As exciting as an Obama presidency may be, we’re afraid we must bring you some bad news. Though it’s not official, it looks as if California’s same-sex marriages may be no more:
After an intense campaign that cost more than $75 million, California’s voters were leaning ever closer early today to approving a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, dealing a huge blow to the gay rights movement and likely setting the stage for another round of court battles over the volatile issue.
While the Yes on 8 campaign claimed victory just before midnight, advocates of same-sex marriage were clinging to hopes that a surge of support from uncounted votes in coastal counties could still overcome the ban.
With 90.8 percent of the precincts reporting as of 4:25 a.m., Proposition 8 has 51.9 percent of the yes votes.
The ban would go into immediate effect and no doubt spark legal woes for the thousands of couples who married after the state’s Supreme Court gave the green light this summer.
We’ll keep you posted…
CHURCHILL-Y
“African-Americans voted for Proposition 8 by a 69 percent to 31 percent margin. However, 55 percent of white voters and 52 percent of Hispanics voted against the proposition.”
But who cares Obama won!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hate to tell you I told ya so but, I TOLD YA SO!
Most of you white GLBT thought that by aligning and supporting a black candidate blacks would in turn be more sympathetic to our cause. You did this even in the face of the well documented homophobia and anti-Gay sentiments these people have for us, and today after all the insults that were thrown at me I have been proven right. And to those so called black GLBTs(the enemies within our community) save yourselves the time and don’t BS people by telling them that blacks are a minority in CA and made no difference, because every vote from every community would’ve made the difference in rejecting this act of discrimination.
But who cares Obama won!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND WE HAVE NO EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW IN CA!!!!!!!
Here’s my prediction in the best case scenario: In four years we (GLBT) people with an Obama administration and blacks running the government will find ourselves in the same position we are at this morning.
Worst case: a repeat of this ban all throughout the remaining states including MA, NY, CT and if you know something about those places it’s that their black population far exceeds the one in the west coast and today if there had been any doubts in any little Gay mind it has been made clear now how much blacks despise Gay people.
There’s your first dose of CHANGE!
And now my cheerful drones I leave you with two comments from the “But What About Gay Marriage?”
post that I think best sums up what most of you white GLBTs here ddeserve for your loyal
and fanatical support for Obama and black advancement:
“Calm down guys..you´ll always be welcome here in Canada….” -Psychofag
“You guys should just move up here to Canada.” -Commonlad
OBAMA ’08
MEN-SAR
FUCK YOU NEGROIDS!
YOU LOWLIFE, DEGENERATE PIECES OF SHIT
joel
It seems that the Bay Area and particularly San Francisco had some of the lowest voter turn out in the state. Were these democrats who took an Obama win for granted? I don’t know but I’m feeling really disappointed.
tallskin
Still not sure that democracy in its pure form as exemplified by this vile Proposition 8 is a good idea.
Allowing the great unwashed mass of heterosexuals a free vote on anything without forcing them to be educated (at the sharp of a stick if they are stupid) is foolish.
And, as we all know, democracy as currently constituted is controlled by powerful groups who control the media and hence our minds and can manipulate the stupid for their own purposes.
Democracy in such situations needs to be controlled and at one remove from important decisions – otherwise it turns into a lynch mob as illustrated by proposition 8.
Helen
Yes!! Prop 8 passed!!! Protect traditional marriage!!! Protect the children, religious beliefs (btw, I’m nonreligious), and the definition of marriage!!
james
This is a monumental step backwards in American civil rights history, a source of extreme disappointment for those of us who believe in progress, and a massive invalidation of gay, lesbian, and transgender persons in the most populous state in the union.
Mikey
I’m so sick of people who are NOT gay saying what we can or can’t do. We need to fight for our rights more, because nobody gets rights unless they fight for it… you can’t just wait for non-gay people to ‘get used to the idea’.
Troy
Time to give these “down-low” blacks a taste of my HIV tainted cum.
And to think, bareback queen Andrew Sullivan spent more time ranting and raging about the paternity of Palin’s fucking kids and not one article on Prop 8.
Where the fuck was Nancy Pelosi? Not one commercial and not one interview.
Feinstein for Governor. Gavin Newsom acted like a total idiot marrying a dyke couple with a bunch of second graders in attendance. FUCK YOU!
ZeeLee
“I’m so sick of people who are NOT gay saying what we can or can’t do. We need to fight for our rights more, because nobody gets rights unless they fight for it… you can’t just wait for non-gay people to ‘get used to the idea’.”
