A great day, yet a sad day for America

We still look to California to set the example on gay rights issues.  I have hope that all will end well.

It is easy to sway the minds of people when you have the media and propaganda as your weapons. I think it is disgusting that it would even appear on the ballot. I have no room for people who are bigots.

I was surprised too Stewart.  but on a recent trip to Glendale/Pasadena, every major street corner had groups of supporters of Yes on 8 waiving banners to cars passing by!  I also saw more Yes on 8 Bumper Stickers on the freeway.  It was actually frightening.

Living in Weho and Palm Springs, we may be a little isolated from the rest of the world!

Stewart, I missed this.  And all I can think is nobody is forcing anyone to get married who doesn't want to.  It's too bad the proposition lost, or won.  It's always uncertain with these propositions!

It's worse in FL.......62% voted for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriages.  They're already banned so I'm not sure why the need to go this route, but for some it's not enough. 

I believe that a constitutional amendment can be ruled unconstitutional. In Massachusetts, there was a concern over what would happen to the thousands of marriages if a ban had passed. We never had to be subjected to the vile hate that was on display in California from the Pro Eight crowd. I believe there are still a good number of absentee ballots to get counted. At least Florida makes the count be a super majority and not a 50% victory.

Aloha Stewart,

I'm amazed at the double standard in our communities. Television, movies, and advertising are overloaded with overt and and sometimes violent sexual imagery, objectifying women and children as sexual props. Yet many "concerned" heterosexual parents are troubled by the idea they might have to explain to their children that there are some American families that have two mommies or daddies.

As a young child I remember asking my mother what a "switch hitter" was without hesitation she said it's someone who likes to be with both men and women. She didn't go into details and left it at that. She didn't pass judgment or condemn. I understood what she meant without completely understanding the exact detail of the sexual intimacy involved.

Judgmental people who hide behind the bigoted notion that they cannot and should not subject their children to the homosexual lifestyle need to examine how their inability to communicate healthy sexuality to their children is far more dangerous than exposing their children to same sex marriage. These same individuals who use their ignorance as reasoning to subjugate others are in fact the enablers of a delusional, morally hypocritical society. They should be focusing their disgust on their own reprehensible behaviors.

Peace,

Hi Stewart,

I was so happy when I heard that our country had a new direction.

I was so sad when I heard about the 3 states that want to deny equal rights.  If we get some more justices on the supreme court on our side, freedom and equality may actually become a reality.

Keep fighting the good fight.

All the best!

I heard that the money came from utah - big money - and they had a well oiledmachine working through the neighbourhoods getting people to vote against same sex marriage.......people who weren't even up on the issues were urged to go and vote......Perhaps too many took it for granted that it would be defeated?

Many people did NOT take this proposition for granted.  I'd like to repost a letter from Michael Fleming who has fought long and hard to defeat this proposition:

Dear Friends,

While we know the climb to still defeat Prop 8 is very steep, the magnitude of the issues at stake for every same-sex couple and LGBT person in the state of California requires that we have an accurate picture of the final outcome before calling the ultimate outcome.

With at least 3 million ballots still to be counted, from counties we have not yet seen identified, the race could, at a minimum narrow, with the margin becoming much closer.

The No on Prop 8 campaign has determined that, given the incredible gravity of the situation, we will not issue the ultimate call on this election until we have more information (24-48 hours).

Never before in California's history has a group, who currently enjoys a basic right, been singled out and then had those rights ripped from them by a vote of their fellow citizens. This decision is so radical and so egregious that every voice must first be heard, no matter how unlikely a changed outcome might be.

In this fight for fairness and justice, tens of thousands of Californians built a campaign that far surpassed any previous civil rights effort on any ballot measure -- not only in California, but anywhere in our entire country.

You poured your talents, time, resources and hearts into this struggle for freedom and this fight to have their relationships treated equally. Thank you for each and every sacrifice.

And yesterday, at least 5 million Californians voted with us to reject discrimination and we thank them for their support for equality. In 2000 2.9 million voted against discrimination in our loss over Proposition 22 -- we lost that fight by a 22% margin.

Together, we put together the largest volunteer and grassroots network of any campaign other than a presidential campaign. Together, we spoke to our families, our friends, our neighbors and co-workers. Together, we reached outside our community to build coalitions that will strengthen us all. Together, we raised more money for this fight, in a shorter time, than anyone believed possible.

And the struggle for equality is not over.

Because of the struggle fought here in California and fought so incredibly well by the people in this state that loves freedom and justice -- our fight for full civil rights will continue.

In solidarity,

Michael Fleming

The Mormon church needs to lose it's tax-exempt status over this.

Hi Penn,

Having a gay daughter frustrates me dearly, since I want to see her be proud of herself and not have any discrimination whereever she goes after her university years.  Maybe it will take a few more years and another ballot measure to straighten that out.  I think these states are going to transition out of this, so stay tuned in a few years it will come back.

                                   ;>)

Tchaka, I'm not sure what the impetus behind Prop 2 was.  As you said, gay marriage is already banned in this state.  It just seems to me, the intolerant anti-gay groups are just not satisfied with one nail in the coffin, they have to keep at it till the coffin is sealed.  Like, aren't there other issues that need to be addressed in this state?  Oh say, like cleaning up DCF and making sure no other kids die because of departmental incompetance?  Just to name one of many shortcomings here in this state.  I'll never understand why some people are more interested in denying the freedoms of few, while ignoring the needs of many.

Terry - Umm......welcome to Florida?  The list of things to be addressed here is long and yes, I too cannot understand why the focus is on lesser issues.  It's unfortunate because I don't see myself being in Florida for good if this continues.  I'll brave the cold of Washington, DC again.

Being from Texas, places like California and Florida seem so very far away until votes like this tie me to those places.  It was definitely a low point on an otherwise bright day! 

It's upsetting to hear such bad news coming right after the joy of Barack Obama's election, but hearing President Elect Obama include say"gay or straight" in his victory speech gives me hope for the future.