Don't Disappoint Me, Maine

The PR firm that organized the Prop 8 drive in California has been hired in the state of Maine to help overturn the gay marriage law that will go into effect in September. GLBT activists in the state have responded by hiring Jesse Connolly, chief of staff to House Speaker Hannah Pingree, who will take a leave of absence from the State house to resume his activist work. Connolly led the successful 2005 effort, "Maine Won't Discriminate," which protected the state's existing gay rights.

The state of Maine has consistently rejected anti-gay legislation, as early as 1991. I have cause to hope they will reject the new challenges coming their way now. Don't disappoint me, Maine.

Obama Makes Light of Prop 8 Protesters

At a California Democratic fundraiser, Wednesday, May 27th, with hundreds of Prop 8 protesters outside, President Obama openly dismissed them by making a joke about not knowing "what promise" they were talking about. See the video here. He later backpedaled a little bit and spun out some generic rhetoric about "standing with him." How about you stand with me, Mr. President?

Someone pointed out to me the other day that Obama's tepid stance on GLBT issues may in fact be supported by the idea: What are you going to do, vote for Palin in 2012? Tell you what, I just might. I came within a moment's hesitation of voting for John McCain this time. And if I have another president who doesn't care about my civil right, why should it matter if I vote for a different one who doesn't care? In fact, having a president who openly despises me just might inflame the community enough to get a unified movement going, instead of this half-baked "wait and see" and "stand with me" crap that just keeps people hanging on a thread.

I just can't get over the hypocrisy of it. The first black man to be President of the United States won't come within striking distance of the last legally sanctioned discrimination in America. And, while he was in California-- California for God sake -- with Prop 8 protesters outside, he has the chops to make a dismissive comment like that. As I've said before, and likely will say again, one of the reasons people hate Conservatives is because they're not ashamed of what they believe. So called "liberals" need to dodge and spew out empty crowd-pleaser rhetoric and make off the cuff offensive jokes that they can later deny. So, come 2012, unless there has been substantive progress on guaranteeing full civil rights for gay Americans from the White House.... You betcha! I just might vote for someone else.

Prop 8 Upheld By California Supreme Court

The California Supreme Court today upheld Proposition 8, which outlawed gay marriage in California in Nov., 2008. The court ruled unanimously that Prop 8 will not be retroactive, and all same-sex couples who were legally married in California prior to the passage of Prop 8 will remain legally married. Full Story. Regardless of this small concession, it is sad and discouraging day for the gay civil rights movement.