Updates:
1:30 PM, PST: Legal Groups File Lawsuit Challenging Proposition 8, Should it Pass
8:42 AM, PST: Los Angeles Times: Voters approve Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriages; Passage of Prop.8 throws thousands of same-sex unions into doubt:
Voters approve Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriages. With more than 95% of the vote counted, the measure leads 52.1% to 47.9%.
Watching the tube, MSNBC is saying Prop 8 is still too close to call.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I'm writing this diary, it's been projected for hours that Senator Obama will soon be President Obama. Perhaps I should feel hopeful that in this president we'll have the best chance for a fully inclusive ENDA, have the best chance for seeing a Matthew Sheppard Act, and the best chance for letting gay and lesbian servicemembers serve openly in our military.
Of course, such hopes are marred by the results of the state initiatives this past election day.
The LGBT related initiatives did poorly.
In Arizona, the same-sex marriage ban appears to be passing. With 99% of precincts reporting, the results were 56% to 44%. This initiative is currently projected to win; this is an initiative that needed 50% plus one vote pass -- the state itself was called for Obama.
In Arkansas, the ban on gay and lesbian couples adopting children appears to be passing. With 96% of precincts reporting, the results were 57% to 43%. As of this moment, this initiative has been called; this was an initiative that needed 50% plus one vote pass -- the state itself was called for McCain.
In Florida, the same-sex marriage ban appears to be passing. With 99% of precincts reporting, the results were 62% to 38%. As of this moment, this initiative has been called; this was a constitutional amendment that needed 60% of the votes to pass -- the state itself was called for Obama.
And in California, we had Proposition 8. As of this moment, with 89% of precincts reporting, the constitutional amendment to the California State Constitution limiting marriage to one man and one woman is ahead 51.8% to 48.2%. The constitutional amendment hasn't yet been called -- but the state constitutional amendment needs just 50% plus one vote to pass -- the state itself has been called for Obama.
Here in my odd world of California, there is a weird comparison of initiatives between California initiatives can be made between Propositions 2 and 8.
Proposition 2 is an initiative that was described in the initiative as follows:
The purpose of this Act is to prohibit the cruel confinement of farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs.
So in my mind, perhaps the saddest commentary on "liberal" Californians sense of equality and fairness is to say that in my home state where, to this point, 63.3% of its voters found the mistreatment of farm animals something worthy of being legislated against, and 52.8% of voters believed eliminating the fundamental right of gays and lesbians to marry worthy of a state constitutional amendment.
Whether or not Proposition 8 ends up being defeated or being approved by California voters, one way to look at the Prop 8 vote is in light of the Proposition 2 vote. And that is that a larger percentage of Californians are against mistreating farm animals in hoow these animals are caged than are against mistreating gay and lesbian human beings by eliminating their fundamental marriage rights. Put simply, If one evaluates by the votes cast and the percentages of the votes cast, the rights of farm animals appear to be more important to Californians than the rights of gay and lesbian human beings.
Prop 8 hasn't been called as yet, but I'm too tired to stay up for the final votes to be counted to find out. But, I'm not hopeful that Prop 8 will be defeated, and the freedom of all Californians to marry whom they love looks to be in real jeopardy. And, the big picture is that even if Prop 8 ends up being defeated, when that initiative is coupled with the lost initiatives and constitutional amendments in Arizona, Arkansas, and Florida, gays and lesbians in the affected states lost big. With the possible exception of California, LGBT people lost big wherever their civil rights were directly voted upon. And in California, we may lose small, but still lose.
It dampens my hopes in what a Democratic Congress and Democratic President will do with a fully inclusive ENDA, a Matthew Sheppard Act, and with repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The tide just doesn't seem to be flowing in the electoral direction of LGBT citizens. |
