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Erection ’08: YES ON HATE!? There’s Still Hope…

Bob Knoke, of Mission Viejo, Amanda Stanfield, of Monrovia, Jim Domen, of Yorba Linda, and J.D. Gaddis, of Yorba Linda, celebrate returns for Proposition 8 at an Irvine hotel. Yay, theocratic bigotry! But their celebration party may be too early…
So my brothers and sisters, despite the epic victory of Democratic President Elect, Barack Obama yesterday, anti-gay amendments in four states all passed, but California’s Proposition 8 may still be up in the air (read on). For now, here’s the depressing stats for the four anti-gay amendments (via Box Turtle Bulletin):
Arizona: Proposition 102: (Marriage as Between a Man & Woman Only)
Yes: 1,039,792 (56%) – Projected winner
No: 801,315 (44%)
99% of precincts reporting.
Arkansas: Initiative 1 (Gay Adoption Ban)
Yes: 573,774 (57%) – Projected winner
No: 434,344 (43%)
95% of precincts reporting.
California: Proposition 8 (Anti-gay Marriage Amendment)
Yes: 5,220,694 (52%)
No: 4,792,873 (48%)
96% of precincts reporting.
Florida: Amendment 2: (Marriage Amendment)
Yes: 4,674,626 (62%) – Projected winner
No: 2,851,966 (38%)
99% of precincts reporting.
* The Florida constitution requires 60% for an amendment to pass.
Though they’re all depressing, California was easily the most important of the four with over $76 million poured into it alone (with about 70% of that financial and organizational support coming from the Mormon church in Utah). We all have the Mormon church to thank in large part. However, No on 8 still has yet to concede saying that the vote only won by 400,000 votes while 3 million to 4 million ballots remain uncounted statewide. Furthermore, California legal experts say that the state constitution makes it impossible to take away fundamental human rights without an internal government vote… so maybe there’s still hope.
While Dan Savage bemoans “black homophobia“ as the cause, Pam Spaulding from Pam’s House Blend explains that while 70% of blacks voted Yes on 8, they only represent 6.2% of California’s electorate, it was white voters 65 and over living in inland areas that sent Prop 8 over the top. Meanwhile, Good As You has some thoughts on why we lost in California. Considering all their arguments, what’re your thoughts?
So there’s still hope and we’ll keep you updated.But before you go getting too down about the other anti-gay amendments, hey at least there’s some progress in other American social spheres! Marijuana’s decriminialized in Massachusetts and Michigan has medicinal reefer. Now you spark up a doobie and watch some coverage of the Yes on 8 bigots from John Stewart and Sacha Baron Cohen after the jump.

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