If you'll recall, last year was a major election year. We elected the first Black president (He's mulatto, damn it). Okay, I didn't personally, but as a people we sure made our preference known in a landslide election. Pot was decriminalized in Massachusetts and chickens in California got bigger cages. It was an exciting day.

But that November 3rd, that long year ago, was also horrifying for those of us in the LGBT community (and our straight supporters). Prop 8 passed in California while Florida and Arizona passed legislation banning gay marriage. And Arkansas banned same-sex couples from adopting children. So it was an exciting day that took a quick and unexpected turn towards the traumatic.

Then when put to the state courts in May, California upheld Prop 8.

And though I'm focusing on negative out of anxiousness, good stuff happened too. Same-sex marriage was legalized in a few states, but now we've got Question 1 up in Maine. Our Yes On One Opponent Asshats hired the same consulting firm who worked Prop 8 and they're using the same tactics they did in California. They're going to teach fagdom in school and indoctrinate your children against their will! Scary! Lookout for teh gays!

So, I've gone with Mass Equality to give the No On One campaign a hand over the past two weeks and will be going again tomorrow for the Big Day. It's been a lot of fun. I met a lot of sweetheart dogs (some of them nicer than their owners) and some really lovely supporters. I was even fortunate enough to meet Gary Connor, one of the representatives that co-sponsored Maine's original marriage equality bill, and his family.

But amidst all the good times and lulz, it was easy to convince myself that we had this thing in the bag which is just not the truth. Things are far from certain and I'm palm sweating scared. Most of us are and I awoke to three messages in my inbox asking for $25K for more ads just this morning. I got one this afternoon asking for 50K more.

This is anything but a sure bet and win or lose we'll keep fighting, but wouldn't it be a beautiful boost for the movement if we could win this? If we win it will be the first time same-sex rights will have been upheld by majority rule. That would be amazing.

Though canvasing painted me a brighter picture, it also reminded me exactly what I'm fighting for. Instead of knocking on door and introducing myself as Liz Davis, yes I'm gay and yes, I deserve equal rights, I want to walk down the street, any street, and know that my equality is implied.

See you on the other side, let's hope this goes our way.

Blogging about the march seems like cheapening the experience somehow. I can't portray the energy, the power, so why try, right? But regardless of this ineptitude, I'll give it a shot.

Sunday morning dawned cloudy and cold as my Join the Impact companions and I boarded the Metro for D.C. Rag tag and grassroots, the National Equality March was meant as a show of force unconnected and largely unsupported by "mainstream" LGBT rights organizations and though the march was hardly the be all, end all of our movement, it was definitely a positive start to a new era.

Speakers ranged from Cleve Jones, Judy Shepard, and Julian Bond to Lady Gaga. They were eloquent, their words ruckus raising and fucking empowering.

Participants represented the rainbow in more ways than just hair color. Straight people, gay people, and transgendered people were all widely represented. All races and ethnic groups, socialists, communists and parents.

I walked around in my socks on Captiol Hill, listened to David Mixner draw on his decades of experience in advocacy for gay rights and Kate Clinton joke her way to how we all feel, tired of homophobia.

I don't believe in marriage, not really. The concept is lost on me. I certainly don't want to join the military. But those are my choices and my beliefs that not all LGBT people share and shouldn't have to. Some people want marriage, and to fight for their country and they deserve that right. We deserve equality.

And just because we want justice and are willing to fight for it, to push Obama and rally for our rights, doesn't make us naive. It doesn't make up leftist wing nuts and it doesn't give anyone carte blanche to dismiss us or our message. It makes me proud to be a part of this community and proud to have been a part of this march.



Some photos and speeches
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