Now that the Democratic convention is over, I thought I'd mention somethings about it. I was underimpressed with Biden's speech and thought Gore's was just okay. I didn't see Michelles, but I saw Ted Kennedy, Hillary, Bill, Biden, Gore and Obama's. And I gotta say, from Kennedy to Hillary to Bill to Obama, the speeches just got better and better and better, as if building to a cresendo in music. And by the way, in case you hadn't heard, Obama's speech was watched by 35 million Americans. That's more people than watched the opening of the Olympics, the final show of American Idol, and double the number who saw Kerry speech in 2004.My favorite part? To hear Kennedy, Hillary, Bill and Obama all mention gay and lesbian Americans and the equality all of us deserve. How refreshing it was to hear all of them mention gays and lesbians and our needs.
So now, the Democrats have put up the first Catholic on a national ticket, the first woman on a national ticket, the first Jew on a national, the first black man on a national ticket (oh, and yeah, the Republicans put up their first female candidate....24 years too late to actually be history-making but still), now I just have to wonder, will I in my lifetime see a gay or lesbian candidate on the national ticket?
Seems impossible, I know. But so did gay marriage when Bushie began his 8 years, and now, we got it on each coast, and civil unions in several other places. Something I thought impossible back when the mistake that IS George W. Bush first cam on the scene. If gay and lesbians rights can progress so fast under a party in power and a president determined to keep us second-class citizens, imagine how fast they're progress under a party and a President Obama that embrace us!
POLT Listening to "Vertigo" by U2
Marge, wake up and smell your husband! - Selma, The Simpsons
1 comment:
I'm guessing there has been a gay man on the ticket in years past, just not OPENLY so. I hope we get to the point where an openly gay/lesbian/transgender candidate can be elected, but I don't see that happening on a national level anytime soon. Look how many idiot people voted to change their state constitutions to deny equal rights to gay people (marriage/civil unions/employment benefits). So many people are fine with that one gay guy they know from high school or that lesbian chick at the office or Uncle Jim and his "friend" Ted who they see twice a year on holidays, but their minds are still closed tight on equal rights under the law.
Sorry I'm so pessimistic. Probably comes from growing up in Republicanland (Ottawa County MI - almost 100% Republican when I was a kid), where they thought George H.W. Bush was far, far too liberal.
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