My heart is breaking for my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters.

[Danger Mouse]

I am so sorry that bigotry won. I am so sorry that so many people that are supposed to be on our side supported hate.
I have no other words.
It was a wonderful night for our country, a historic, beautiful night...with one huge, ugly black mark on it, staining it forever.
We will never overcome the divide in this country until we can put behind us one of the few kinds of hate that is still socially acceptable: homophobia.
My brothers and sisters, inequality for some is equality for none. The fight begins in earnest now. It is an uphill battle.
Let's win it together. :grouphug:

[Wetzelbill]

1. I agree

[TTUBatfan2008]

2. Homophobia is not the only one that's socially acceptable...

Xenophobia is widely practiced in this country. Somehow being Muslim automatically means you're a terrorist and deserve to have your house of worship bombed by right wingers (see the aftermath of 9/11). It's truly tragic how homosexuals and Muslims are treated in this country. It's like no matter what we do, there's always some new form of hatred popping up to divide the country.

[Danger Mouse]

4. My mistake.

I will edit to note that.
But also note the point made by the poster below me.
This was a vote to deprive gays of their rights. There's no other way to put it.

[kdmorris]

6. That's not the point

No one made laws yesterday or changed constitutions to take away the rights of anyone...except homosexuals.

I used to think that I had some idea how homosexuals felt because I'm an atheist, which is unacceptable to the RW. But I don't. I really don't know how if feels, and can only use my imagination to try to feel the same way.

[dogpatch]

18. thanks, it feels terrible

It's been nagging at me all day, despite my incredible joy at the Obama victory and the ousting of Liddy Dole. My partner of 10 years and I did get married in August with a huge wonderful celebration of family and friends and now we just have this terrible undertone to our happiness, and SUCH disappointment in our fellow Californians.

And sadness that prop 8 apparently got lots of votes from members of other communities who know what it is like to be hated just for being who you are.

And such anger at the governor for vetoing the CA Legislature's recognition of our marriage rights twice.

[kdmorris]

22. I am so sorry

I would offer a hug, but I doubt that would help much.

We just have to keep fighting, try to get this stuff overturned, repealed, whatever.

In Florida, they had to get 60% of the vote to pass that stupid amendment, which they did. But it didn't change anything. Florida has been hostile to homosexuals forever.

Actually going to the polls and voting to TAKE AWAY a right takes a callous disregard for the lives of others...a lack of empathy. And you are right... many of them are people who KNOW what it feels like to be treated as a sub-human just because of who you are.

[bluedawg12]

27. Being gay in Amerika for the last eight years

has been a load of laughs.

From being blamed for 9-11, to Katrina and to dispell the notion that it's a silent bigotry because we can hide is wrong.

During the shrub years, the RW and the theofascists actively sought to ferret out gays on the job, socially, there was no closet and no hiding because they had their own little HUAC questions.

"Are you married?" "Have kids?" etc,etc. All designed to get a quick read on those dangerous gays.

Yesterday a Mormon on another fourm actually said she was voting for Prop-Hate-8 "To save our nation from desctruction."

Nice way to incite hate crimes. That just spilled out during a rather low key discussion about gay marriage on a fan fic forum.

Thanks to all the Dems that are supportive. What hurts is that we didn't lose to the usual suspects in Calif. yesterday, we lost because Dems said no to a civil rights issue.

[dogpatch]

19. thanks, it feels terrible

It's been nagging at me all day, despite my incredible joy at the Obama victory and the ousting of Liddy Dole. My partner of 10 years and I did get married in August with a huge wonderful celebration of family and friends and now we just have this terrible undertone to our happiness, and SUCH disappointment in our fellow Californians.

And sadness that prop 8 apparently got lots of votes from members of other communities who know what it is like to be hated just for being who you are.

And such anger at the governor for vetoing the CA Legislature's recognition of our marriage rights twice.

[xchrom]

3. thank you for your thoughts. nt

[Frances]

5. I can't help it--I am a fighter

We will just have to try again

The results have greatly dampened my joy over Obama's election

But I tell myself if a black man can get elected in my lifetime (blacks were prevented from voting by a fake literacy test when I registered to vote), then equal rights for gays will happen if we work at it

[Danger Mouse]

8. Every generation hate dies a little more.

We grow wiser each time.
We will have to continue the fight, until the beast is slain forever.

[Blarch]

7. I agree.

K & R

[shaniqua6392]

9. I had no words to give my sister and her girlfriend this morning either.

The fight for justice and civil rights is a very long and difficult road. I just remind them that there was a time not too long ago when blacks and whites could not marry. That has changed and this will too. Empty words. There just is no right answer because this is just not right. I can only say I am sorry. I have not been very joyful today because of this. I am happy that Obama won, but this just took the wind out of my sails. I will do whatever it takes to keep this issue going until we succeed.

[Pale Blue Dot]

10. Agreed, I invite all gay/lesbian couples to join my wife and I here in CT.

We will welcome you here. :hug:

[QueenOfCalifornia]

11. I called

my local talk station - the only thing on the left here in San Diego, the Stacy Taylor show, tonight. I sent out an apology because my heart is breaking for our gay and lesbian friends. I just feel so bad for this shitty situation.