-Mikey
Hell yes!!! There’s no way that they’ll ever get used to the idea. Well said, Mikey
Stephen
Tallskin said “And, as we all know, democracy as currently constituted is controlled by powerful groups who control the media and hence our minds and can manipulate the stupid for their own purposes.”
I think that is a fair statement, however it doesn’t apply here because the majority of media programs whether they be news, prime time TV programming or even independent online programming suggest acceptance of alternative lifestyles and would influence viewers to support gay rights even if the program doesn’t explicitly say so.
Face the facts; the media didn’t make up the peoples’ minds for them this time. This is a form of democracy truer than our democratic republic with chosen leaders who usually make decisions(like this one) for us.
Lala
People sound so ridiculous when they say “we want to protect the sanctity of marriage!” Gay marriage doesn’t destroy the sanctity of marriage, DIVORCE DOES!
The people voted Yes on 8 should NOT be allowed to ever get a divorce, since they respect the idea of marriage so much!
And for all the religious people out there, the ancient Greek Bible that was written way before the 20th century English Bible NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY! I’ve actually read it and the words it uses are simply not the words used in the English translation. In Greek the word “malakoi” was being used, which means “soft” as in “soft morals.” Somehow this was translated as effeminate/homosexual in English.
ZeeLee
That’s and interesting idea, Lala, although I don’t see how it’ll make much difference. The religious go-to people already think that the gay culture is disgusting and stuff. They’re not going to turn around and welcome us with open arms after all these years because of a simple mistranslation.
ZL
James Lenaghan
Oh man. I think America may have voted for the wrong person. We are even more fucked now. Should have been Hilary then.
CHURCHILL-Y
It’s official:
http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/2008/nov/05/proposition-8-passes-amending-california-constitut/
YES WE CAN!!!!!
OBAMA ’08
Rob
We have no one to blame but ourselves. We gays always shoot ourselves in the foot and blame everyone else. We couldnt come together as a community, there was to much infighting. Remember the trannies protesting HRC dinners around the country when we should have been united, Hilary was better for us but no we had to back Obama (Good man, not best choice for gays), The Black community saying they didnt care for Marriage equality (called it a white thing)….really REALLY sad…..
aimee
The thing that really bothers me about this, is the ‘protect the children’ line that people are spinning. What exactly are they being protected from? Proposition 8 is about equality and allowing the same fundamental rights to all people. Why is that something that children need to be protected from?!
What about protecting children from discrimination? With proposition 8 being passed, many children will be denied the right to the same benefits and stability that other children and their heterosexual parents take as a given.
Natty
Blaming black people for the passage of Prop 8 is short sighted. Let’s face it, the majority of straight voters are uncomfortable with the idea of gay marriage and when they are in the privacy of a voting booth it is easy to deny GLBT people that right.
How many rights once denied to certain Americans throughout history would have been supported if people could have just privately voted “no”.
I think we need to not play the blame game and unite and reenergize within the GLBT community to find ways to show straight people marriage is a right we deserve.
MEN-SAR
actually we SHOULD blame the negroids aka the car stealing, money thieving, petrol sniffing, smack dealing degenerates.
James Lenaghan
I am not racist but am worried black people will be even more against our rights than white conservatives. There is a big chance we may have overestimated one enemy and underestimated another.
donth8
Geez,
there is a lot of hate comments up here.
This is the whole reason why we pushed the no on 8 campaign. Because we wanted to stop the hate. Everybody is always talking about god this..god that..well, what would he say about us treating each other like this? Okay, so yes on prop 8 is slightly in the lead..they didn’t go down with a landslide..and there is a 4 point margin of error. This is not a true victory but still a social controversy. Gay marriage is closer than ever to be fully accepted by our society. We will wait, try again, and at that time we will take the victory. Freedom has never come overnight.
Gay people are not ‘them’ or ‘those’..so, please stop hating on individuals with whom you can’t identify with. That’s called ignorance.
The hate projected in this forum by yes on 8 supporters is only a small example of the animalistic aggression and prejudicism that they have..I hope that there will not be an increased amount of hate crimes or discrimination by these bigots, against small children in school, who have same sex parents.
Stuart
In America the “gay” community has always marginalized its minority members. Gay blacks and Latinos are generally not seen as being part of the larger gay community. I have always found it very sad that the racism exhibited by white gay men in gay America has always been more upfront and more personal than the racism in America at large. (I am a white gay man, by the way.) No doubt our lack of relationship with our minority brothers has hurt us when it comes to building political coalitions beyond our generally middle-class urban base.
Black America tends to be socially conservative. This is not news. What is news is that we gay political activists have done little to bring our common goals into focus. Instead of writing racist diatribes on blogs, how about each one of us befriends a minority gay person, gets to know their family, become active in communities other than our whole narrowly defined ones, and through these actions build political coalitions that work.
