The Time for Justice Is Always Now

The morning after the Maine election [1], I know I should be taking comfort [2] in the closeness of the vote and feeling joy at the narrow victory [3] of a referendum on “all but marriage” in Washington state, but you know what? I can’t.

I just can’t feel good that 53 percent of the voters in Maine went out of their way to take away the rights of a minority group. And I feel just like I did in 2004 and 2008 after similar votes: I look around at the straight people in the world acting like they accept me and maybe even like me and know that half of them are lying.

The other thing that bugs? A whole lot of Mainers can smell the poutine wafting over the border from Canada, which has gay marriage [4], and all of them can surely see for themselves that it has caused absolutely none of the apocalyptic scenarios that the haters conjure. As with health care [5], Americans apparently have no interest in learning anything from other countries’ experience.

Right now, my long-dormant separatist tendencies are surging big-time. I’m looking at the map and trying to figure out which part of New York City might be most hospitable for the state of New Audre. Sisters, won’t you join me?

More on Maine's vote against gay marrriage from Emily Bazelon [1].