Civil Rights (and Wrongs)
On a historic day when America moved leaps forward and elected an African American president, there still lingered one huge divide in civil equality: gay marriage. Voters in California, Arizona, and Florida selected to ban gay marriage. California is particularly interesting. $74 million dollars was spent, on both sides, to promote their view (with a big portion of this coming for the Mormons of Utah). This is the most ever spent on a social issue. Come election day, when Obama carried the state, California voted 52% in favor of a ban on gay marriage; changing a ruling by the California supreme court earlier in the year. Obama won with 93% of African Americans voting for him. And on the eve of a great victory for racial equality 70% of African Americans voted to ban gay marriage.
There are stories of the next day. Marriages stopped midway while officials made calls and tried to figure out what they should do. Maybe what is worst then not having a right is having a right revoked at the moment you need it. California has 18,000 married gay couples whose status is in a state of limbo. Currently, there are no plans to make their licenses invalid, but the option of doing that has been coyly keep.
Arizona is interesting in its own right. A state that in 2006 voted, not for gay marriage, but against a BAN on gay marriage, reversed it decision this time. The amendment was defeated by Arizona’s legislators, which forced it back on the ballot this year.
It is hard to know how to react to this. I am neither black nor gay, yet have the guilt and blame from both, and have empathy for both. In 2004 Massachusetts’ court made same-sex marriage legal, and Connecticut will make gay marriages legal next week due to an October ruling. It is forbid in every other state save New York, who will recognize a gay marriage performed elsewhere and Rhode Island which is sticking to the “don’t ask, don’t tell” philosophy.
We have come so far, but still have many millions before we sleep.
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