Preliminary results give victory to the forces of hate in California, with Prop 8 passing 52-48%. Kate Kendall of the National Center for Lesbian Rights has noted that 3 million to 4 million absentee and provisional ballots remain uncounted statewide. The Sacramento Bee reports:
“The fact is depending on the turnout model we are looking at millions of votes yet to be counted,” Kendall said. The race is too close to call. People’s fundamental rights hang in the balance.”
Secretary of State Debra Bowen is expected to issue an estimate of the number of uncounted ballots late today or Thursday. It could take days to process all of them.
With a race this close, a handful of votes could turn the tide either way. It astounds me that in this country, civil rights can be thrown around so easily. As much as I am in favor of letting citizens have a voice in our democracy, civil rights should not be open to vote, especially when so much turns on marketing money and spin. I suspect I’m preaching to the converted here, though.
While you’re waiting for final results, go read Pam’s insightful post about what the anti-equality ballot initiatives say about the LGBT community and race.
Considering mine is one of those ballots — I voted early because I was working the polls for No on 8 — I’d really like them not to call this thing before they’ve counted all the votes.
Great post at Pam’s. We just did a post too at Green Dads on the subject.
What can I say. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t set up a website called StraightGuysAgainstProp8.com like I thought of. I’m sorry I didn’t talk to more people about what prop 8 will mean for real people. I’m sorry that, when I saw Yes on 8 supporters on the side of the road, I didn’t stop and try to change their minds. I’m sorry for so many things. I almost wish I knew someone who would have voted yes so I could have talked to them (but not really).
Mostly, I’m sorry that my kids will grow up knowing that on the same day we voted to end discrimination in the Whitehouse, we also voted to start it in our own house. I’m sorry that they will grow knowing that they may not be able marry the person that they fall in love with because other people believe marriage is about sex, not love.
I will say, however, that I will make sure that my kids won’t let the same thing happen. Call it indoctrination if you like, but if indoctrinating kids that we should never take away people’s rights or discriminate based on something as silly as gender is wrong, then, well, I don’t want to be right.
I will say, though, that minutes before the polls closed on Tuesday, I saw the “Mormon Home Invasion” ad for the first time. Now, I don’t watch a lot of TV, so maybe I missed it, but I sure wish that spot had been shown a whole lot more.
On the upside, maybe we can get the mormons to fund the passing of a constitutional change making polyamory legal?