Election 2008: Good for Democrats, Perhaps Not So Good for Gay Rights

by Michael Jones · 2008-11-04 22:33:00 UTC
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BarackFirst, a congratulations to our 44th president, President Elect Barack Obama. As nearly every commentator said tonight, he ran perhaps the best campaign in U.S. political history. Swinging states like Florida, Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico, and Iowa back into the blue column certainly speaks volumes about just how bad this country wants change.

On a personal note, I must say it's also gratifying to hear the next President, in his first address to supporters, mention gay rights (even if just in passing).

But while this Election night will have progressives buzzing for days, it's worth noting that Election 2008 might not be so good on the gay rights front. Though we won't know for sure for a few more hours, it appears that Amendment 2 has passed in Florida, Proposition 102 has passed in Arizona, and Proposed Initiative Act 1 has passed in Arkansas. The numbers for Prop 8 in California are way too close to call right now, but the exit polling doesn't look good.

So while tonight is a night for the history books, it's also a night to remember that in the battle for equal rights for LGBT persons, we still have a lot of work to do.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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