Today we have no one to blame for our failures across the nation that our own lack of clear political alliances and social relationships.
chadnnocal
Argh… I can’t believe that Prop 8 passed. This would have actually changed lives in California.
It’s a good day to be black, but a bad day to be gay. But then what day isn’t?
CHURCHILL-Y
Proposition 8 Exit Poll: Whites oppose, blacks support, Latinos divided:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008/11/proposition-8-e.html
CHURCHILL-Y
“we gay political activists have done little to bring our common goals into focus. Instead of writing racist diatribes on blogs”
“Today we have no one to blame for our failures across the nation that our own lack of clear political alliances and social relationships.”
And so one of my predictions has come to pass(sadly), Queer blacks have started to blame Gays (the victims) for the discrimination and hatred directed at them by blacks.
CHANGE/HOPE ’08
crazylove
Observations:
a) Is that the same Exit Poll on 8 that showed 8 losing by 4 point that you are now citing, Churchill, to claim it was the black people fault?
b) I said this in another thread- we lost by what looks to be 51/49 as a split. While sad, we lost in 2000 by 61 percent against gay marriage. Don’t wallow. Be angry. Realize this was a skirmage. We lost this time, but there will be a next time in the near future, if the gay organizations are smart, where they will set forth a propose to repeal Prop 8. That in fact should be the goal. Start organizing now. Learn from how Obama won. Create a grassroot coalition. Reach out to blacks and Latinos. We lost because the campaign focused on a base turnout to win. Meaning- the No people simply hoped as Kerry did in Ohio in 2004 that our base was bigger theirs. The problem is- we never grew our base or laid the ground work for victory. And yet- we came very close. I am sad but guardly optimistic for the near future.
lex
Should we take the absentee vote seriously? It looks like the margin so far is less than 400,000 votes and I’ve heard reports of at least 2 million remaining absentee ballots.
ggreen
30 years after her victory in Florida Anita Bryant is alive and well and living in California. But I too live in California and so do my Mother and my sister and we won’t quit. We have love on our side.
CHURCHILL-Y
“African Americans voted for Barack Obama, but they also voted to support Proposition 8, 70 percent to 30 percent. Latino voters were roughly divided on the question.
Campaign manager Jeff Flint said the Yes on 8 campaign “always felt like a strong turnout among ethnic Democrats, particularly African Americans and Latinos, would be helpful to us.”
“They are culturally conservative. They support traditional marriage,” he said. “We felt like a Barack Obama surge with those voters would actually help us.”
http://www.sacbee.com/749/story/1371940.html
CONGRATS, No. 26 · crazylove YOU NEED TO FEEL PROUD TODAY FOR YOUR PEOPLE, IN MORE THAN ONE WAY!
YES WE CAN!!!!!!
OBAMA’08
RainaWeather
trolls…
chadnnocal
CHURCHILL-Y, there is another string for those that wish to celebrate. For some of us this is not a celebratory moment and we really don’t want to hear the Obama war song this morning.
Stephen
Whites, Asians, and Latinos all either broke even on 8 or voted against it by over 50%. I’m GLAD Obama won but seriously this only confirms my belief that the majority of blacks are homophobic bigots.
When it comes to asking for welfare, food stamps, or criminal leniency blacks always come crawling to the Democrats. When playing the race card and asking for affirmative action, blacks always come crawling to the liberals. But when it comes to helping out people on their own side, stupid blacks cannot put aside their pathetic religious beliefs and uneducated beliefs.
I’m not racist, I just see black culture for what it is. A selfish freeloading parasite on society that screws over fellow minorities.
crazylove
hmmm- I wonder why he didn’t respond to my question about using an exit poll that was wrong as to outcomes to discuss the demographic of race?
Rob
Im so sick of people saying white gays are racist against black gays or latinos..STFU. White gays are classists not racisit if a person has class regardless of race we love them if there car stealing, ghetto blasting trash we hate em…lets be real…
Stephen
While bad organization and outreach contributed to the passage of 8 anyone who denies the significance of black voter turnout is kidding themselves. Blacks and people that embrace degenerate hip-hop culture are what’s wrong with society, not gays that want to marry.
