California, of all places.

Don't get me wrong, I'm immensely proud of our country for the landslide election of a true political leader, Barack Hussein Obama, as our forty-fourth president. I love our country so much, and I know that he can get us back on the right track. The national elections made me completely happy.

However, on a state level, I was rather disappointed. California, home to San Fransisco and the Bay Area, arguably the center of America's gay community, passed Proposition 8, which outlaws same-sex marriage in our lovely state. How depressing. Someone who is much closer to the law and understands the pain it causes much better than I, a friend of mine, janetbouncer has written a good overview of the true discrimination this proposition causes.

California is the first state that comes to mind to most people when they think "liberal state." It made me sick to see those yellow signs all around, and I thought to myself, "Surely, there can't be enough of a percentage to get that bullshit passed." When Wednesday rolled around, though, I was sorely disappointed.

Most of the arguments used to fuel Yes on 8 campaigns are BS, anyway. Religions can't be affected by the law in that way, so churches wouldn't have to let gays marry if they didn't want to, and would still get their tax-exemption. And about being involved with education? Seriously, what the hell? By Californian law, children can't be taught anything health- or family-related without parental consent. You know, like with sex ed? We had to bring permission slips home detailing the unit we would be partaking in and bring it signed, otherwise we couldn't sit in on the neat videos about the reproductive system. Not to mention, I've been in the public school system for a good thirteen years of my life, and not once has any teacher taught me about marriage, be it straight, gay, or polygamous.

Apparently, there's a bunch of trials against 8, saying it's against California's constitution. But, of course, with past civil rights issues, it's always taken more than one try. Blacks didn't get to vote with the first proposal of the concept, but any American can vote now. Let's just hope that sometime soon, we'll all get to marry who we want.