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LOSSES FOR THE GLBT COMMUNITY & EQUALITY IN THE 2008 ELECTION
(I'm feeling disappointed)
Though there are some things to celebrate about from the outcome of the American election on November 4, 2008, there are some things for the GLBT Community to be sad about. Outcomes that further deny us equality. Here they are (results and descriptions from CNN.com.):
Arizona Proposition 102:
Ban on Gay Marriage- Passed 56% to 44%
This measure will amend the state constitution so that only a union between one man and one woman would be valid or recognized as a marriage in the state. A similar measure was on the ballot in 2006 but failed.
Arkansas Initiative 1:
Ban on Gay Couples Adopting Children- Passed 57% to 43%
This measure will prohibit unmarried "sexual partner[s]" from adopting children or from serving as foster parents. The measure specifies that the prohibition applies to both opposite-sex as well as same-sex couples. [Added by me: But we know that all that straight couples have to do is go to the courthouse and get their marriage licenses, gay couples can't do that]
California Proposition 8:
Ban on Gay Marriage- Passed 52% to 48%.
This measure will amend the state constitution to specify that only marriages between one man and one woman would be recognized as valid in the state. If passed, the measure would trump a May 2008 ruling by the California Supreme Court that legalized same-sex marriage. [Update by me: Prop 8 will NOT nullify all the same-sex marriages that were performed while it was legal from May (though marriages didn't start until June 16th) to November 4th so couples like Ellen Degeneres & Portia De Rossi, Sam Harris & Danny Jacobsen and Johnathan Adler & Simon Doonan and thousands of other loving gay & lesbian couples will not lose their marriage rights (for now anyway). We can be thankful for that. But how terrible and sad that others won't have the opportunity to marry now! ]
Florida Amendment 2:
Ban on Gay Marriage- Passed 62% to 38%
This measure will amend the state constitution to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. In order to amend the Florida constitution, 60 percent of voters had to vote in favor of the amendment.
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