Clearly ready for Change, Kind of

The last 24 hours have contained moments of both unspeakable excitement and incredible disappointment. I thought I might say a few words about both…

First, the good news is that we will have a new president in White House in January, and even more exciting, a president that people actually like. Domestically, Obama was elected by a margin greater than any other democratic president since Johnson. Internationally, the Los Angeles Times reported that if it were a global election Barack Obama would have won, “not by a landslide, but an avalanche.” I had tears in my eyes as I listened to Obama speak last night. I felt energy that I have difficulty explaining. Luckily, my little sister sent me a text message this afternoon that said “Your hero won the election. How do you feel? Was it orgasmic?” Although I have never claimed that Mr. Obama is my hero, I do have to say that his election was teetering on orgasmic (thanks Lacey).

Despite overflowing enthusiasm for the change on the horizon in America, I am filled with disappointment in my home state. I thought I had prepared myself for the worst, but today I still find myself shocked and angry at the voters for passing a proposition that will inject discrimination into our state constitution. I am troubled that people continue to use “God” as a means of rationalizing their fear and hatred despite the fact that our country was founded on the basis of separation of church and state, not to mention universal freedom. The stripping of my rights to marry has been both degrading and humiliating and I am awestruck that “separate but equal” style prejudice has made its way into what I once regarded as the most liberal and progressive state in the nation.

In the aftermath of the election (and my first set of business school mid-terms) I am both emotionally and physically exhausted and have begun a struggle to decide if the glass is half-empty or half-full. For now I am optimistic. Obama’s election and the expansion of the Democratic majority in Congress indicate that change is coming, it may take time but eventually we will get there. Seeing the incredible support for the “No on 8” campaign from young people on the UCLA campus, gay and straight alike, has made me hopeful that change is inevitable as the American youth comes of age.

As you might imagine, the fight for gay marriage has only just begun. First there are close to 2 million ballots that have still not been counted that could change the results. I am fully aware that this prospect is improbable but I feel strongly that every vote should be counted. In addition, there have been several lawsuits filed challenging proposition 8 results by the ACLU, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal, Santa Clara County and the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles. The argument is that proposition 8 results will not just amend the constitution but revise it which means it must receive approval from the state legislature. The merit of these lawsuits is unclear at this point and I have read both positive/negative commentaries on the probability of them making a difference. So do stay tuned, I know I will.

Coming out on Prop 8

I have been "out" to most for nearly a decade, but as I find myself in a new city surrounded by people who don't know my story I find myself retracting back "in". Being single makes it really easy to avoid divulging my sexuality and I have never really been one to introduce myself as "Hi, I am Jessica and I am a lesbian." For a number of reasons, I have done an altogether terrible job of being "out" in my new circles. Up until now I haven't really thought much about it because I have always wanted people to know me as a person, not just "the lesbian," but with Proposition 8 on the ballot in less than a month, I have done some careful reflection over the last couple days and have realized the importance of being out in order to communicate the message of "No on 8" in a meaningful way. I have decided that National Coming Out Day is an appropriate day to share the following post.

I have been posting "No on 8" on my status on gchat, myspace and facebook for the last several weks and yesterday I got a note from an old friend reporting "I now know what 8 is and I will be voting no." At first I was happy to hear the news but then I thought to myself that it was scary that this friend didn't know what Proposition 8 was until yesterday whereas I have been thinking about it for the last several months. I realized that what may be most critically important at this stage is to communicate the message of what Proposition 8 actually is:

So what is it? It is quite simple actually, Proposition 8 Eliminates the right of same-sex couples to marry. In May of this year the California Supreme court ruled that the statutes that limit marriage to a relationship between a man and a women violated the equal protection clause in the California Constitution and same-sex couples have been able to marry in California since June 17th.

