No More

This is a new day for everyone. The dark, dark days of the Bush Regime are coming to an end. For the first time in a long time, truth and hope won out over ignorance and fear. I can't stop welling up with tears of joy, knowing that no matter how difficult this time is, there is now a future to look forward to.

And, then I heard the newly elected President of the United States include me, as a gay person, in his acceptance speech.

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

"It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference .

"It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled.

We are, and always will be, the United States of America."

If you're not gay, you probably don't have any idea how deeply moving it was, just being acknowledged as a person and citizen of this country by our soon-to-be leader. I have never been so proud of my country, and I still can't express the hope that I have in my heart for where our country can go now.

Then, I watched as the results came in on the four big state votes on gay rights referendums. As expected, in Arizona, an amendment banning legal recognition of gay marriages passed. And in Arkansas, gay people are now banned from adopting children, or even caring for foster children. In California, more than half of the people voted to take away gay peoples' civil right to marry their life partners.

And in my state, Florida, Amendment 2 was passed by 62% of the people that I live next to, work with, and support with business. 62% of the people in Florida believe that I should continue to pay taxes to fund schools for their kids and programs for their families. But, they don't think that my family is worthy of the dignity of legal recognition of any kind.

To all of those people who voted to make me a second-class citizen - fuck you! Fuck you and your twisted "family values." Fuck you and your "sanctity of marriage." Fuck you and your "protecting tradition." Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you.

You should know that, thanks to your hateful campaigns, there is an electricity in the air in America's gay communities. We are hopeful, and we are fucking angry. It's hard to figure out where those two emotions together will take us, but something is happening. All across the country, we are coming together with our straight friends and allies to take our equal rights. You pushed us too far this time, and we are standing up and saying no more.

No more beating us and bashing us and raping us. No more making fun of us and causing our young people to commit suicide. No more excluding us and shaming us and ostracizing us. No more killing us and hanging us on fences in Wyoming fields. No more scapegoating us and no more blaming us. No more torturing us or trying to convert us. No more slurring us. No more arresting us. No more ex-communicating us. No more disowning us. No more. No more. No more.

If you want to join us in saying "no fucking more," we will be protesting nationwide this Saturday. Just click here, sign up and show up. And be a part of the beginning of a movement.