This is so depressing. The marriage equality movement will now probably be stunted for decades in CA now. Even if we elected a Democratic Gov now, the legislature will never get the numbers to amend the constitution. The only was for marriage equality in CA now is through a prop or Supreme Court ruling. CA isn’t as progressive as it thinks it is. The fact that LA county had more YES votes proves this. Norcal should form its own damn state. Screw Socal.
schnickelfritz
I really didn’t expect to wake up to this crap this morning. How could this have passed? I just can’t believe that people should be allowed to vote on something has nothing to do with them. It is so unbelievably ignorant. And I’m voting for Lala, because that was the best idea of the day. I think we should start a campaign to make divorce illegal. PROTECT THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE!!!
SAVE THE CHILDREN!
Paul Raposo
Bring back the poll tax.
Rob
Here’s the thing.
Either we (I’m speaking as a white ally) can all raaaaage about this and create deeper divisions, and use the 10% black minority as a whipping boy for your frustrations with the white majority that ALSO voted for Prop 8. . .
. . .allowing conservatives to further drive wedges between GLBT activists and minority communities. . .
. . .OR we can try to reach out, encourage allies of color to reach out to their families and communities, and attempt to understand and counter the concerns that these communities have.
While doing this, we also need to keep focusing on the white majority and changing their minds, since those votes are still by far the main reasons this Proposition passed.
A bunch of white GLBT activists yelling at “the ignorant black folk” will only reinforce the feeling among some persons of color that gay rights is a “white problem.” And it provides another wedge issue for the conservatives to pry into a true people’s coalition.
Camryn
I’m a little confused about how the Proposition works – voting for Obama/Biden means you’re against gay marriage? I don’t understand what the one thing has to do with the other.
Its heartsickening that the Prop 8 wasn’t summarily trounced, but does spouting offensive and hateful tirades about an entire race of people – broadstroking them the way you’ve been – help in any way?
Fear and intolerance are the enemy and participating in such hateful behaviour only proves why Prop 8 got passed: we aren’t healed yet.
CHURCHILL-Y
“only proves why Prop 8 got passed: we aren’t healed yet.”
@ No. 39 · Camryn: Yes it’s our fault! We should be ashamed of ourselves. We didn’t kiss more black asses.
Perhaps we need to lick them and perfume them also!
Yes, that’s it! That’ll make them like us(a little).
Should we start with yours Camryn?
JJJJ
I like Obama a lot, but I sure hate a lot of the people who voted for him. They just HAD to go ahead and vote yes on Prop 8, too.
regis
i wont hold it against you guys if some mormon churches burn…
Rob
Sorry, Im tired of kissing up to the blacks…
straight and especially GLBT… They need to stop whining and do something… Now they have no more excuses about the man keeping them down.
GLBTs of color need to STFU get educated, get better jobs, stop acting so ghetto and get a grip.
We white GLBT’s have done so much to help minorities yet they are constantly slamming us…SICK OF IT!!!!
Taylor Siluwé
I think everyone should take a breath. I’ve always thought this measure had a prospect of passing, not because blacks are more homophobic, but because of the massive misinformation campaign spread by YES dirtbags.
Many people were misled during the deluge of information during a highly contentious and mind-boggling election season. Obama ALWAYS put gay & straight in his speeches side by side; the intelligent thinking citizens got the message. The ignorant fell for any ol’ email propaganda BS they read about teaching kids how to be gay in school.
This is not the end. Relax. We won big today. No need for nastiness. No need for hate. Our fight is the right one, and right always wins in the end. Always.
RELAX.
Chicago25
I felt bad about Prop 8, after I heard this morning it might pass, then I came here and read all the racists comments about black people and I can honestly say I regret giving my money to a community of people like you all.
I know there is more education needed and more outreach, but if you all are what the “gay” community is about then I can see why people always vote against the “gay” community.
Taylor Siluwé
No, Chicago …
the vileness isn’t what the LGBT community is about. Some of the comments here are horrid, but I believe they are made by those who seek to divide and conquer. Pay no mind.
Obama gave an acceptance speech that was inclusive for the first time in history for an American president. The world heard it. That’s a very big thing. Losing one little ballot in one state momentarily means nothing. We’ll get it back. And equality will sweep across the nation.
It’s as unstoppable as we are.
