Is Anyone Else Thoroughly Depressed?

[kingLouiethe1]

I just want this election to be over. I feel like I am surrounded by people who support eliminating my right to marry (in this neighborhood, not in my life). The campaign for prop 8 has been filled with so many lies, and so much fear mongering.

I am so angry that it actually works, and I am praying that it doesn't pass, but I am also internalizing a lot of that negativity. It just brings up to the surface all the challenges and humiliations I've had to suffer my whole life for being gay. Usually I don't dwell on those things because it's easier not to, and it usually best to just keep moving forward and upward. I just want it to be Wednesday so one way or another I can move past this.

 

[Holly]

I'm on the other coast, but I'm watching Prop 8 very closely and I've donated to Vote No on Prop 8.

I don't understand why so many people support such blatant discrimination against American citizens.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I live in MA.......we get it here. Thankfully we allow people who love each other to marry.....

 

[glenpreece]

I live in Canada and thank God for that. Good luck!!!

 

[fairycat]

Today we left DLR to go the the Character Wherehouse and those hate mongers were out on the corner and I was sickened! Then I noticed a woman talking to everyone and realised she was against the Prop! I told her "Give them Hell"!! (since with this kind of Nastiness I am sure thats straight were they are heading!), she told me she was on her way to get "No" supporters to show the other side to everyone.

At Olvera street we saw a whole march on "yes" people and was sad to see their kids involved. They tried to interupt the Day of the Dead celebration with all their flyers but no one wanted to give them any mind. I saw some telling them to take their flyers back, many in the trash and lots turning them away.

I am trying to get in as a volunteer to make sure people are voting, I am trying not to rip down signs, I am trying to mind my manners in dealing with these people, but it is so hard!!!!

In the end I bet Martin Luther King Jr., Susan B. Anthony and Ceasar Chavez would never have voted "Yes on 8"!!!

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Kinglouiethe1

I have to tell you that we are in the same frame of mind. It gets far too overwhelming, all the hate and negativity. Not a day goes by that we don't feel the oozing of anti gayin our lives.

It's gotten so bad that I refuse to watch television right now. I'm immersing myself in re-watching QAF for pete's sake, and researching such titillating subjects as gay semiotics on the web. Anything to offset the damaging effects of internalizing the hatred and bigotry.

I don't know if we'll see equal rights for all in our lifetime, but I've had just about enough (make that enough) of the discrimination, prejudice and hatred.

Why oh why does it snow in Massachusettts?

 

[rpmdfw]

Yeah, I'm suffering from campaign fatigue, too. I'm feeling "Ugh, I've voted already, can't you all just leave me alone!"

And while I feel your pain on Prop 8, at least the media is paying attention to it there.

The national press is focusing on Prop 8, and the Gay news outlets such as the Advocate and 365 News on Logo and sites like afterelton.com are pushing people to send money to Prop 8, but ignoring the fact that Arizona, Arkansas, and Florida all have anti-gay legislation to defeat too!

Stop telling me I need to send money to California, when we have to fight our own fires here!

Not that defeating Prop 8 isn't important, but I wish that the gay media would realize that there are gay people who don't live in California and New York and we're fighting for our rights, too!

Okay, I'll step off my soapbox now.

 

[OrlandoMike]

Well here is a little bit of good news from Florida I just found.....


The poll of 600 likely voters shows support for Amendment 2 at 53 percent, less than the 60 percent approval rate required to change the constitution.


Driving around yesterday I noticed a sign that made me sick....Vote yes on 2, protect our children! UGH!

 

[rpmdfw]

Driving around yesterday I noticed a sign that made me sick....Vote yes on 2, protect our children! UGH!

Yeah. I've seen lots of those. They make me so mad!

I've never been so close to straight bashing in my life!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Well here is a little bit of good news from Florida I just found.....


The poll of 600 likely voters shows support for Amendment 2 at 53 percent, less than the 60 percent approval rate required to change the constitution.


Driving around yesterday I noticed a sign that made me sick....Vote yes on 2, protect our children! UGH!

I am shocked and appalled that it has a 53% approval! WTH? What 600 people did they ask? Was this a random sample, or did they drive over to Bigots R Us and do an exit poll? Is FL really THAT conservative/stupid/prejudiced?

Rob - THANK YOU for putting that scrumptious pic of Tolliver back in your siggie! I missed him! (I really like the pics of you and Scott, too. )

 

[wallyb]

I'm on the other coast, but I'm watching Prop 8 very closely and I've donated to Vote No on Prop 8.

I don't understand why so many people support such blatant discrimination against American citizens.

I would have thought better of California.
I shocked it's even close.

