“GET” IT OVER WITH
… FOR *&^%$$ SAKE
As I sit down at my computer to write this update on the elections, I can’t help but think, “Why don’t we just have the election, tomorrow?” At this point, I find it hard to believe there are people in the country who don’t know for whom they will vote. Now that Senator Clinton has officially dropped out of the race, and God willing becomes the running mate for the democrats, why on earth are we waiting for November? Either you are with John McCain on the conservative side or you are with Obama on the other side. Isn’t that how it’s working?
I really do have a hard time imagining the folks out there who say they are “undecided” and, I can assure you, not too many of those people are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. I am sure they are out there, but unlike so many elections before this one, this one contains some volatile elements like war, a pitifully slow economy, and millions of people who can’t afford to pay the mortgage and are losing their homes. The election comes down to more of McSame or a change in history.
For gays and lesbians, in light of the recent California State Supreme Court decision in favor of same sex marriage, this election has more meaning than ever. In many states, signatures are being collected in a backlash to put amendments on the ballots that will “protect” marriage from those nasty homos. The anti-gay industry is making a fortune from the donations to “pro-family” organizations.
For a change, we have a chance at winning ground no matter who takes the White House. While I will not deny my loyalty to Obama, I won’t knock that we actually have a conservative republican nominee who opposes a Federal Amendment on Marriage. We have a Republican nominee who states that gays and lesbians should have rights and said so on the talk show with an openly gay host. I can tell you that I would never have dreamed of this when I first became eligible to vote over 20 years ago. This is a huge improvement over the last republican administration and a landslide over the last 50 years of Presidential administrations. This is history in the making for GLBT Americans and I am happy to watch in awe.
On the flipside, McCain will not be any walk in the park for GLBT folks. He opposes lifting the ban on GLBT service members and he is against adding sexual orientation to our federal nondiscrimination laws. He will not support the Matthew Shepard Act adding GLBT folks to hate crimes laws, and at the end of the day, he also adamantly opposes same sex marriage.
Now, it would be wrong of me to tell you folks whom to vote for, but I do care that you are informed about your choices. I want you to be informed that Obama supports ending “don’t ask, don’t tell”, passing the Matthew Shepard Hate Crime Act, and adding us to the federal employment nondiscrimination laws.
I wouldn’t dream of telling you whom to vote for, but I hope you are informed. |