Robyn
Wow. i am a hetero African-American female who is certainly in favor of gay marriage. But I am not in favor of the racism that I am seeing on this board. I am shocked, hurt, dismayed. I think the racist comments show these people to be no better than those McCain rally supporters. Shame on you. I think that with proper information and outreach, the vote could have gone a different way but it seems the racist commenters above took the black vote for granted. I’m sorry that Prop 8 passed, but I am sickened by the comments I’ve read on these blogs, which I know are no way representative of the gays who I call my friends and I refuse to think otherwise.
szzy
Wow Robyn..I feel the same way..I too am a married African-American who supports gay marriage and am utterly SHOCKED by these comments..I have always been surprised when one minority group hates another..they should know how it feels to be discriminated against. I am sorry that Prop 8 passed I feel its unconstitutional..but the comments on this site are sickening..we are not the enemy..the enemy is the negative & disgusting thoughts in peoples heads that makes them writes this stuff. We need to NEVER forget or give up & not let denials stop us or turn us against each other. Its this sort of crap that makes uninformed people feel that homosexuals are perverse and other such foolishness..Lets experience this letdown together & lets heal one another so we can move forward. Black people fought & are still fighting..through dogs being unleashed,riots,LAWS that said we couldn’t drink out of the same water fountains..but we prevailed thru peace & unity and I say that we all continue fighting this war against Prop 8
WHEW..ok I’m off the soap box
rob
Really, your the only ones whove been oppressed? Remember when it was against the law to sell alcohol to a homosexual? Have you ever read about all the homosexuals who were beaten, stabbed, raped, mutilated and killed just for being? Signs that stated no fags allowed, hmmm…then when the black community had a chance to stand up for another oppressed group they didnt…These are not racist comments they are fact…
Thanks alot for having our backs…
Anthony in Nashville
It’s interesting to read comments here and on other sites about how Prop 8’s passage can be blamed on black people.
As in most situations where you don’t get what you want, I think people are better served at analyzing their behavior and tactics to see what they could have done differently, rather than looking for a scapegoat. If the main organizers behind No On 8 feel like they truly covered all their bases, they have nothing to be ashamed of.
My opinion is that they took a soft sell, corporate-styled campaign approach that failed to engage a broad enough coalition.
Taylor Siluwé
Rob …
As a gay African American male I’d hazard a guess that you’ve never kissed up to “the blacks” ever in your life. You sound perversely like Sarah Palin when she claimed to have tolerance for “the gays”. She was full of it, too.
Get a clue. We LGBT Americans — black, white, blue and green — are ALL inclusive and we won’t let your Palin-esque ignorance and bigotry tear us apart from within.
Do us all a favor and crawl back under your rock, “the blacks” and “the gays” have no use for your sort.
Hojo
We just need to fight back! For starters they just voted to amend the constitution in order to make us less than equal. That said We should no longer pay taxes. It’s called taxation without representation. “If we aren’t allowed to see the movie we should not have to buy a ticket.”
It takes 1 million signitures to put a measure on the ballot, lets Legislate!!!
First up lets amend the constitution to require a 2/3 vote in order to amend the constitution, just like the federal one.
Second lets amend the constitution to make any church funding of legislation or anything political taxable. The morons gave over 22 million tax free dollars to pass this hate legislation. That’s not separation of church and state. The minute a church crosses that boundary that money becomes taxable!
Heck lets write legislation that makes second and third marriages illegal.
Let’s put so much on the ballot that they have to use their resources all over the place, while we focus on repealing this atrocity.
We can outsmart them they believe in fairy tales for F@$%# Sake!
Taylor Siluwé
Amen, Hojo …
This is the sort of brainstorming we need!!!
Russ
The mormans and blacks sold us out. Gays have always supported the blacks. Now, when it was time for the blacks to return the favor, instead they gave us the finger. It won’t be forgotten. Blacks can forget about gays ever supporting them again. Great move black idiots.
Rob
No Taylor, your wrong and you know it. And you know your people were the ones who deserted us..now you have to suffer the consequences with the rest of us… Dont try to discount me because Im speaking the truth…the Blacks had a chance to help another oppressed group and they screwed us, I guess there no different than any one else….Hmmm just like they did to the jews during the civil rights movement…forgot who their firends were…and screwed them …
Face facts my friend….
Taylor Siluwé
I did face facts and have said my piece. There is ignorance everywhere. Including here, sadly.
life-is-vertigo
It would make mores sense to reach out to black and latinos for support the next time this issue comes up. Blacks sometimes tend to follow the advice of their preachers and religious leaders. In order for gay people to get the right to marry they need people from all walks of life to help make it happen. The gay community needs to step up and make more of an effort to pull African-Americans to your side. Homosexuality is scarcely talked about in the black community and I have seen no effort from the gay community to change that.
I am certain that eventually gays will get the right to marry but trying to insinuate some sort of race war because of Prop 8 is ridiculous and it will NOT get you the support that you need.
I am a straight African-American woman who definitely supports gay marriage but some of the racist remarks on this page are making me question that. Clearly a lot of you where just waiting for a chance to express these racist opinions. I try really hard to rally my straight friends and family members to fight for gay rights but if I am going to be called all sorts of vile names by members of the gay community I don’t see the point…