Updated Nov. 7
The get out the vote for Obama campaign, to which the LGBT beltway bandits contributed mightily, achieved its goal of bringing out record numbers of black and Hispanic voters, who heavily supported the anti-gay marriage amendments that will constitutionally bar same-sex marriages in Florida and Arizona (and, even worse, roll back marriage equality in a state where it now exists, California. Also, Arkansas voters banned gay couples from adopting children.
From Reuters, California Stops Gay Marriage Amid Obama Victory. That state's anti-gay marriage Prop 8 passed with exit polls showing 51% of whites opposing the amendment but 70% of African-Americans supporting it, and 75% of African-American women voting to ban our marriages. But what price is losing marriage equality when we now have the light bearer to reign over us?
In early October, we posted one volunteer's warning cry:
"Being behind in the polls wasn't inevitable-we were ahead for a long time-but now...their side has out fund-raised us by $10 million. ...
"Gays have a third choice in 2008; say to hell with the presidential election-Obama is no savior for the gays, and McCain no threat-and get 100% behind the No on 8 campaign. But no-our national organizations had to pretend the presidential election mattered for us this year, and for that, we might just all pay dearly, for a long time to come.
Then, on the eve of the election, Obama reiterated that " 'marriage is between a man and a woman." Yes, he said he was against Prop 8 and amending state constitutions, but everything else he said could have been used in a pro-Prop 8 ad. [update: And it was! A pro-prop 8 robocall used Obama's anti-gay marriage remarks.] The message wasn't lost on the faithful. And, of course, Obama had previously explained that only male-female marriage is a divinely ordained sacred union to be enshrined by law.
Don't expect Obama or the Democratic congress to take steps to modify much less revoke the odious Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act. The LGBT Obamist cadres will be explaining shortly that such a move wouldn't be expedient, after all, in terms of the greater goal of enacting their sweepingly "progressive" redistributionist agenda.
More. McCain received an historic 27% of the self-identified gay vote, according to CNN's exit poll. But to the LGBT media, we're virtually invisible. And as far as the beltway bandits at Human Rights Campaign are concerned, we don't exist.
But what if the money HRC raised to get out the vote for Obama and help secure their own sinecures in the Obama bureaucracies had gone to fighting these initiatives instead?
Corvino, John
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That’s a false dichotomy. You could always try to stay and fight from within. There was a group called Republicans Against 8.
Republicans are 35% of the population of California, and Prop 8 passed. The problem is with both parties.
Attmay, there is certainly plenty of blame to go around to both parties. However, if only Democrats voted on Prop. 8, it would have failed overwhelmingly. If only Republicans voted on Prop. 8., it would have passed overwhelmingly. So as long as 1) stats similar to these occur for gay right issues and 2) there is no viable alternate party; one party is going to be more supported by gay persons than the other.
But there is some good news. Younger people were more opposed to Prop. 8. Also, McCain, while more anti-gay than his opponent IMO, has been more pro-gay than previous Republican canddiates for president. Apparently, he received 27% of the gay vote from what I heard. So there’s some progress here. All is not lost.
And of course, you’re not going to do anything about it, because if you criticize Democrats, they’ll stop liking you.
I’m pretty sure I have never chosen an action based on that.
But of course, the fact that Republicans don’t like you, even though you criticize them constantly, is proof that they’re homophobic, because they should like you even when you criticize them.
Actually, the anti-gay plank in their official party platform is better proof.
So it’s OK to support and endorse homophobic Democrats because you agree with them on other issues, since being gay is not the only thing you should consider.
I don’t think I have ever supported or endorsed a homophobic Democrat. I believe that my comments were directed at a percentage of Democratic voters who IMO aren’t playing for the whole team.
But, since some Republicans are homophobic, you must always oppose Republicans despite how you feel about their views on other issues, because being gay is the only thing you should consider.
It’s a cost benefit ratio. It’s the rare Republican politician who is worth the trust or bet. Maybe when they stop meeting with the neoklans, then I’ll reconsider.
Meanwhile, it’s OK for gays to claim they are working from within the Democrat Party, but if a gay does that in the Republican Party, they’re self-loathing.
Justify your existence any way you like. It won’t change what you are actually doing.
I am upset about this erroneous finger pointing at African-Americans regarding Proposition 8. Why are you so quick to believe whatever you hear? If someone told me 70 percent of gay people voted against Obama my first thought would be, excuse me Jesus, that is crap! I don’t believe it! This political year was fraught with right wing lies. Bear that in mind.
“Religious organizations that support Proposition 8 include the Roman Catholic Church], Knights of Columbus, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) a group of Evangelical Christians led by Jim Garlow and Miles McPherson, American Family Association, Focus on the Family[and the National Organization for Marriage Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, California’s largest, has also endorsed the measure. The Bishops of the California Catholic Conference released a statement supporting the proposition. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) has publicly supported the proposition and encouraged their membership to support it, by asking its members to donate money and volunteer time. The First Presidency of the church announced its support for Proposition 8 in a letter read in every congregation. Latter-day Saints have provided a significant source for financial donations in support of the proposition, both inside and outside the State of California. About 45% of out-of-state contributions to Protect Marriage.com has come from Utah, over three times more than any other state.”
Still, even though gays were fighting to preserve a basic right, it was the anti-equality side in California that seemed to have the most fervor. A symbolic low point for the gay side came on Oct. 13, when the Sacramento Bee ran a remarkable story about Rick and Pam Patterson, a Mormon couple of modest means – he drives a 10-year-old Honda Civic, she raises their five boys – who had withdrawn $50,000 from their savings account and given it to the pro-8 campaign. “It was a decision we made very prayerfully,” Pam Patterson, 48, told the Bee’s Jennifer Garza. “Was it an easy decision? No. But it was a clear decision, one that had so much potential to benefit our children and their children.
thelea,
The anger with the black evangelicals is because they voted Democratic AND anti-gay. We didn’t expect any better from the Republicans because the anti-gay groups are GOP identified and brag about being its core.
The finger pointing is not erroneous and it is not a lie. It’s also not determined simply by exit polling. Precinct results prove the situation to be true. It’s unpleasant, but whether one thinks we should pursue this through aggressive politics or diplomatic influence, being in denial about the situation will not help.
Black people may be only 7% of the population of California, but as they are almost exclusive Democratic voters, and Democrats and Republicans split the vote fairly evenly at any given time, then the impact of black voters is doubled in Democratic interests. If we are counting on an election being close, then black voters represent 14% of the Democratic vote.
Both California’s Prop 8 and Florida’s Amendment 2 passed by a small percentage of votes. IN Florida the precinct maps show that the precincts which are nearly 100% black are solid YES. But we need to consider more than race because the precincts which are also black but not poor were solid No. We also know that the black evangelical churches were meeting with the Yes organizers, and we know that the ministers of these churches were promoting Yes.
So in a way, you are correct. It’s not about being black, it’s about being poor and black. And that leads us to ask what is different between poor blacks and middle class or well off blacks.
Real estate. Fear. It is easily demonstrated that poor urban black people view the gay community as white. And they view it as a threat, because white gay men are well known as urban pioneers who will move into poorer areas which the black community views as being “historically black”, places which were largely abandoned by white people 50-75 years ago. It really doesn’t matter that there are gay black people who do the same thing because they are not a visible threat. In almost any city in the country, you can find not only fear but organized resistance (in black churches as well) to gentrification and “displacement” which is viewed as a white invasion of black community.
We have a lot of work to do.
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