 

[ChrizJen]

I'm sad and disheartened.
I just don't understand how we've come to this.
I don't get how supposed "christians" can use their so-called "religion" to justify fear, hatred, and discrimination.
I don't consider myself an exceptionally religious person, but I was raised Christian (Catholic, actually). Perhaps I was just shielded by my parents from those parts of the Catholic religion, but let me just tell you that the Christianity in which I was raised was NOT the same as what passes for religion these days.
I was raised on the basis that you live your life the best way possible, avoid judging others, and do unto others as you would have done to you. It's not so difficult, really.

I wonder one thing of all of those working so feverishly to pass Prop 8 (and others like it). Do they just not REALIZE how hurtful their actions are to a good portion of the population, or do they just not CARE?
Blind faith is certainly a dangerous thing, but understandable to a certain degree. The decision to spread hatred (even knowing how hurtful it is) is an entirely different thing, and it's downright scary.
That's certainly not the kind of "Godliness" that I want to be a part of. Ever.

 

[fairycat]

Rob I so agree! We need to fight this bigotry no matter what state you are in. I think the reason California is getting all the attention is because of the weddings that did get through and people want to see that if it really can get voted down here maybe there is a chance in other states. Some of the states are so much harder to win everyone is afraid to put their heart into it and get crushed again.

All of who support equal rights need to get involved no matter what state you are in and even if you do not have a ballot prop. about gay marriage write your representitves and tell them that you want equal rights for all! If enough people let them know and vote in those who want a real equality for all maybe we will finally see the change we want to see.

It's a crappy fight to fight when its just common sense to make all people in this country equal. too bad it takes hundreds of years for this country to always get that.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I am mostly agnostic, so I find it fascinating what people will parade around under the religion umbrella.

There is a book called "The End of Faith" by Sam Harris where he talks about how scary and dangerous it is for world leaders to be completely entrenched in religion. I watched a lecture of his on C-SPAN and he has some brilliant points. Like if you told someone eating frozen yogurt makes you invisible they would laugh at you, but if you tell them some equally absurd myth from the Bible they will believe it and defend it as truth to the death.

I have no explanation for people who want to spread hate and discrimination. My college history professor said people have to have a group to step on. Throughout history there has always been some group that was ostracized, some group that was viewed as "lower" so it was OK to treat them with different rules. I guess GLBT is the group du jour? I hate that my friends are denied basic rights and that others see nothing wrong with that.

 

[daannzzz]

Yes. This election and in particular the Proposition 8 have had me more involved than usual and I expext 8 to pass...unfortuanately.
The Yes on 8 people ar absolutely blitzing everything with advertising this weekend and even more so today.

 

[TuckandStuiesMom]

Hugs for you, Louie.

It IS hard and I am afraid 102 might just pass here too. But, I am also 100% confident that this crap will NOT stand in the long run. Those kids that I saw picketing the local wingnut headquarters last Thursday are the future.

Progress on social issues is almost never linear. Just when you think things are hopeless, something good happens and you soldier on. A mind changes. A heart opens up. It'll happen. I'm sure.

 

[kingLouiethe1]

OMG at the bottom of this thread there is an advertisement for yes on 8

kitty, I left DLR today and there was a huge group of no on 8 people on the corner of harbor and that street where the cast members park. I was so happy to see them, and I would have gotten out to join them if my niece wasn't sleeping in the backseat.

Rob: I completely agree that Florida and Arizona are important too, the big difference though is that marriage is a right we have right now in California, and won't have anymore if this prop passes. Also the Mormon church didn't send $30 million to Florida, they made their stand here. We had to counter that, they're the ones that set the stage. And we did end up out funding them, and it only happened because of all the support we got from across the country.

 

[rpmdfw]

Rob: I completely agree that Florida and Arizona are important too, the big difference though is that marriage is a right we have right now in California, and won't have anymore if this prop passes. Also the Mormon church didn't send $30 million to Florida, they made their stand here. We had to counter that, they're the ones that set the stage. And we did end up out funding them, and it only happened because of all the support we got from across the country.

I understand all of that. It's just that the gay media is actually telling those of us in Florida we should be sending money to "No on 8"!

Yes, I'm pulling for Califorinians to do the right thing and defeat Prop 8, but c'mon, at least let those of us who actually LIVE in states with legislation on the ballot fight to defeat our own hateful amendments! I'm very frustrated by the "gay powers that be" forgetting that our fight is important too.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

I think we all need to be concerned about the entire nation. As we fight for 2 in Florida, so we should fight for 8 in California. Money is an issue, and I know we can't support every initiative individually.

I was hoping that HRC would be the clearing house for such nationwide efforts.

If CA loses, we all lose. If FL loses we all lose.

Virgina Woolf said it, "the world is my country." Same idea here. We do need to do all we can to help every state in the nation work for equality for all lesbian and gay people under the law.

 

[fairycat]

I know the Daily Show tends to speak to the "choir" so to say, but I liked that they talked about Prop 8 last night. I wish it was brought up that other states are also voting on similar issues, but at least the focused on the general ridiculousness of the Yes side. I love the discussion of "traditional" marriage.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=189782&title=i-now-denounce-you-chucklarry