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1. I was right there with them until the news on Prop 8.

   I doubt most people give a sh*t about what happened to us on Tuesday. Hell for most people it was probably the icing on the cake.

   I feel so detached from all the celebrating I should be taking part in, but the knowledge that so many of those cheering people do not support me is unavoidably devastating.

   Posted by: Wes | Nov 6, 2008 4:57:41 PM

   
   

2. Hey WES, as dreadful as Prop 8 is, I can assure you that the folks dancing in Seattle are NOT happy about it. But the Obama win is phenomenal and I wish I could have joined the revelers on B'way to celebrate.

   Obama's victory was a victory of hope over fear and that will be the lasting promise. We will win the battle over marriage.

   Posted by: David R. (Proud American) | Nov 6, 2008 5:02:48 PM

   
   

3. I can testify to the Seattle dance party.. It was sheer joy. Thousands flocked to the streets of capitol hill(as they did in just about every city) but what I think was the best part was when a drag queen took center stage on top of neighbours nightclub and began singing the national anthem. Everyone instantly began singing along, all set to a giant American flag waving. To see a crowd of young and old, racial minorities of all color, all different sexualities coming together to sing the national anthem led by a drag queen...If that doesn't show how much the tide has shifted, I don't know what does.

   I can say that being in Seattle's gay mecca, there was a sense of disappointment when prop 8 started flailing, but we're looking ahead to our fight, and we will help California fight as well. What's that old 9/11 slogan? United We Stand... We've got work to do, so get out and volunteer! We'll be fighting a fight with a good man in charge...If we got this much progress done under Bush, think of what we can accomplish under Obama! Let's be optimistic, or at least try to be!

   Posted by: Tyler | Nov 6, 2008 5:09:47 PM

   
   

4. I believe it was a local gay bar, Neighbors, that put speakers on the roof in Seattle and played "Don't Stop Believin". I understand that later, a drag queen stood on the roof, unseen by the crowd due to the lack of lights, and sang "The Star Spangled Banner". I've also heard Neighbors is going to be closed and replaced with condos.

   Posted by: Mike | Nov 6, 2008 5:11:47 PM

   
   

5. I believe it was a local gay bar, Neighbors, that put speakers on the roof in Seattle and played "Don't Stop Believin". I understand that later, a drag queen stood on the roof, unseen by the crowd due to the lack of lights, and sang "The Star Spangled Banner". I've also heard Neighbors is going to be closed and replaced with condos.

   Posted by: Mike | Nov 6, 2008 5:12:40 PM

   
   

6. Wes

   Look at yourself in the mirror and ask "why didn't I go out and register the 1,000,000+ CA gay voting age people who don't care enough about anything to be able to vote. Why didn't I phone bank calling CA registered gays to make sure they all (1/3 didn't) voted. Why didn't I rent a suv and buss shut in elderly gay voters to the polls?"

   Do that and stop blaming others. We the gay community lost this one on our own and can blame nobody but ourselves.

   Posted by: Jimmyboyo | Nov 6, 2008 6:42:20 PM

   
   

7. My boss said to me Tuesday morning that seeing all the celebrations in city after city all over the world was like watching the last scene in Star Wars VI! He was so right. Ok, so now someone much more smarter and adept at such things than me needs to put together clips of the celebrating along with the soundtrack from Star Wars!
   As for Prop 8... this is just a little speed bump. We'll get there.

   Posted by: Kerry | Nov 6, 2008 7:54:20 PM

   
   

8. Video of "The Star Spangled Banner" sing-a-long in Seattle I referred to earlier:

   http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/star_spangled_intersection

   Posted by: Mike | Nov 6, 2008 8:05:15 PM

   
   

9. @jimmyboyo

   You don't know what Wes did, so stop telling him he should have done more. It looks like you're the one trying to blame others.

   The fact is that before the LDS got involved we had this beat, but they decided to go to war.

   And now The Christian Coalition of America's new goal is Prop. 8-type amendments in the remaining 20 states, incl. MA and CT: http://tinyurl.com/648brb

   If we are going to succeed we need to stop blaming ourselves for everything, stop the infighting, and work on building new, better organizations, perhaps based on the Obama-campaign model.

   If you want to change the world, be the change you want to see.

   Posted by: Mike | Nov 6, 2008 8:23:44 PM

   
   

10. Mike

    Where have you been? From moment 1 yesterday I have pointed out that we should have followed the example of Obama = boots on the ground

    Money? The LDS could have pumped in 10 times more money and it wouldn't have mattered.

    1/2 of gays in CA UNREGISTERED! to vote

    1/3 of registered gay voters in CA didn't even vote at all

    There is 17% (leaves a lot of room) right there

    If Wes had been out trying to get boots on the ground then he would have bemoaned the apathy of the gay community as vs blaming those outside of our community. A fine example is Peterparker who mentioned his ground game efforts and the reaction of our own. Again, thank you peterparker

    I'm sick and tired of the blaming of AA's and fellow dems, and LDS money, whatever

    The blame is ours and nobody else's. now get to work

    boots on the ground delivers votes, not checks to HRC

    ACT UP! = ACT!!!!!!!!! not writing checks

    Posted by: Jimmyboyo | Nov 6, 2008 8:36:23 PM

    
    

11. While Prop 8 was a disappointment I do not feel it will be a permanent setback. I was not happy about it either but did not allow it to dampen my celebratory mood. What I do sense now is pure, unadulterated, fear in the right wingnuts. Their hold is beginning to crumble and like anything fearing for it's life, it is trying to make a last clawing effort to hang on.

    I was very encouraged by the youth and minority voter turnout.

    Posted by: Island Girly | Nov 6, 2008 9:11:16 PM

    
    

12. i completely agree w/JIMMYBOYO. take me, for example. i was a die-hard hillary supporter, and as much as i resented the sexist treatment of her, i knew that any democratic nominee was head and shoulders above any repub nominee slouching toward oblivion. thus, i wholeheartedly supported barack.

    every defeat leads to a larger triumph. whether the obama triumph beats a hypothetical hillary win, i will leave that to historians, demographers, PhD candidates, and various and sundry pencil-pushing geeks. what is patently obvious, however, is that the obama win marks a major sea-change in american politics, the lesson being that prejudice and bigotry can be defeated.

    the prop h8 loss should not only sadden us, it should inspire us to keep fighting the good fight. right now is not the time for finger-pointing. whether you or i didn't do enough is neither here nor there. let's study the numbers; let's see what our options are; and get to work.

    in the meantime, protest the mormon cult and ask your congressmen and senators to consider taxing churches who demonstrate overt politicism.

    Posted by: nic | Nov 7, 2008 5:28:16 AM

    
    

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