DanNation

By now, we all know that “Yes on 1″ won in Maine last night – eliminating the rights of gays and lesbians to marry in that state. I also grew up in Maine and consider the state my home.

I don’t know how else to summarize my feelings today except with anger. The gloating Jesus freaks in this photo (which appeared in the Bangor Daily News today) infuriates me. It is hurtful to see these people gloat over their vote on my family and relationship. I wonder if they would have the same glee if we had voted their marriages, families and relationships null and void.

I have to say that after the 53% to 47% win for “traditional marriage” (according to a white and Christian group), it will be difficult for me to return home. I don’t even know where to go in the same-sex marriage movement – the Maine “No on 1″ campaign was well funded, volunteered by many (including straight allies), and the “No on 1″ team confronted the lies and deceitful messaging of the opposing side quite well. Lessons had been learned and applied from Prop 8 here in California.

For the anti-gays, this movement is much more than marriage. I read Pam’s House Blend today where she shared the reaction of Matt Barber:

Witness the reaction of Matt “Bam Bam” Barber. Read it; I know you don’t want to, but you need to see the level of hate that propelled discrimination to a victory – historians will pore over this filth decades from now, and wonder how could anyone find satiety in this level of bigotry:

Matt Barber, Director of Cultural Affairs with both Liberty Counsel and Liberty Alliance Action, issued the following statement on news that the voters of Maine have rejected counterfeit “same-sex marriage” by 53% – 47%:

“There’s good news and bad news here,” said Barber. “The good news is that even in one of the most liberal States in the Union, Maine, the people have once again rejected the ridiculous and oxymoronic notion of ’same sex marriage.’ The momentum has again shifted – hopefully for good this time – in favor of protecting legitimate marriage. A counterfeit is a counterfeit. An orange is an orange no matter how much you want it to be a turnip. This isn’t about ‘marriage.’ It’s about hurting and broken people desperately seeking affirmation of an objectively deviant lifestyle. One that, even in their heart of hearts, they know to be a dead end. As for the militant ‘No on 1′ homosexual activists? I’m reminded of spoiled children dressing up and playing house, refusing to come in when mom calls for dinner.

“Here’s the bad news. The margin of victory could have been greater. Many behind the ‘Yes on 1′ campaign, rather than simply telling the truth, chose the Neville Chamberlain approach. They merely circled the wagons around the word ‘marriage,’ even suggesting that ‘domestic partnerships’ (‘gay marriages’ by another name) are acceptable. This makes no sense. If that’s a viable compromise, then why not simply allow ‘gay’ duos the word ‘marriage’? It’s an incongruity that demands an explanation. This is an historic battle for the minds and souls of our children – for our very culture. The mealy-mouthed approach must end. This is not just about ‘marriage.’ It has everything to do with forced affirmation of homosexuality – under penalty of law. Indeed everyone who fought hard to defend marriage in Maine is to be congratulated, but if it weren’t for a brave group of truth tellers – Paul Madore, Peter LaBarbera and Brian Camenker – who came to Maine in the final hour to hold a press conference and address the pink elephant in the room – homosexual deviancy and the radical ‘gay’ agenda – counterfeit marriage might have prevailed.”

He’s right – this movement isn’t about marriage. It’s about putting us back in our closets so the right (or the left) won’t have to deal with us. I don’t think I will be able to visit Maine for awhile. I can’t attend a high school reunion without thinking that half the people there voted against me and my relationship. I won’t be able to look relatives in the face for fear that they went out of their way to disapprove of me.

When I was home in June, my mother told me that my brother “doesn’t want to see you because of the ‘way you are.’” My response was: “You mean Ivy-League educated, self-supporting, smart with a great career?”

“You know what I mean,” she told me in a phone conversation.

“Gay?”

“It’s against his politics,” she responded.

Well, there you go. My brother is choosing the Republican Party over his brother. And now this vote. And the “pink elephant in the room.”

There’s only one thing I can say. Fuck you, Maine!