The Difference between CA and WI

It's now 3 days since the election and I am over my blues.

This is actually the second time that I lived in a state that voted successfully to amend their constitution with the stain of hate. Here is why I am feeling a little better: first, since the start of this blog,I have gotten emails from friends all around the country, and had a stream of friends and coworkers personally express their anguish. These are friends who are gay, straight, white, Indian, Asian, Hispanic, young, old, single, married, conservative, liberal, Democrats and Republicans. When I lived in Wisconsin, not one person did this. So there seems to be a new awareness for the issue. And that awareness is growingly national.

I am encouraged that there are already 3 significant court challenges seeking to overturn the apparent passage of Prop Hate. These challenge the constitutionality (Yes, an amendment to a constitution does not become constitutional simply because voters say so, it has to jive with the rest of the constitution in which it resides), the validity of the proposition (In CA, it takes vote of over50% to pass an amendment. A revision, however, requires legislative action and a 2/3 vote of the people. Arguably, Prop Hate was a revision.), and that it violates a persons equal protection. When I lived in WI, there were no court challenges.

So the biggest difference between CA and WI? To borrow that powerful word from President Elect Oabam: hope. I can hope that my constitution will protect my family from discrimination. I can hope that true acceptance is gaining momentum. I can hope that the day is coming when all people are treated with love and dignity, and all families are respected.