) and 48% voting "no". WTF, amiright? Gay marriage bans already passed in Florida and Arizona...can't someone throw us one state here?

One thing I love about San Francisco is that people of all sexualities can and do really get behind something like defeating Prop 8 (even though 23% of San Franciscans voted yes-- who ARE these people?). No, I'm not a particularly marriage-minded individual, but it's just like...I see the gay rights movement as a really cool older brother or sister who I think can do anything. I'm impressed with it. I want to see it succeed, and I want to be like it someday. Whatever anyone thinks, I believe the fact is that we do connect. Their loss is my loss.
But hopefully it doesn't come to that.

I can't sit here refreshing the CNN website all night...

7 comments:

Gemma said...

Sucks about the result :(

Come to New Zealand, we have allowed gay marriages for years now!!

Kim said...

Sorry about prop. 8. ::hugs::

Ily said...

Aw, thanks y'all...

Noskcaj Llahsram said...

My condolences.

Anonymous said...

i too am shocked at how close this is.. i didn't expect california, of all places, to define marriage as between a man and a woman.. especially after allowing it.

here is an interesting article i came across suggesting that maybe the outcome could be because of the increase in african american voters. apparently exit polls show they favored it with a ratio of 2:1 and since obama was running, more african american's showed up at the polls:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gaymarriage6-2008nov06,0,2331815.story

::shurgs and sighs::

Ily said...

I knew it was possible, but honestly I didn't expect it, either. I've seen different sources talk about the racial makeup of people who voted Yes or No on 8, but I'm always wary about drawing conclusions about how different races of people as a whole view something. Some sources are sort of assuming that all gay people are white, which obviously isn't true. There was also a huge influx of young voters, who are generally much more accepting of same-sex marriage, but I haven't seen anyone try to explain that yet...

Sighing right along with you.

Coleslaw said...

I was up pretty much all night, right along with you... I didn't want to wake up in the morning, I was so depressed at the numbers I had seen when I shut down!

My mommy called me to apologize and say that she and my dad did everything they could... It was like hearing about the death of said older brother/older sister from the hospital, and I was just devastated... And still am!

I want to be home right now so I can take part in being a civilly disobedient free-love-and-marriage-for-all child and march against Prop 8 tomorrow... Siiiiigh.