Also of importance, is what Proposition 8 is not. Proponents of Proposition 8 have come up with some interesting things that they think gay marriage rights will do to other institutions in California. The reality however is that allowing your gay friends, neighbors and co-workers to marry will have little impact on anyone other than gay people, their friends and family. The one exception may be that gay marriage will actually inject much needed financial capital into the struggling California economy (there have already been over 11,000 marriages since the Supreme Court ruling legalized marriage on June 17th of this year). Seriously though, despite what you may hear, gay marriage will not:

- Provide a slippery slope to the legality of polygamist marriages or marriages between you and your favorite goat
- Make a provision that the California education system will have to teach students about same-sex marriages
- Eliminate the "tax exempt" status from churches who refuse to marry same-sex couples

Now that that is cleared up, the next most important thing is to communicate why it is important to vote no on 8. Proposition 8 is a human rights issue, plain and simple, and I think the best way to demonstrate the importance of a "no" vote is to humanize the issue and how it will effect me. This proposition is an attack on my rights as a citizen of the State of California. It will actually take away my right to marry - this is an important distinction to Proposition 22 which passed in the year 2000. Although I am single and have no intention of getting married in the near future this issue is important to me as it seeks to place my past and future relationships in a category which makes them less important and meaningful than a straight relationship. The seven year relationship I shared with my ex Ali was every bit as meaningful as a seven year relationship between a man and a woman and deserved equal treatment, dignity and respect under the law. I trust that my friends, family and other people that might stumble on this post will realize the importance of their "No" vote on this proposition and what it means to me personally. In closing, I have three simple requests:

Please register to vote if you have not already
Please vote, and
Please vote "No" on Proposition 8

A Message of Hope

Despite being largely on the fence earlier this year, I voted for Hillary in the Super Tuesday primary. My decision was grounded in two main areas:

First, as you might imagine I find Hillary’s focus on fixing the healthcare system as particularly attractive - I don’t think she has the solution, but I do think that her passion will help her and others to develop the right solution once she is in office. I have not seen this same passion on the issue of healthcare from any other candidate.

Second, Hillary’s dedication to feminist ideals throughout her career is deeply important to me as a woman. Her first-hand understanding of the challenges that stand in the way of women in America, paired with over 30 years of activism, gives me hope that she will continue move feminism forward.

Over the last two months I have watched as Hillary has gained and lost a lead in the delegate race. Although the battle is getting tough, she still has my full support and I am hopeful that she might pull out the nomination.

With that said, today, for the first time (ever) I was deeply moved by a politician. This morning Barack Obama delivered the most meaningful political speech of my lifetime. Although the speech came in response to media frenzy over what another man had said, the message he gave was not just a response but an inspiration.

His heartfelt words told the story of our nation’s troubled past and how it has shaped our troubled present. He called attention to the deep seated racism that most are afraid to mention, the racism that has been ingrained in white, black, Latino, Asian and Native American people for centuries now. He was not afraid to say that racism always was and still is a part of who we are. Although we have tried to hide and ignore this problem for as long we have realized it is a problem, it remains.

Despite calling attention to America’s dirty laundry, he left me hopeful. He made me feel proud to be an American; something that I have not been able to say for a very long time. He made me remember that America is full of good people, with good hearts and good intentions. The hatred that sometimes surfaces in our day to day lives comes from a long history of discrimination that has been entrenched in our culture and has been proliferated by bad policy decisions and an irresponsible media. The wounds of the past are deep, but we are capable of healing with the right vision and the right leader.

Although I wholeheartedly support Hillary, I have no doubt that Obama will serve our nation well as president. If he ultimately wins the nomination at the convention this summer I will proudly cast my vote for him in November and look to him to lead us out of our past and into a brighter future.

If you have not heard or read Obama’s speech I strongly encourage you to do so and share it with anyone and everyone that is willing to listen. The message he delivers is not meant for the ears of white people or black people, it is meant for the ears of the American people and each and every one of us can find meaning and hope in his words.

The Transcript - http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/18/politics/main3947908.shtml
The Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWe7wTVbLUU

**Help Jess win a $1,000 Scholarship - Please comment on this post at http://www.progressiveu.org/030438-message-hope**

On Politics

I remember my excitement during the 2000 election as a first time voter. I took an American government class during my senior year of high school and to this day I remember the regular rants of my instructor during the 2000 debates and primaries. It was here that my understanding of the crazy system that we use to elect our presidents was built, it was here that I was altogether apathetic about Mr. Al Gore and it was here that my disdain for Mr. George W. Bush began. As I started as a freshman in college in the Fall of 2000 I continued to pay close attention to the candidates and the issues and tried to make a decision prior to the November election. When my vote was cast I voted for Nader, not because I was particularly intrigued by him or the Green Party, but simply because I was particularly unintrigued by my other choices. I remember returning to my dorm that evening and being scolded by my roommate for “wasting my vote on someone unelectable.” At the time, I thought I was making a statement but looking back on it I wonder if she was right. Should my abhorrence for Bush have outweighed my detachment from Gore (which has changed completely in light of his recent efforts)? Perhaps I should have cast my vote for the electable candidate that I disliked less? These questions followed me into the 2004 election and now haunt me in 2008.

