Obama and Ellen's Rescue Plan

Two things to think about that have made today a little bit better than yesterday.

First:

Obama's mention of gay people in his acceptance speech is the one of the only times (certainly the only instance I've seen) where a major party candidate mentioned us in a major speech. His inclusion of our community opens the dialogue for things like Proposition 8 to never happen again, and allow me to work towards moving on from the hurt of its passing to a place where I can work for change.

If Obama has taught us anything, it is that normal people really can make a difference, and his election has reminded me that these anti-gay measures are not the same as those in 2004 because at that time, there was no prospect for a fundamental shift in political ideals. Now, regardless of how much change we're able to actually pass, I can rest assured that my president respects my humanity and believes in my contribution to society.

Caveat: I realize that Obama doesn't support marriage equality at an optimal level. However, as we've seen, chances are good that if he would have come out as pro-marriage, he would have had a harder time getting elected. I'm all for political pragmatism, and I think Obama has earned the benefit of the doubt.

Second reason today is better than yesterday:

Ellen understands my hurt, and agrees with my resolve. I say that as if I asked her while talking on the phone this morning (oh my god, how awesome would that be?!) but really I just read her statement:

"Watching the returns on election night was an amazing experience. Barack Obama is our new president. Change is here. I, like millions of Americans, felt like we had taken a giant step towards equality. We were watching history.

This morning, when it was clear that Proposition 8 had passed in California, I can’t explain the feeling I had. I was saddened beyond belief. Here we just had a giant step towards equality and then on the very next day, we took a giant step away.

I believe one day a 'ban on gay marriage' will sound totally ridiculous. In the meantime, I will continue to speak out for equality for all of us."

Okay, so I know that I love her at a level that is unnatural, but for some reason everything sounds a bit more hopeful when Ellen says it. I'm ready to work for the things that I want to see, and I'm excited at how many people sent supportive words yesterday to remind me of what's at stake.

Tomorrow, we talk about something light, like puppies or peacock babies. Even I can't stay downtrodden for this long.