Prepare for Fight
Last night, an overwhelming majority of Californians decided to vote for Proposition 8. I am not surprised. I am pretty sure that I knew this would happen when my friendly workbuddy/neighbor told me that people were posting Yes on 8 signs in this neighborhood. I am actually stunned that I am not that upset. Although applying to grad schools in Boston seems incredibly tempting. Stay classy Boston, legalized Marijuana ftw!

DOMA was passed when I was a child and did not even understand what homosexuality or same sex marriage was.

Four years ago, 13 States decided to ban gay marriages. Bush won the presidency. As of 2006, 27 states had constitutional bans on gay marriage. As of yesterday, Arizona and Florida approved banning gay marriage in the constitution with a majority.

In 2000, a California voter referendum also decided that marriage was between a man and a woman. Sadly, I was unable to vote for any of these things.

Californians did not do the right thing by voting Yes on Proposition 8, but I believe that this outcome will be a positive one for a minority of Americans who are persecuted by the majority of people who think they can dictate who should marry. Without going into great detail, the presidency of Obama and a decisive majority of Democrats (and Republican moderates) in the House and Senate will mean the following:

1. Repealing of DOMA
2. Civil unions having equal federal rights as marriages, which they don't now
3. Supreme court justices who recognize the distinction between church and state and also see civil rights as imperative in a working democracy

In other words, the Proposition 8 team has just wasted their money. Not only did they infuriate a younger generation who is hell-bent on repealing this amendment in addition to suing for it to be invalidated, but they infuriated a nation of supporters who felt that California was going to be a beacon where other states would follow suit. However, we can not live with just a beacon when other members of the country are being denied of their civil rights. We have to fight until this whole anti-homosexual discrimination scourge is abolished. If the majority of Californians would have voted no on 8, I reckon that everyone would have gone into their cocoons until the next election cycle and forget that DOMA takes away 1100 federal rights that are granted to married couples, so even marriage in California is still unequal. Also bear in mind that Florida and Arizona passed bans and Florida even went as far as to ban adoption and NONE OF THESE ARE MAKING THE HEADLINES. Now we are hyper-aware and now we know that the battle has just begun. I am going to be rooting for it every step of the way.