Tomorrow is Election Day across America. I know CNN is really excited about it, they're hoping that tomorrow will bring their ratings back to what they were during the last election cycle (the cable news network is currently rated #3). But, I'm guessing that they'll have a difficult time garnering viewers. Although there is always high drama in politics, this election lacks any of the charisma of the presidential election, and in return has garnered little interest outside of the standard political junkies.
But this election season is important nonetheless. There's the mayoral race in Boston, where basically everyone is expecting Mayor Thomas Menino to continue his reign. Although, I personally don't really feel like very much is at stake in this election (I also don't technically live in Boston, so I don't vote in city elections), I'm hoping for a big upset from Michael Flaherty. Mostly because that'll be the greatest story of the season in this city. Mostly, I just want Sam Yoon to cast a spell over Boston because he looks like an Asian version of Harry Potter.
Regardless of the outcome of any of tomorrows races, the Anti-Gay Marriage ballot initiative in Maine will effect the entire nation. The strategy for the "Yes on 1" campaign has been strikingly similar to the same one that was used in California to pass Proposition 8.
Rachel Maddow breaks it down better than I can/will:
Just like Prop 8 sent out a wave of action and protest by both sides, the result in Maine will have similar repercussions. Hopefully, the result (regardless of what it is) will be big enough to swing the Obama administration into action.
President Obama gave a wonderful speech to the Human Rights Campaign about how he would fight for federal equality for gay citizens. He's done a few things, like the recent passing of Matthew Shepard Act, The Ryan White Care Act expansion, and the lifting of the travel ban for those living with HIV/AIDS, as well as working to expand domestic partnership benefits to gay federal employees. Yet, his administration has done little to organize supporters for drastic change on gay rights.
If Maine votes overwhelmingly "No on 1," then basically the entire east coast will become Gay-friendly. Creating the slow push that I always predicted for gay marriage.
Gay Marriage is this generation's Jim Crow. The overwhelming civil rights legislation that gave equal rights to African-Americans and Women wasn't achieved in a single year, with a single friendly push for federal reform. Lawyers and activists worked together to fight small battles in each state until there was a large enough precedent to win in the United States Supreme Court. I hope that Maine proudly becomes one of those precedents that forces the Obama administration and subsequent others to recognize and deal with LGBT Americans and their supporters.
I look forward to the day when I can openly participate in the federally recognized marriage ceremonies of my gay friends.
Photo Source
0 comments:
Post a Comment