Elation. That’s the emotion LGBTs felt on election night when Ohio turned blue shortly after 11 p.m. on election night and the major networks projected President Barack Obama had won his re-election campaign.
It’s a moment in history where a majority of us will remember what we were doing and who we were with when we heard the news.
In his first term, Obama made incredible strides toward LGBT equality, ranging from the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell to signing the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. Earlier this year, the president went a step further and became the first sitting president to endorse marriage equality in the country.
His challenger, former Governor Mitt Romney, made his stance on marriage equality clear very early on, signing a National Organization for Marriage pledge to support a federal constitutional amendment to define marriage solely as a union between one man and one woman. His running mate, Paul Ryan, assured the American Family Association that he and Romney would do whatever they could to ensure that only opposite-sex couples could enjoy the rights bestowed upon them by federal marriage.
When it became clear that voters re-elected Obama, LGBTs everywhere took a collective sigh of relief. We finally knew the man working in the White House for the next four years would look out for our individual rights and for the rights of our families.
Of course, the 2012 Presidential election was about more than marriage equality and LGBT rights. The economy, healthcare, the Afghanistan War and the natural disaster that was Hurricane Sandy were on the minds of voters across the country and with good reason.
The United States is a long way from perfect. We’re in the midst of a recovery and many citizens are still looking for work. But knowing that we have a leader who recognizes the importance of equality regarding all of the citizens of the country offers some comfort, and hope that now the gridlock in Washington can cease and real progress can finally be made.
Denying that an Obama victory is an LGBT victory is simply turning a blind eye to the facts. He’s done more for our rights than any president in the history of the United States.
It’s easy to focus on the president’s win. But there are many other victories to celebrate across the country this week.
Three of the four states that put marriage equality in the voters hands appeared to be leaning in our favor as of press time on election night. It’s a sign that a divided nation is finally coming together when it comes to issues of LGBT rights. If the projections of election night hold true, then it would be the first time that marriage equality measures handed to the people favor the LGBT community and that more states are realizing that separate does not mean equal.
Locally, Joe Saunders made history by becoming only the second openly gay state representative to head to Tallahassee when he won the new District 49 in Orlando. In Hillsborough County, Kevin Beckner remained in his commission seat and the Pinellas County Commission secured three progressive-leaning representatives.
On a national scale, openly gay Tammy Baldwin made history in Wisconsin. Six years ago, Ryan’s home state voted to ban marriage equality. Today, they boast the nation’s first openly gay senator.
As a journalist, it’s exciting to report on historical changes in the country. As a gay man, it’s thrilling to see progress made in such a profound and public way.
We have a lot to celebrate after this election, but we can’t take our victories for granted. Now we must hold our elected officials to their promises to attain true equality.
