I just can’t resist. Here’s one more, from dear friend of GWP Daphne Uviller:

Yesterday I threw together a ham sandwich, some coffee, and a bag of cookies and grabbed my baby boy and hopped in my car to drive two hours each way to pull the lever in my hometown. Currently in exile in suburbia, with McCain signs on either side of me (lovely people, though, I’ll be the first to say), I needed to go vote at the Gay and Lesbian Center in the West Village, my polling place since the moment I turned 18. The line was around the block; we waited 45 minutes and I loved every second. And can I just add, even more than the racial history we made, I’m thrilled that America elected a brilliant, erudite man, instead of someone they wanted to have a beer with. Perhaps the dumbing down of the this once-great nation can yet be stanched. I love Obama. I feel hope. And I feel proud of this nation again.

On a less sanguine note, Daphne’s and my exuberance is today mixed with heartbreak at the news of setbacks for gay and lesbian rights.  The following updates on ballot initiatives come courtesy of Ann from feministing. Writes Ann:

Proposition 8 in California: Passed. This is such a crushing loss. I went to bed last night before the final results were in, and woke up to the news that the people of California actually approved the gay marriage ban. So devastating.

Amendment 2 in Florida: Passed. Yet another gay marriage ban.

Proposition 102 in Arizona: Passed. As Dana noted previously, “Arizona became the first state in the nation to reject an anti-gay marriage amendment in 2006, but they’re likely to pass the measure this year, now that it has been stripped of language that also denied domestic partnership benefits to hetero couples.” Looks like that was the magic change to make bigotry palatable to Arizona voters.

Act 1 in Arkansas: Passed. Now gay couples are unable to adopt or foster-parent children. This from a state with 3700 children in the foster-care system, and only 1000 foster homes. Disgusting.

Steps forward, steps back. We have much work to do from here.