Sarcasm briefly aside, it was really nice to see the huge turnout (estimated by the cops at 12k, but really, looking at this picture, I think it’s a lot closer to their original estimate of 40k) at the big pro-gay-rights rally today, and some of the speakers were really great.

The head of the local chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference pledging to fight for equal rights, the LA City Attorney announcing he’s joining the suit to get Prop. 8 overturned, and mayor Antonio “Look, Cameras!” Villaraigosa giving a great speech in both English and Spanish.

It was kind amusing to see the collection of gay-friendly celebrities the rally folks elected to trot out: Ricki Lake and Marisa Janet Winkour, the past and current Tracy Turnblads; as well as Lucy Lawless. Let me tell you, there were some excited lesbians about the latter.

The march, which was basically up Spring street about 3/4 of a mile and then back up Main the other direction, was pretty nice, with some fun repetitive chants, but with the temperature in downtown spiking above 90, it was pretty exhausting.

But really, when the gays protest anything, the signs are always the most fun aspect. Some of my personal favorites:

• Spandex is a privelige, Marriage is a right!
• Jesus said LOVE, bitches!
• I assume the gay chickens will remain caged. [reference to the passage of Prop. 2, protecting the rights of chickens, at the same time as Prop. 8 stripped gays of their rights]
• Every 10th Jesus is a Mary
• Not all of us can marry Liza Minelli!
• If you want to put a stop to gay sex, why not let us get married?

Also, go Wanda Sykes. Given the comments she makes to the guy with the podcast linked on that blog, I think she’s going to be a little surprised by the fuss her officially coming out kicks up. But I’m very proud of her and everyone else who’s been shaken out of their complacency by this stupid measure passing.

The overwhelming feeling I came away with from today was optimism. This won’t stand. Not for long. And that fact is incredibly heartening.

I am (surprise!) really exhausted and overworked, but I wanted to say something more about Prop. 8 and the ongoing legal and PR battle over gay marriage in California.

The thing that offends me the most, absolutely the most, about the reaction to legal challenges to the validity of Proposition 8, is the reaction I heard from one member of the “Protect Marriage” group.

She argued on the news that the voters have spoken, and that the gays should respect “the will of the people.”

I just wanted to reach through the screen and give this woman a long lecture about the Tyranny of the Majority. And the Federalist papers. And the desire so clearly expressed by the founders of this country to bequeath to the generations a system that prevented a simple majority from abusing its power against a minority.

I wish I were rational enough about this to give an eloquent argument like that.

But all I truly want to say to her, reaching through the screen, is fuck you. FUCK. YOU. if you think just because a majority of people wish to strip me of my rights, I’m going to stop fighting for them. Fuck you if you think that’s what this country is about.

I’ll admit, I’ve never been sure that marriage is the most pressing right on the ever-vilified “Gay Agenda” for my people to hang their hat on at this very moment, particularly given that in many states you can still be fired or kicked out of housing for being gay, with absolutely no legal repercussions.

But to see a right, any right, stripped away is a nauseating, deeply angering feeling. To shake me out of my deeply ingrained aversion to and ambivalence towards politics that grew from 18 years of watching the same old shit get shoveled around in D.C., you really, truly have to piss me off.

And lady, you and your complete ignorance of the spirit of the American system have REALLY fucking pissed me off.

Update, Tuesday Noon: The LA Times has an article up on exactly the sort of folks like woman who made me so angry, although it does contain one truly awesome quote from somone who supports the No-On-8 protesters:

“To be honest, I don’t really understand the issue. If you’re a man and don’t believe in gay marriage, you shouldn’t marry a man.”

Right on.

Last night was like the end of a marathon. The elation and ecstatic reaction after Obama finally won the Presidency was surreal, like crossing the finish line first when you barely thought you had a chance.

And then, watching Prop 8 pass was like having someone walk up to that same theoretical marathoner and punching them in the face.

Really, California? One of the most liberal states in America can have idiot right-wingers get you so pants-pissingly scared that Teh Gayz r after ur Childrens! that we fucking passed a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT to ban gay marriage?

I am still very, very happy about Obama. What I told people at work last night when 8 was looking iffy still stands: We had one chance, and one chance only, to elect Obama, and in terms of the good of the overall nation, that was more important.

It keeps the Supreme Court from going completely to the batshit crazies, it makes the world hate us less, and it gives people some fucking hope that for once, they have voted for a candidate who’s not simply the lesser of two evils.

That 8 passed sucks, there’s no dobut. But we, and by we I mean the Gays and everyone who thinks people deserve equal rights, are going re-fight this discriminatory horseshit at every fucking turn until it is OUT of the CA constitution.

Until then, I’m going to the gym to go take out my anger on an elliptical machine instead of the drywall in my apartment which I sorely, sorely want to put my fist through.

The L.A. Times ran a brilliant editorial today, picking off one by one the arguments for Proposition 8, which seeks to amend the California state constitution to ban gay marriage.

However, they should probably consider turning off their context-based advertising on their editorials. Because with contextual advertising, you end up with screenshots like this (click to enlarge):

I’m not exactly crushed that the Yes on 8 dipshits aren’t getting their money’s worth here, but it does make the Times look a bit silly.

Someone at my office showed me this, and being a liberal who’s wondering how exactly we’re going to fuck this election up, I find it oddly reassuring:

The Daily Show’s research team truly outdid themselves last night, digging up some awesome double-talk about the Palin nomination. Take it away, kids:

I see your giggling at inappropriate Olympic medalist names and raise you my hysterical laughter at Barack Obama’s Inconvenient Snorkel.

Hat tip to TWoP co-founder Tara Ariano’s blog.