Wednesday, November 05, 2008

And now for the bad news

While Day Falstaff is all busy celebrating the Obama victory, Night Falstaff feels honor-bound to point out that it's turning out to be a bad night for gay rights. Both Arizona Proposition 102 (which limits marriage to heterosexual couples) and Arkansas Initiative 1 (which effectively prohibits gay couples from adopting children) were passed tonight, and Florida Amendment 2 (ban on gay marriage) seems all set to go through as well, with 62% support (it requires 60%) and 99% reporting.

As of this writing California Proposition 8 still hangs in the balance - with the vote being 52% in favor of banning gay marriage with 47% reporting. Let's hope that, at least, doesn't go through. It would be a sad thing indeed if such a glorious moment for racial equality were to be accompanied by an increase in discrimination based on sexual preference.

13 comments:

Szerelem said...

Have been following that too - so disappointing really.

It's a wonderful life! said...

It's utterly disgusting to even put this out on a ballet.This should be resolved through judicial process.not left to the whims of heterosexual people many of whom remain deeply homophobic...What's more disappointing is that the only demographic that's overwhelmingly voted Yes on Prop 8 is the African American Community.One would expect them to know better having lived through dicrimination and being treated as less than equals..After all isnt that the whole point of electing a trnaformational president like Obama....

It's a wonderful life! said...

It's utterly disgusting to even put this out on a ballet.This should be resolved through judicial process.not left to the whims of heterosexual people many of whom remain deeply homophobic...What's more disappointing is that the only demographic that's overwhelmingly voted Yes on Prop 8 is the African American Community.One would expect them to know better having lived through dicrimination and being treated as less than equals..After all isnt that the whole point of electing a trnaformational president like Obama....

Anonymous said...

two steps forward, one big step back. really sad.

km said...

Shame on them for putting this through a ballot. I can understand Arkansas and Florida (and even AZ, to some extent). But CA? Liberal, high-tech, sun-kissed CA?

Falstaff said...

szerelem: Yes

wonderful life: I disagree about not putting it on a ballot (I take it you mean ballot and not ballet). That's how democracy works, after all - decisions are made based on public will rather than expert opinion.

Agree with you about the African American demographic voting for it being deeply disappointing though. apparently only some people are allowed to have a dream.

page 175: Yes

km: Ya, I know. At least there's still MA. At least until 2012.

MockTurtle said...

..and in MA you can now smoke pot while waiting in line for your gay marriage license. Woo-hoo!
At least you'll only be fined, not arrested if caught.
Can't go down to the dog tracks afterwards though.

It's a wonderful life! said...
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It's a wonderful life! said...
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It's a wonderful life! said...

Falstaff: I fail to understand how a civils rights issue such as Gay marriage can be left to the choice of the electorate.If Lyndon Johnson had taken a similar route in 1964 , we wouldnt be having a black president today...Or what about the rights of the woman if Roe vs Wade decision had been put to a ballot measure.

As a gay man I would not like my personal right to marry be decided by someone else...It's demeaning. This is not the same as deciding whether we need to raise taxes or cut carbon emissions.

Anonymous said...

Prop-8 wins :-(

Ana said...

it is very sad, indeed...
For this week I had witnessed two speeches of equal importance.
The Sunday one, a sermon, stated we are all equal in front of God. It addressed a local dispute and a major issue: the right of a person in a committed same sex relationship to be a full member of the Church and even more…
The Wednesday one, we all know…

And strangely, it was pointed that African American churches were the one opposing the same rights for people in same sex relationship. It is probably because they were discriminated for being different that they fear even more difference. It is maybe a need to prove themselves “righteous” in respect to a white, heterosexual culture that it is stronger than their ability to see that the issue is no different: we are all human beings.

Anonymous said...

it almost seems worth digging out but i guess am not that jobless. you once replied to some vague comment of mine -- the cynical falstaff ain't going anywhere soon. hence, "glorious moment for racial equality" made me smile