Another item of interest in the good news category:  U.S. Representative
Marilyn Musgrave, the ultra-right bigot of Colorado who authored and
introduced the anti-gay marriage amendment to the U.S. Constitution that
was championed by George W. Bush, was defeated by a Democrat yesterday.

There is a perspicacious article by Matt Taibbi on Musgrave and the broader
cultural changes reflected in her defeat (including some involving
intersections of homophobia and racism) in a recent issue of Rolling Stone;
it is titled "The Death of a Red State" and is available online at
rollingstone.com.

Tom Digby
Professor of Philosophy
Springfield College
263 Alden Street
Springfield, MA 01109

"Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire."
--William Butler Yeats

"Every point of view does not have equal weight. Lies should not get the
same amount of weight as the truth."     --Daniel Zwerdling



                                                                           
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                                       Election results on gay equality    
                                                                           
             11/05/2008 11:06                                              
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This is a GREAT day for the U.S.

But please don't forget that Americans continue to ensure that certain
inequalities will be written into law --



Yahoo News, November 5, 2008


LOS ANGELES - California's proposed constitutional amendment banning
same-sex marriage - and with it the personal lives of thousands of gay
couples - hinged on about 3 million absentee and provisional ballots early
Wednesday.

Sponsors of the ban - widely seen as the most momentous of the nation's 153
ballot measures - declared victory, but the measure's opponents said too
many votes remained uncounted for the race to be called.

The amendment would limit marriage to heterosexual couples, the first time
such a vote has taken place in a state where gay unions are legal.

Even without the wait, gay rights activists had a rough day Tuesday.
Ban-gay-marriage amendments were approved in Arizona and Florida, and gay
rights forces suffered a loss in Arkansas, where voters approved a measure
banning unmarried couples from serving as adoptive or foster parents.
Supporters made clear that gays and lesbians were their main target. . . .
.