chins up! there was some good news

GOP spokesmodel, er, California Closet Case (and best dressed) Congressman David Dreier won re-election; and of course, another in-the-closet Republican, Jesse Helm's lesbian granddaughter, Jennifer J. Knox, won election as a District Court judge in North Carolina. Ya see, those Republicans don't hate all gays, just the uppidty ones who keep getting in their faces, asking for more and more and more - marriage, benefits, TV shows, the right to die in Iraq (or are we in Syria yet?), etc.

But seriously, folks. Someone asked me about my KERRY vote - remembering that it wasn't too long ago that I said I wouldn't vote for either major party candidate. And up thru this summer, as much as I wanted BUSH out of the White House, I couldn't bring myself to actually pull the lever for Mr Kerry. And to be honest, a big part of it was easy - hiding behind the BLUE STATE mentality that New York would give its handful of electoral votes to him anyway, I wouldn't have to tarnish my soul with a tawdry vote for a man who doesn't quite believe in my equality - he may be closer than most, but he ain't perfect. And then that annoying reminder late in August (no, not the Republican convention) - yet another press release from the ACLU regarding the Matthew Limon case. The ACLU can put on a happy face and keep releasing these hopeful press releases, but in my heart I know, that kid is staying in jail for a long time. Ever since Lawrence vs. Texas in the summer of 2003, I can't think of a single instance where this so-called expansion of gay rights has had any effect on any subsequent cases.

So back to Mr. Kerry. There is no way, with a Bush second term, to see any expansion of our rights as gay people - but with Kerry, there was at least some hope. And so late on election night, the overwhelming sadness wasn't merely losing, but the manner in which the "other side" won - on our backs, appealing to bigotry, and sending out that message to gay kids everywhere - stay in the closet, hide your true self, be ashamed.

And where, in all of this, is that silver lining? Gosh, it's taken a lot to find the teeniest bit, but I am happy for it, and it is good news, indeed. Despite the early notions that the "youth vote" didn't show up - the sad fact is that they did, but the old (and middle-aged) folks showed up in bigger numbers, too. But, if we could have left the election in the hands of the 18-29-year olds who voted this past Tuesday, this is what that electoral map wouldn've looked like: