David Mixner: “Election (Part One): Enough, No More, Enough”

and

Andrew Sullivan: “The Pain in Maine II”

Also do note there are

Rallies in support of Maine nationwide

Thank you folks — Dimplecheek, SJnky, Tigs, hatched by two chicks, michaela, Vikki — for checking in and commiserating. Words fail, and instead it’s abstract rage (for many of us in & outside of Maine), and probably shell-shock and depression too, near and far but especially in Maine.

I recall being leveled by the Prop 8 vote, even though I was dreading it for months, watching the polling numbers and understanding how we had to clear the “bar” by a minimum of 8 or so percentage points, to make up for the shame people feel (!) in admitting the depths of their homophobia to a pollster. Frankly I haven’t totally recovered.

I also was unable to go straight to rage, since the shock and fatigue were so intense. Particularly when so much of the work entailed either sheltering my kids from the hateful messages, or trying (utterly unsuccessfully) to shelter them from my rage and fatigue and inattentiveness as I focussed on what I firmly believed was the good fight in their best interests. It feels like an untenable position for parents especially.

No question, we in CA had nine months to experience (and imagine the longevity of) the state recognition/protections, and 18,000 of us were able to retain them. I’ve given that a lot of thought when I’ve wondered what the LGBT people of Maine are feeling right now.

It’s true, hatched: the third part of the trinity in that image is one of the remaining assets we have right now from my state’s chapter of this battle. Aside, of course, from the political strategies one hopes we’ve learned. But we in CA have the opportunity for 18,000 of us to give the lie to nearly every lie perpetrated by the hate groups that mount the anti-gay marriage campaigns.

And by god they are hate groups. Twenty, thirty years from now they will be seen as as an anti-gay (hetero supremicist) analog of the white supremicist White Citizens Council (now under the more palatable moniker Council of Conservative Citizens): KKK lite. Same effective impact, with a bit less raw terror and blood.

Here on out, the gloves have to be off. This crap is hetero supremacy, plain and simple, hiding behind a curtain of lies. No more.

I don’t know what else to say, except that I am extremely discouraged by my fellow Mainers and beyond – BEYOND – furious with the Catholic Church, which ran $^&! second collections for this campaign.

I think I was just reminding myself why…

Thought about you, and hoped you weren’t TOO discouraged. But, how can we all not be? Just drives me insane.

I’ve declared it “take a gay to dinner night” and am going to enjoy the company of my best friend for a few hours. I hope you and yours can find a way to smile, laugh and love through this sad, enraging day.

Lots of Love and Hope!