The result of the Maine gay Marriage referendum got me upset. Not so much the actual results, I fully expected those. What upsets me is the surprised, defeatist reaction I am witnessing. What were people expecting? That people would just give right to others out of the goodness of their hearts? That the gray haired off-year electorate (many of whom grew up in a society where support for segregation was normal) would give up decades of calcified prejudice to embrace progress? That the religious right would die a quite death?
Here is the problem. Progressives in general, and gay people in particular have convinced themselves that the gay rights struggle will be over in a year or two, that time is on our side, that victory is both inevitable and imminent. California shattered those illusions, and Maine nails the point home.
Victory is NOT inevitable, every victory is a struggle, and what is given can be taken away. Gay acceptance is NOT a reality, even in the most liberal states the majority is against us. Demographics will NOT save us, for every old bigot that dies a new one is born or naturalized, California proved conclusively that homophobia is not a problem limited to old white men. The decline in fundamentalist Christianity will NOT save us, its a very old religion that has been declared dead many times only to rise again, besides there are younger and more virile religious traditions whose attitude towards homosexuality is just as bigoted.
Don't expect victory this year, don't expect victory in the next ten years, don't expect the struggle to be a continuous progression of victories without defeats or even setbacks. Take nothing for granted, not our right to marry, not our right to be free from harassment, not our right to live. Early 20th century Jews thought they achieved equality, look what happened to them. We WILL win, but it will be slow and painful and being 25 I do not expect resounding victory in my lifetime.
That the reality of the situation. Now lets start working towards a Prop 8 repeal.