In 2004 I did completely the opposite of what I had done in 2000. I voted for John Kerry, who was an electable democrat but also a complete bore. I voted for him not because I knew he would be great but because I knew he had to be better than Bush. I remember being shocked and appalled that everyone else in America did not agree with me, especially the people in states like Ohio where the economy and the people had suffered tremendously over during Bush’s first term. It was at that moment that I realized for the first time that my Father was not the only conservative republican in America, and that Americans are deathly afraid of change, regardless of how bad things are. Not to mention that putting an issue like same sex marriage on the ballot brings the evangelical Christians out to the polls in record numbers.

With the Iowa caucus results rolling in tonight I feel my excitement about the 2008 election growing but at the same time I feel a repeat of my 2000 and 2004 experiences beginning. Although I have not completely ruled it out, I am fairly certain that I will not vote for a republican candidate this year. This in mind I have focused closely on the democratic race, hoping that one of the top candidates will grab my attention, but even more importantly my passion. That has yet to happen and I am starting to wonder if it will. The thought of having a woman president is altogether much more interesting than I find Hilary Clinton. Her ideas seem run of the mill and her stance on the issues seems very safe and unassuming. At the same time the thought of having a black president is altogether much more interesting than I find Barack Obama for much the same reason as Hilary. John Edwards is neither a woman nor a black man and is uninteresting to boot.

Being a true “nerd” I created an excel spreadsheet tonight that scored all of the candidates according to how well their stances on various issues aligned with my own. I had hoped that a clear front runner might emerge from the top three candidates with this scoring but what I found is that based upon these scores alone I would cast my vote for Kucinich or Gravel (two very unelectable candidates) if I had to decide tonight. All of the other democratic candidates were a virtual tie with Obama on the lower end. This highly interesting activity revealed two important facts. The first is the fact that I am a hardcore liberal. I won’t waste much time examining this fact as it was not really a surprise to me and I doubt it is for any of those of you that will read this. The second, more interesting fact, is that all of the top candidates are pretty much united in taking a safe and dull approach to most of the issues that will inspire very little change. I am clearly not interested in the status quo or even small steps towards change; I am looking for a candidate that will shake the very foundation of politics and demand large scale change across most of the “hot” issues in 2008 including health care, immigration, the war, social security, fighting poverty and same sex marriage. I find it very uninspiring to hear politicians go on and on about the issues plaguing America while spending very little time talking about how they will fix them, or coming up with ideas that will only “kind of” fix them. Health care is one of the issues that I am most informed about and can best use as an example. Our health care system is completely broken and no “band-aid” approach is going to fix the rising costs, shrinking results and growing population of uninsured. Large-scale change is needed on all levels to fix the problems that we face. Universal coverage which is proposed by most all democratic candidates (though in slightly different ways) is only a part of the solution to our problems. Laying down a universal coverage program without reducing health care costs and improving care is unimaginable and even irresponsible. I will back this up with a fact that truly opened my eyes to the problem: the average life expectancy of a male in the U.S. is around 80 years of age, the same as Mexico; the shocking part of this statistic is that we spend over $5,000 per person on health care each year while Mexico spends just over $500. Now I will get off my soap box and get back to the point…

Using my psychic powers it is easy to predict that Gravel and Kucinich will loose the Democratic nomination to Obama, Clinton or Edwards (alert CNN and the Washington Post). This means that I will ultimately be left with the same decision that I was left with in 2000 and 2004, choosing between a candidate I despise (especially if it is Mr. Huckabee) and a candidate that is passionless and commonplace. My realization is that I will probably never feel the passion that I want to feel for any mainstream candidate because my candidate would probably never make it into any position of power (mayor, senator etc) that would give them the credibility to make a realistic bid for president. I will find myself making the same decision every four years to either throw my vote away to Ralph Nader or some other independent or vote for the democrat or republican I hate the least. I will let you know what I decide for this election in November.