Not really closing thoughts

I haven't really been up for coming back to share my thoughts and feelings that resulted from the election last week before this. And we all have Keith Olbermann to thank for my being up for it now.

Last Wednesday was incredibly difficult for me. It was hard to be so happy and so sad at the same time. Of course, Tuesday night had been inspiring and amazing to witness, and there was such elation all across the country. But just as President-elect Obama was finishing his victory speech, it started to become clear that Prop 8 was very, very close to passing. Talk about a thud back down to earth.

Wednesday night, however, showed that the fight wasn't over. And now, almost a week later, it's quite clear that the fight is far, far from over. There are hundreds or thousands articles on all the aspects of "What happens now?" and "What is happening now?" out there for you to read, if you're so inclined, so I'll just give you this one that sums up the latest.

Which brings me to tonight, when I read this commentary from the aforementioned Mr. Olbermann. It sums up so, so well how I feel about this subject and why I'm committed to continuing the fight to make sure Prop 8 is voided -- as I read it, it was exactly what I would have liked to write last week. It inspired me to put it here for you to read and finally get some of my reaction to the situation off my chest.

It's not over. It's so not over. Discrimination by law can't stand. If you supported Prop 8, either in thought or in action, please read the commentary if you've gotten this far and haven't. Ask yourself the questions he poses.

And know that this is how a whole lot of people feel, and we're going to make sure you hear it:

Mercy post...kind of

A certain someone complained that he kept getting reminded of the subject of my last post because I hadn't written anything since to push it down the page. So, here you go, it has now been demoted to "old news." However, that's probably the only part of this you're going to like, B.

Today is a celebration. It's a celebration of love, a celebration of equality, a celebration of hopefulness and a celebration of victory over discrimination.

Today was the first day of legal same-sex marriage in California, and it's a day that I feel quite happy and satisfied to be a Californian, a state that is making a stride forward. This is only one of thousands of articles on the event, but it covers all the bases pretty well, if you haven't heard it dozens of times already. And if you feel similarly, here is something you can do to share your thoughts with the governor of your state.

I don't know anyone at this point who is planning to tie the knot, same-sex or opposite-sex, but I'm celebrating each of the people who are taking that step in love, in hope, in a new era of equality, right here from my living room.

I tried to be a lot more personally involved. I volunteered to perfom civil wedding ceremonies for the county clerk's office here because they are expecting more of an increase than the current staff can handle. I got all the information I needed to become a deputy marriage commissioner, but they held the training and swearing-in on a day I couldn't get there, much to my disappointment. I'm hoping there'll be another chance if they continue to need people and the anticipated challenges aren't successful.

And challenges there will be.

I'm not about to dive deeply into the whys and wherefores and my thoughts on people who see this as some sort of threat to them, their lives, their religion or whatever other reasons they hold, and will seek to go backwards. I'm not a part of the gay and lesbian community, I can't speak about it in a meaningful way other than to say how I feel; there are many others you can look to for more than that.

But to those of you who will mount these challenges or seek to support them: I disagree with you, with all my heart, and will be here to rise to that challenge.

It's people like me who will be standing there on the other side of the line you'll draw, engaging in the fight you'll bring, making sure we're heard just as loudly, just as strongly in numbers, if perhaps with less vitriol. Because, to me, your reasons are about intolerance, inequality, unfounded fear and, because it's the opposite of love, hate. If standing against those things isn't worthwhile, I'm not sure exactly what is.