Shame on the Democrats who drank the kool-aid and allowed the religious agenda to rule their hearts and minds. Shame on you.

:pals:

Gilligan, from down the street.

[Danger Mouse]

13. Shame on each and every one of them that supported hate.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

17. Yes...

exactly right.

It took the gloss off the charm of winning the general election.

[alcibiades_mystery]

12. Seconded...so much progress on LGBT issues over the last 20 years

But we are not there yet by a long shot.

By a long shot.

A deeply disappointing outcome on an otherwise joyous night. This has to be our issue over the next five years. We have to move the electorate on this.

[Danger Mouse]

14. We can't treat the LGBT community as an embarassment or as a second priority.

They need to be a priority. No more hiding from hate and culture warriors.
Let's meet them head on, and defeat them.

[RedLetterRev]

15. We knew the RW was going to throw a monkeywrench

into the election in an attempt to "energize the base" to throw the election to McKook. I'm looking at the Prop 8, the FL and AR votes as temporary setbacks. I understand that this is an ongoing fight. I'm 51, my partner is 47. We've been through a lot, but we still have hope and we're still together. Nothing can change what we've built together, damn what anyone else thinks about it.

We're very, very grateful for the all-day outpouring of support from fellow DU'ers. That's what keeps the fight in us. Now, let's set about fixing those idiot laws, then go after the idiot laws in other states. So long as we keep sticking together, we'll all get there together. Chin up. So long as we believe we can prevail, we will. Look at the example set before us just last night.

Love y'all.

:grouphug:

[DevonRex]

16. Mine is too. I want to HELP. Tell me what I can DO, please!!

It is time to turn our unity into ACTION. We absolutely must stop this. We cannot tolerate the loss of civil rights that our GLBT brothers and sisters have suffered AGAIN. Enough is enough.

[Danger Mouse]

20. What sickens me is how gleeful they are in their hate.

:cry:

[DevonRex]

26. Oh, me too! How can people be so hateful? I just don't understand

it. I have family who are like that. And that sickens me even more.

[calico1]

21. I don't know if this will make anyone feel better or not..

I live in CT.

In this election there were two ballot proposals.

One was whether or not to allow 17 year old's to vote in primary elections if they turn 18 at the time of the general election. It won by a wide margin.

The other ballot proposal was to amend our constitution. The powers that be behind that included a lot of special interest groups including groups that want to abolish abortion rights and gay rights. It was REJECTED by a wide margin.

I was sooo happy to know that both things I voted for went my way especially that latter one because I know the main drive behind that was the people that wanted to try and change our constitution since with our constitution the way it is, they could not get abortion rights or gay rights to be restricted or banned.

I know CT is like an eyelash of CA. But just a few months ago it was not legal to marry in CT if you were gay. Now you can. Not only that, but the vast majority of voters rejected a proposal to change the constitution so that gay marriage could be banned.

Small steps. A little at a time.. This is a hurdle in CA but it is not definite.

The country is slowly but surely moving in the right direction.

[RedLetterRev]

25. Do they allow out-of-staters?

It's a long drive from NC, but ol' Rev is thinking about making an honest man out of his husbear after almost 13 years. I don't care if NC recognizes it or not. It's the thought.

I marry other people all the time.

It's my turn.

Y'know?

Just hopin'.

[bdamomma]

23. I am sorry too, no one should infringe on another persons way of life.

last nite one step forward and prop 8 two steps back. Sad very sad.

[deadparrot]

24. Luckily, this is a philosophy that's literally dying off...

I have several Republican friends in their 20s, and they're all supportive of gay rights. I know it's unfair to ask people for rights that should be theirs without preconditions, but in a generation's time, I think the way will be a lot easier.

[Danger Mouse]

29. Just like racism, the old hatreds are slowly dying.

[RedLetterRev]

30. That's why I'm hoping that more of us will

go and get married in places where we can. If we're more visible and show that "other" marriages don't suddenly dissolve just because we get married, perhaps -- just maybe -- the fears will calm down and soon, like other RW memes, the teeth will be gone out of it and we can all go on living our lives and get down to the business of running the country.

Sometimes you just have to lead by example, whether you get the benefits of the action or not. If me and mine go to CT, we certainly won't have any of the benefits in NC. But we can still talk about it and let other folks SEE their marriages aren't exploding.

Someone who comes after you will and whether ever they know your name or face, they'll enjoy the benefit. To wit: I'll never know the names or faces of those drag queens who stood their ground at Stonewall, but I can post on a board and walk around these days like the unafraid, proud hillbilly gay man I am today.

You do what you can do. I can donate. I can write. I can take little actions on this side of the country. I'm open to all suggestions.

[RandomKoolzip]

28. Mine too.

:hug: to all my GLBT brothers and sisters. Sorry this country has such a long way to go before it enters the 20th fucking century (which is already over).

[Teaser]

31. I suppose it is no consolation

that nearly half of California voters aren't bigots...

nah, not much.