Thunder and lightning rained down on this part of North Carolina late last night, after the polls closed. I’d like to think it was God sending a message to Billy Graham, (a famously non-political preacher who recently came out in support of the anti-gay marriage amendment), along the lines of “You’ve fucked with me for the last time, boy.” I’d like to think that the heavy rain signified God’s support of his gay children by telling them, “Don’t worry: I’ll still make it rain men.” But. It was just a thunderstorm. And today I awake in a state that hates homosexuals so much that it chose to inscribe discrimination into its state constitution.

I just want to take a moment or two to briefly touch upon this horrid moment in history.

I worked at the polls yesterday.

Regardless of the bigotted, short-sighted, hurtful thing people are doing with their votes, be it voting for Rick Santorum or amending a state constitution to say that the only recognized union will be that of a married man and woman, there is something beautifully restorative in watching democracy play out at a polling station. You are surrounded by people who care enough to vote. That is a noble, amazing thing. They don’t plot in dark basements to overthrow the government with anthrax and fertilizer bombs, (well, maybe they do), but on election day they bravely choose to make their voice heard by taking the singular action to vote. While it is happening, it is a gloriously refreshing thing. It’s only after the votes are tallied and you realize what all those proud citizens have done that you begin to doubt democracy.

Voter participation was heavy all day. There is nothing like a discriminatory amendment to get people out to the polls, I guess. Either that or North Carolinians were incredibly excited to finally help nominate Mitt Romney. Whatever happens in history when this horrible amendment goes into effect, it certainly cannot be said that a small minority of primary voters decided the fate of this. There were over 500,000 early votes cast, and I overheard the chief judge at my polling station saying at one point that we were close to 50% participation in our precinct. People made their voices heard.

And what the state of North Carolina wanted to be heard saying was “WE ONLY VALUE HETEROSEXUAL MARRIAGES HERE.”

In light of that, I would like to make just a couple of observations.

1)For my so-called libertarian friends out there who despise the federal government, who find it onerous and intrusive and injust; for those that prefer “local” government, and who suggest that it is somehow better than a national government, please note that a state, not the federal government, wrote discrimination into its constitution yesterday.

2)Gay people exist.

If you accept that gay people exist, then you need to ask yourself what rights they should be entitled to. (If you do not accept that gay people exist, please re-read 2) above.) Since they are human beings and Americans, they deserve all rights available to every citizen.

Constitution amendments can be repealed, of course, and perhaps one day this one will. Until such time, life and love outside the legal bounds will continue.