Molly Rivera
The Daily Cardinal
In the wake of Democratic victories on Election Day, liberals find it easy to believe in the progressive America that elected Barack Obama, the first black president. We should be proud of the historical civil rights success Obama's election represents.
Yet, on that same day, our image of hope and unity was clouded by the passing of discriminatory measures in several states. Although thousands of students marched to Wisconsin's capitol building Nov. 4 cheering for the future of America, the occasion was muted by California and America's sad affirmation of the second-class status of LGBT citizens.
Along with Proposition 8 in California, the passage of gay marriage bans in Florida and Arizona - as well as Arkansas' measure to bar gay couples from adopting children - reveal the long battle ahead for members and supporters of the LGBT community. Today, more than 40 states have constitutional bans or laws against same-sex marriages, including Wisconsin, which passed a law in 2006.
However, in the next few years Wisconsin courts will determine the full authority of the statute, and the court could overturn the ban completely someday. The Wisconsin Supreme Court is critical to protecting civil rights in our state and will ultimately decide how broadly to interpret the amendment. For example, judges elected to the Supreme Court will have the power to interpret the second sentence of the amendment that bans anything substantially similar"" to marriage.
As for Madison Democrats, it is important to shift our focus from federal to state government and work to elect fair judges who support the rights of all people, regardless of sexual orientation. We need to move beyond the ""Obama hype"" and continue our efforts toward a progressive future by working to elect fair judges to the courts.
Democrats do not have to go into post-election withdrawal. With the Supreme Court elections in April, we have a multitude of work ahead of us. Although the ban passed statewide, young people overwhelmingly voted against it. The 2008 election proved the youth voice is strong, and we cannot let it dissipate. Young people across the nation worked for months and years to elect Obama. We spread his message of change and believed in his vision of hope. Our efforts paid off, but our work is not over.
We must take the effort we put into the presidential election and work to change attitudes. The future is not about one man. We have hundreds of thousands of people in the LGBT community in Wisconsin to work for and support. Wisconsin should not be part of the 40 states who allow discrimination any longer. The hope for a better future lies with civil rights for everyone. The change we can believe in is not here yet, but will be if we put our minds to it. We are on the right side of history, and we simply have to encourage everyone else to cross over and join us.
Molly Rivera is a sophomore and the community outreach chair for College Democrats of Madison. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
