Prop 8 and the Black Vote

Sebastian does the math, confirming that black voters did indeed cost gays their equality in California. Again, it is beyond sad and ironic that in flocking to the polls to help lift one of their own to heights that were unthinkable just a few years ago, African-Americans have displayed their utter lack of compassion for gays.

One would think that the brutal discrimination that blacks have faced would give them an innate understanding of the fight for equality. Instead, they have turned away from what should be a natural alliance with the gay rights movement, and aligned themselves instead with an opposing group that shares a different side of their identity: the extremely religious.

In less progressive states than California, religious fanatics need no help from blacks to advance their agenda. Anti-gay initiatives racked up a perfect 4-out-of-4 record yesterday. In addition to Prop 8, Arkansans made it illegal for gays to adopt, and both Arizona and Florida also outlawed same-sex marriage. The only anti-marriage initiative requiring more than a simple 50% majority was Florida, which required a 60% "yes" vote. Sadly, it was the only one that reached that threshold, getting 62% — just enough to pass.

So welcome to the dawning of the Obama era, where he claims that we are all equal... except that he parroted the "marriage is only between a man and a woman" line to win. His cowardice in failing to truly support real equality for every American has brought him his success partly on the backs of the sole remaining group for which legal discrimination is the law: gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgendered Americans.