Wait, where's the fat lady????

And why the heck isn't she singing?

Sorry, folks, no resolution here in the Old Dominion. It's still too close to call. I'm glad I didn't stay up last night to find out the outcome of the Allen/Webb race. I probably would have been crankier than I am today.

Yes, yes, I'm thrilled the Dems have taken control over the House and have the potential for majority in the Senate. What I'm grumpy about is the passage of the "marriage amendment" to the Commonwealth of Virginia constitution. 58% in favor. For those of you who haven't seen this piece of legislative garbage, here you go:

Question: Shall Article I (the Bill of Rights) of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to state:

"That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions.

This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage."?

As I expected, I heard from a lesbian friend this morning who simply wants to live in peace with her partner. She has no idea what the hell a "gay agenda" is. She just wants to be treated equally under the law. The day John Kerry conceded to George Bush in 2004, she stood in my office crying and yelling. What else could she do? It seemed like the end of the future we'd had the nerve to dream about. I cried with her. And this morning, I commiserated long distance through AIM and thanked her for her efforts to try to get people to vote against amending the constitution to include outright discrimation against gay AND heterosexual people.

Marriage as an institution may well be in trouble. Heterosexual couples are opting to live together rather than get married. (source) As stated in the article, divorce rates are going down but that may be because fewer people are getting married. Follow along with me here... the amendment that became part of our state constitution yesterday limits the rights of heterosexual couples who are unmarried in the very same way it limits the rights of homosexual couples. Sure, they got the conservative Christian vote out by yelling "SAVE YOUR MARRIAGE" from the top of the rooftops and playing on gay prejudice. ("It's just not natural," a conservative Christian voter told a friend of mine who was handing out leaflets at a polling place. "Would you want your son putting his thing in a cesspool?") This is what it boils down to for these folks. With legislation like this, heterosexual couples are going to have to get married if they want some of that tasty "hetero privilege" pie.

You know the stupid thing about this amendment? It was completely unnecessary. Virginia already has laws that define marriage. I heard this referred to as one of the most anti-gay laws in the country. They just wanted to make doubly sure that it took. Oh, and get the "values" voters out there to insure a win for George "I'm a Racist and Proud" Allen.

Idiots.