Calm down. We are not experiencing a massive, permanent backlash.
The
next generation overwhelmingly backs the right to marry, and there is no sign of
cultural reversal, even if we have suffered some electoral set-backs. If Obama
has taught us anything, it is to keep our eyes on the prize, and not always to
react impulsively to hatred, bigotry or simple ignorance by exaggerating its
power over us. We are winning. We lost this one, by an excruciatingly small
margin. But the whole point of this movement is education in support of
toleration. Even though we lost, we persuaded many of something they barely
thought about a short time ago. I am immensely touched by the support of
straight readers and all of you, gay and straight, who donated time and money to
the No On 8 campaign. We need to remember this as well. And the sight of a small
minority having basic equality stripped from them by a religiously-funded
majority is itself educational. It has already changed minds. One thing we need
to remember is dignity in defeat. That's how it becomes victory.
Some good points here, but I don't think that the gay community's expressions of anger are a bad thing. We have a right to be angry...and to turn our anger into mobilization toward productive strategies for change.
Jim
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