I'm sure someone much quicker on the draw has already pointed this out, but I think there's a big reason this election gave us FOUR gay marriage amendment wins and three new states that will soon be celebrating gay marriages after a long drought at the polls on this topic. I know gay marriage is gaining more and more acceptance amongst the electorate, and there have been polls showing that a slim majority of Americans think that our fellow LGBT citizens should have the right to marry the love of their lives. But that's not what I'm talking about.
I'm thrilled these four ballot measures passed (in the case of MN, that the anti-gay marriage amendment didn't pass!), because I remember in 2008 that it was a serious blow that Prop 8 had passed in CA. It felt like a real kick to the gut that so many Californians would overturn the right of gay couples to marry. To me, and many others, Prop 8 really dampened our enthusiasm after the election.
But this time we have these four victories to celebrate in addition to being thrilled with President Obama's win. And what is the big difference between 2008 and 2012??? In 2012, President Obama came out in SUPPORT OF GAY MARRIAGE!!!!!!! He cut ads SUPPORTING the three gay marriage amendments!! For the first time EVER, we had a President of the United States saying that ALL Americans should have the right to marry who they choose.
Yes, the electorate would have eventually gotten there on its own, but I don't think that it's a coincidence that in 2008, CA passed Prop 8 and four years later, after the President "evolved" to believe that all Americans truly were equal and came out and publicly supported gay marriage, we have FOUR BIG WINS on election night.