NPR notes that 2011 was an extraordinary year for gay rights.
“In September, the end of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy allowed gay, lesbian and bisexual people to serve openly. And just this month, two female sailors became the first to share the Navy tradition of a “first kiss.”
This summer, New York became the sixth and largest state yet — along with Washington, D.C. — to allow same-sex marriage.”
This year, 2012, we have an anti-gay marriage amendment on the ballot in Minnesota. We will fight that and it won’t pass, but when that happens, it will be one of the few referendum type decisions that is pro-gay instead of anti-gay. And thus, we will continue to see a turn of the tide, a sea change, and since we are on a streak of nautical metaphors, a lot more Navy First Kisses!
Have you read the breakthrough novel of the year? When you are done with that, try:
or Paperback
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Speaking of Minnesota, I wanna let y’all know about Teh Win that is this letter…
Not to be overly pessimistic, but I think it’s fucking depressing that this is extraordinary progress. I don’t disagree that these things are relatively big steps…but they really should be small potatoes in “the land of the free.”
Drivebyposter, it’s not leaps and bounds, but it was only 12 years ago that I was driving through Vermont – the most progressive state in the country – taking pictures of all the barnsides painted with TAKE BACK VERMONT in response to the state Supreme Court’s ruling that same-sex marriage should be allowed, even though it ultimately allowed “civil unions”. And there were a lot of those barn signs. But since then, an issue that most non-gay people never even thought about has become a no-brainer for anyone with a conscience, and support went over a majority this year.
So yeah, it sucks that the bigots are holding it back, and it’ll be some time before we get there. But it’ll happen.