Marriage

Yesterday was a rough day for queer rights activists. Bigotry and fear won out in Maine when a majority of our New England bretheren voted in another popularity contest to overturn a law approving marriage for same-sex couples. This was an attempt by the progressive community to navigate around the conservative blowhard argument of judicial "activism". (Folks, judges aren't being activists when they are doing their jobs to interpret the law and define case precedents.) It's still a good idea to try multiple tacks toward equality. Some states will need the judicial branch to step in, others will use the legislature. Ultimately, I'm not worried--frustrated, yes, but I remain optimistic because I know time and shifting demographics are on our side. Five years ago, when the state of Oregon invalidated my marriage I was really bitter for some time and pretty much hated every straight person for a few days. Queer activists gave me some hope in doing damage control after Amendment 36 passed. According to research then, 68% of Americans under the age of 35 approve of marriage for same-sex couples. Tie that in with census data reflecting the population growth of people of color and the future looks promising for the Democratic party. I'm not saying I agree with everything the Democratic party stands for but they have a better track record where queer rights are concerned. Right now it's important while we are in power to stock up the courts with open-minded judges, to increase visibility and keep pushing forward on the education campaign. The truth is...it's a waiting game. As the older generations die out and the make-up of our country changes, familiarity is our friend. It's harder to hate someone when it's your dad, cousin, neighbor, mayor, friend or child. Hang in there, y'all, we're on the right side of history. :)