Requisite mention of politics...

[fajrdrako]

To all my American friends: congratulations.

A happy outcome.

Comments

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Oh man, three hours of sleep *points to self*. :)

Probably the happiest I've been in a while. Makes up for 2004's kick in the ass.

I am trying not to be bummed by all the proposals, though, that banned gay marriage and adoption in a few states.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Makes up for 2004's kick in the ass.

It certainly does.

I am trying not to be bummed by all the proposals, though, that banned gay marriage and adoption in a few states.

What a pain. I hope I never have to visit those states.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Well CA is just embarrassing, having had a supreme court ruling that it was unconstitutional to not allow gay marriage, and now a proposal w/ the people says it is? It was SUPER close, they still aren't really calling it.

I do think in time that will change. Just time, like everything else in this country (women's rights, slavery, civil wars racially, etc. and so on).

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

having had a supreme court ruling that it was unconstitutional to not allow gay marriage

Yeah. I'm not sure where human rights fit into this: I don't hear this being discussed in the US as a matter of 'equal rights for all', but isn't that exactly what it is?

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

I've already heard of a lawsuit going to the courts over the proposal, so we shall see.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Good luck to them!

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

I live in one of those states, and it's *very* discouraging. Hurtful, even. It occurs to me sometimes that I could think about moving, that I might have to someday if I want to do all the things a person should be able to do. But I hate the idea of moving *because* of this, because that's one less person here to change things, you know? If tolerant people move away, my home, the place where my nieces are growing up, will just become more of a mire of fear and hate.

And I understand what you mean, but I hope tolerant people wouldn't steer clear just because of this (though there might not be any reason at all that you would *want* to come here, heh) because I believe that the more broad-viewed, open people who come into contact with more narrow-viewed people... foolishly, maybe, I just think that that kind of contact can't hurt the narrow-viewed folks' experience, in the grand scheme. It's one of the reasons I teach ESL. The more different people we meet, the more we understand. I hope.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

And you're quite right, if people leave an area because it's homophobic, then nothing gets changed and it remains a homophobic area - or gets worse.

What really frustrates me is that California has a reputation of being gay-friendly. Apparently not!

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Yeah, in a way it's less of a punch in the gut, the proposal that my state passed, because I'm not *surprised*. (Though I really had been hoping enough to be hurt. Banning unmarried couples from fostering and adopting children doesn't just hurt the hopeful couples, it hurts children too. Gah.) But for quite awhile I've looked to California as sort of a beacon of hope, and so the results of Prop 8 were very frustrating too. I hope they're able to overturn it.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Though I really had been hoping enough to be hurt.

My sympathies.

Banning unmarried couples from fostering and adopting children doesn't just hurt the hopeful couples, it hurts children too.

It hurts everyone, and I can't even think of a good side to it. It's just plain bad any way I look at it.

I hope they're able to overturn it.

I hope so too.

I find it frustrating also that it's so clear that this is a subject in which het people will always outnumber GLBT people, so if it's simply the will of the majority that prevails, including prejudices, cluelessness and indifference. This is the way injustice is perpetuated.

All these people, denied rights that seem normal in other developed countries today. So depressing.

[threeringedmoon.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Still stunned here, and very pleased with my state of Colorado right now. When I moved here 1992, Amendment 2, the anti-gay amendment, had just been passed and liberals were boycotting Colorado. (It was subsequently overturned by the SCOTUS.) I was telling all my friends, "don't boycott Colorado, move here and vote!"

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

"don't boycott Colorado, move here and vote!"

Yeah, that's the ticket!

I am always amused, confused, confounded and appalled that people think it's a good idea to deny others rights they have themselves. How does it harm a het person if a gay person can get married? And if marriage is a Good Thing, why not encourage everyone to do it?

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

There is no reason behind it. It's pure hate, or prejudice. Just as people will vote against embryonic stem cell research because they consider it abortion (without in any way actually reading the wording of the proposal), or how people in MI came out and voted for a ban against benefits in civil unions because they were anti-gays, not realizing the ban applied also to hetero couples in such unions.

They simply aren't thinking. It makes no sense otherwise why they'd care.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Sigh. No, it makes little sense, and we'll just have to go on trying to sway people's minds. I think there's been a lot of social progress over the last century - a black man in the White House is an example of it - but we've a way to go. Except that things do get better. With.... some backsliding. No good to be complacent.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

I still believe I will see gay marriage legalized for good in my lifetime. :) I will do my part to help it along.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It happened here in my lifetime, I see no reason it shouldn't in yours. It isn't so... outrageous, really. I predict less that ten years.

Of course, it should have happened already.

[cionaudha.livejournal.com]

We elected a good man. It will be interesting to say "I'm American" when visiting foreign lands and not say it shyly. Someday I may be able to look you in the eye when I say it. :-)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, I have a good sense of the huge difference between the American administration (which I have hated for years, for many reasons) and the American people, many of whom seem to have been divorced from the people in charge through the last couple of decades.

What I am hoping is that the 'war on terror' will not longer be waged on Americans with no regard for their civil rights.

[toraks.livejournal.com]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!

I'm so relieved!! :-D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

...as are we all.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

My face is starting to hurt from grinning...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I think it's been a while since any one of us has had this particular problem.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's kind of bizarre [g].

[raissad.livejournal.com]

I'm happy he won, and happy it's over. We need shorter campaigns in the US.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

We need shorter campaigns in the US.

That's for sure. I don't know how you stand us. For us: a few weeks, and it's over.

They can do so much less damage in a few weeks.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Dear goodness, YES. I am sick to death of politics LOL.

[duncanmac.livejournal.com]

Quite frankly, the American people (voters) proved to be smarter than us Canucks; we were just a bunch of sheep [baaaah] when we let Harper the Puppet get back in. [Or should I say "lemmings"?]

However, the economic mess is *not* going away. Unless the Conservatives are very lucky, there will be a recession of some kind here by spring. If the Liberals clean up their act and pick a better leader, Harper will soon be toast ... and I will be applauding when the Tories get their shellacking come the *next* election.

It's just a shame we did not finish the job this past month (October) when we had the chance ... and could now put politics aside and tackle the economic mess bearing down on us.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I don't know why Canadians voted for Harper; I don't think it was sheepishness. More likely fear.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you. And we re-elected Murtha, too! (He's exactly right: we in SW PA are somewhat racist. Sigh.) Now: the hard work starts. Go, Obama!