Susan's Place Transgender Resources

The Welcome, Long-Awaited Death of Political Homophobia and Transphobia
By Dana Beyer
Executive Director, Gender Rights Maryland
Posted: 11/13/2012 4:23 pm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dana-beyer/the-welcome-long-awaited-death-of-political-homophobia-and-transphobia_b_2119574.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dana-beyer/the-welcome-long-awaited-death-of-political-homophobia-and-transphobia_b_2119574.html)

After losing 32 state ballot measures relating to marriage, we won not one, not two but four. The turnaround is remarkable. And though civil rights should never be put to majority vote, we can celebrate the impulse of Americans behind those affirmative votes and work to ensure that no one else's civil rights can ever be put to a vote.

It's hard for me to comprehend this new state of affairs. The simpler side of the political equation is that gay and transgender persons were not used as a wedge by Karl Rove and company, just eight short years since they did so with impunity (and quite successfully).

The truly incredible inference is that they knew that not only would it fail but it could backfire.

The more complex side of the equation is that in less than three years the LGBT community has gone from being politically toxic to a welcome and important part of the new American governing coalition.

There is much yet to do.

The fight is far from over, we just have to keep trucking on.

I wonder which states are next?

Incredibly interesting change in dynamics. Is it a reflection of how Obama has influenced the people or how the people have changed in the demographics?

The move towards marriage equality has been happening incrementally over the last 10 years.

IIRC, polls move in our favor by roughly 2% a year. Which means that we will probably start to see the new state constitution amendment drives throughout this decade.

That's if the SCOTUS dosent overturn DOMA first.

Demographics, it's all demographics.

Quote from: Cindy James on November 14, 2012, 03:29:16 AM
Incredibly interesting change in dynamics. Is it a reflection of how Obama has influenced the people or how the people have changed in the demographics?

Probably not.  More likely a reflection of a less-biased younger generation voting in greater numbers.

Obama was anti-same sex marriage for the first three years of his term.

Some of it may be attributed to changing social attitudes in the younger generation(s), but I believe that a change in the way that the GLBT community has marketed their campaigns is a larger factor.

In days past, it was common to get in peoples face and demand equality.  Doing so only caused people to back off, get defensive, and ultimately oppose the message that we sought to spread.  A better strategy, and one that seems to be increasingly more common and effective, is to portray ourselves as your average, ordinary family who simply seeks equal protection for ourselves and our families.  We needed to shed the flamboyant, in your face image, and build an image that others can relate to.  One that adheres to "family values" that straight people don't fear will corrupt their kids.  As long as we're not perceived as a threat to their families and their lifestyle, many are more open to support our cause.   

Except that the gay marriage issues has always been run by mainstream elements, it's never been a radical cause, quite the opposite.