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.

As much as I enjoy standing up for what I believe in and shoving my semi-obnoxious liberalism in other people's faces, if I popped a blood vessel every time somebody I know made a racist or homophobic remark that's all I'd ever do (and it would probably result in my demise). I'm queer, I'm mulatto and my friends and relatives know how I feel about their bullshit. There are also these things called "jokes", some people make them.

But a stranger making racist and homophobic remarks is a whole different ballgame.

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
C-SPAN's full coverage

Last night Jon Stewart addressed Obama's lack of action on Don't Ask, Don't Tell. I haven't been this pleased with the Daily Show since last week (BEAR with CHAINSAWS for paws?!?)

Watch the clip, it will result in spontaneous giggles (and/or orgasms). "The Gay After Tomorrow".

After a suckass night playing Insomniac Jack's tired tune the fire alarm went off at 7:30 a.m. -or 7:40 depending on who you ask. I'm taking it as proof that god hates fags. Actually just me and the other couple thousand people in my dorm and by god I really mean this chick's microwave that exploded on the second floor. But you know what still loves me? Coffee and that's all that really matters. And free used books (I love my job), those matter too.

Also! I bought my bus ticket from Join the Impact (MA branch) to go down to Washington D.C. for the equality march next week. I then proceeded to almost pee my pants and jump around in excitement because, yeah, sanity lives here.

Word on the street is they're going to make a reboot of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. Since I've actually reread some of the books this summer and rewatched the films already in existence I'm having a hard time picturing Robert Downey Jr. as Lestat. Don't get me wrong, I love him as an actor (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, yeah?), but I just can't see it yet. So I'm reserving judgement -positive or otherwise- until I hear who's playing Louis. You can't have a proper Vampire Chronicles film without Louis and all of his gorgeous angst (and yes, that's my way of saying Queen of the Damned: Epic Vampire Movie Failwhale did not count).

( Season 3 of Mad Men premiered on Sunday. It was so awesome I've seen it several times since then. Cut for 3x01 spoilers. )

Through some Itunes or AMC glitch the next Mad Men episode popped up earlier tonight. Personally I'm willing to hold out until Sunday. Anticipation only adds to the sense of dramatic suspense, Captain Kirk taught me that.

In honor of Milo Ventimiglia's birfday I bring a bad quality short film from the 90s! Ventimiglia plays a melodramatic gay teen who wears too much make up and can't dance. But regardless he's really fucking cute, like I-want-to-pinch-your-cheeks-and-then-probably-possibly-kidnap-you cute. I first saw this months ago as a GSA meeting and had to resurrect it for the occasion. Can't resist the jailbait.

( Here I am, trapped in a moving vehicle with the cutest guy I've ever seem. It's not fair. I'm dangerously close to getting into an accident just so I can throw myself on Michael a split second before we die. That would be it, the ultimate way to go. No, that would be dumb. I couldn't be found dead with my face in his lap, my parents would freak. )

President (yo' Mama) Obama and his administration are defending DOMA in federal court. I haven't finished reading the official document yet because it started making me nauseous, but the quotes drawing a lot of airtime in this clusterfuck draw connections between incestuous and underaged marriages and same-sex marriage. Yeah, fantastic.

I'm surprised, not because I'd expected Obama to be a "fierce advocate" for LGBT rights, but I also didn't expect to get fucked over. I thought the LGBT community would just fade into the background and he'd leave us alone to push his own agenda while we pushed ours. Instead he's trampling us with DOMA, and Don't Ask Don't Tell. I'm scared of what's coming next.

So, help a movement out:
E-mail the White House here.
Or call at 202-456-1111

Obama defends DOMA, we defend our families (Source: Join the Impact)
Justice Defends DOMA (Source: The Advocate)

That man just stole my heart again.

Yeah, you know I can totally see why KABC TV would think those promos are to provocative to air, what with all those crazy deviants playing hide the pickle, especially during the inauguration. Too many families watching.

But in all seriousness, this campaign is a gorgeous idea. I admire the participants and hope that when prop 8 next comes up for the vote it's things like this that will have tipped the balance in our favor.