Happy, Sad

I felt and understood the jubilation when Barack Obama was elected President last Tuesday. Footage after footage of celebration made me feel optimistic, even if I’m not an American. It’s hard not to feel the warmth and hopeful energy of those happy voters.

But later, I was saddened that California’s discriminatory Proposition 8, which nullifies the marriages of gay people and defines marriage as something that’s exclusive to straights, had passed.

It’s so disappointing. It’s wrong to deny loving couples and non-traditional families that legitimacy. That’s selfish, hypocritical and divisive. Those who lose sleep over gay people getting married seriously need to be educated. To quote my friend Gerry, who posted about the issue, “What are they afraid of?”

I found recent reactions to Prop 8 in The Advocate’s site. TV host-comedienne Ellen DeGeneres had this to say:

“This morning, when it was clear that Proposition 8 had passed in California, I can’t explain the feeling I had. I was saddened beyond belief. Here we just had a giant step towards equality and then on the very next day, we took a giant step away. I believe one day a ‘ban on gay marriage’ will sound totally ridiculous. In the meantime, I will continue to speak out for equality for all of us."

Singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge also spoke about the issue:

“Even though we could be married in Massachusetts or Connecticut, Canada, Holland, Spain, and a handful of other countries, this is our home. This is where we work and play and raise our families. We will not rest until we have the full rights of any other citizen. It is that simple, no fearful vote will ever stop us... that is not the American way."

We just witnessed history with Obama’s election. But I hope we witness significant and positive changes for gay people eventually, in America and in this country.

The world will not fall apart because of gay marriages.