I am just sick. I live in AZ and we were hoping that 102 would be defeated once again, but afraid it would pass because of the fight in California.
i have 2 gay brothers, one in Tucson, and one in Sacramento. My brother and his husband got married 3 months ago in Sacramento. My Tucson brother and I were thinking about moving back to Cali mainly for that reason. We are all crushed.
What now?

I am angry. Whom do I blame? Oh there are several groups. Our Dear new President elect for paying lip service to get this defeated, Mormons, James F'n Dobson and his minions of evangelicals, Kinghts of Columbus and lastly African Americans. Oh I know that last one is not p.c, but you know what, I don't care...it is the truth. Deal with it. Polls show they voted 70% against us while voting for Obama....shame, shame shame on you.

The vote for act 1 in Arkansas was deeply disappointing. I'm ashamed of my state, not for the first time. The God, guns, and gays mantra keeps us ignorant and backward, and we vote against our best interest economically and socially. We went for McCain, of course.

Lots of work to do to educate and change attitudes in many places, particularly after the years of snake-doctor work of the Republican party and religious right, injecting the toxins of fear and hate.

On the positive sign, the turn to the Democrats nationwide portends better days for the LGBT community everywhere, even as work continues to face us. We can do it.

About 52%/48% with 89% of precincts reporting. It is highly unlikely that about 340,000 votes can be made up in the precincts that remain.
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We won the battle but lost the war.

Or something really stupid like that. Getting out the vote for Obama, registering new voters for the Democratic party out of those minority groups which were previously marginalized, both activities have resulted in creating many new voters who, while for Obama, were likely to be against marriage for gays and lesbians. At least that will be the claim of some of those more libertarian/conservative, LCR-type gays.

Then there will be those who blatantly wish to take away all aspects of our rights who will be crowing over this. They are those who have used an appeal to a supposed god for these last several millenia to denounce such as us for whom we should find to love. They are those who have denied us our full measure of joy in our lives for too long.

I thought I was seeing a bright shining star of hope, and yet now there seems not to even exist the glimmer from a moonless pond at midnight. I am getting old, been ill, and this fight no longer seems to be winnable in my lifetime (whatever that may be). Yes, it is depressing, mostly because half of me seems to want to believe the idea that the methodology for an Obama win is the reason for our demise on Florida Amendment 2, Arizona Proposition 102, and California Proposition 8. The other half is repulsed by the almost racist interpretation that must engender.

But the high I felt listening to Obama’s speech in Grant Park has been replaced by the thought that I would rather had not heard of Barack Obama or the ‘audacity of hope.’ Bittersweet doesn’t describe the sourness I now feel.

Because I think I forgot to subscribe to the thread. And I don't want to miss what you say to my post, if anything.

In light of how the initiatives we were watching around the country went, I want to send my condolences and best wishes to everyone. Especially those who worked so hard.

I would like to say something more uplifting but this morning I just can't seem to find the words.

In the end we will win, the road just appears to be longer than we were hoping.

Hamtramck meanwhile repealed it's existing GLBT protection law by an overwhelming margin.

From the Detroit News :

HAMTRAMCK -- Residents on Tuesday repealed a controversial human rights ordinance that's less than a year old.

...

The ordinance, approved by the City Council in January, bans discrimination in areas such as housing, employment and city contracts. It includes protection for sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

Obama promised change, and it's coming all right. He believes that marriage is between "a man and a woman" on religious grounds, and so do 70% of Black Americans.

There was a reason for removing all references to GLBTs in the Democrat party platform, as cynics like myself said at the time.

Politically, it makes sense to court the Religious vote. After all, who are the GLBTs going to vote for? The worst thing that can happen is that they'll stay at home. But the Religious, they'll not just vote DNC, they won't vote GOP as usual, a twofer.

Obama is nothing if not a political animal.

So someone is offended about what I said. Good you should be offended and angry. We just got thrown under the damn bus, and you want to hold hands and sing joy to the world. Go right ahead lady, that is why we lose because of weak people like you. I always considered myself a liberal Democract, I do not know what to think of myself now.

Patently racist and "othering". Blame the blacks, do you feel better now? Does it change anything for you? Would you like to blame us for the mortgage crises as well?

Did you stop to think about the blacks that are gay that worked tirelessly to defeat this? Did you think about the black bloggers who spoke out against this proposition repeatedly, of which I am one. Did you think about the blacks that voted against this because they believe strongly in human rights?

You just want somewhere to vent your hatred and the black community has always been the easy scape goat of the white and privileged. I see you don't bother to indite the whites who voted for this proposition. Do you think that it would have passed without them? I can assure you that blacks are not large members of the mormon church who worked tirelessly to ensure that your rights were denied.

Finally to the Bilerico. I started coming here because I strongly believe in the cause of justice. I may be a straight woman but I have always affirmed love in all forms. It is a sad day to see that I blog that I have come to love has no problem publishing inflammatory racist commentary. Your editors didn't even bother to disavow it. Clearly blacks only count when you want something from us. In search of equality my ass.

oh sorry, i just saw that you are straight. oh goodie. you can get married. how nice for you. i cant. you can visit your partner in the hospital if he is sick. i cant. if your partner dies, no one will try to take his property from you. my partner died. his family came in and took everything we built together for over 10 years away from me. they left me with NOTHING. i'll bet you that you dont EVER have to worry about that. yet 70% of your neibours said i cant have what you have. black or white lady, you will never understand the pain we go thru every day because of that 70%. i fully expected some black folk would vote against us. but not in such numbers. that is what we are upset about. dont give me any racist crap. that wont wash. its not about race. its about rights. i fought for rights for black people. i expected those same people to fight for me. i was sadly mistaken.