It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I am elated at President-elect Obama's (how I love saying that phrase) resounding electoral college win, slightly dismayed at the margin of the popular vote (although it is practically a "mandate" compared to previous elections), and overwhelmingly sad at the level of prejudice displayed against LGBT people in California, Arizona, Arkansas and Florida. It is not yet clear whether California's Prop 8 will pass or not, but the closeness of it shows how many people are against us.
I will spend today reveling in the accomplishment and recovering from the blow. I spent the post-election morning commiserating with Larry Flick on Sirius OutQ, who was devastated by the bad news, and the many callers who expressed their disappointment, anger and despair. But I will put away my disappointment and get back to work. Progress, not perfection.
It seems almost too much to bear, coming as it does so soon after the ENDA debacle last year. I was also overwhelmed with despair and grief then too. But I have come to be much more philosophic about these things. In fact, although I was very angry with Barney Frank then, I've come around to his point of view on how to get it accomplished. Indeed, I will take the same position about marriage equality that Barney Frank took about gender identity in ENDA.
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