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As Obama Emerges Victorious, Obama Pride Cheers in Chelsea |
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by Bruce-Michael Gelbert
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| photos by Bruce-Michael Gelbert |
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On November 4, as Barak Obama made history by being elected as the United States' first-ever African-American President, a large crowd cheered in Chelsea, while watching election returns at Obama Pride and Josh Woods Productions' Official LGBT Election Watch Party.
Eyes glued to the big screen, we applauded as CNN projected various state victories for Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden; excitedly cheered Obama's victory speech and his mention of gay Americans; and chanted "Yes, we can!" along with Obama supporters in Chicago.
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| Kiki (JustinBond) |
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Openly lesbian New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn addressed the crowd and defended a dissenter, about to be ejected by security, for heckling and calling her "Whore of Babylon," apparently for supporting Mayor Michael Bloomberg and securing an end to term limits for local elected officials. Justin Bond, Kiki of Kiki and Herb, sang and led a sing-along, a cappella, of "Happy Days Are Here Again" as Obama's victory became evident.
News early the next morning, according to America Online reports at 2:40 a.m., was considerably less happy concerning closely watched, discriminatory ballot measures, in three states, defining marriage exclusively as between one man and one woman and effectively barring same-sex marriage. In California, where same-sex marriage was declared legal by the state Supreme Court on May 15, 53% of the voters, with 48% of the vote counted, constitutionally repealed this right by approving Proposition 8. In Arizona, with 92% of the vote counted, 56% of the voters passed the similar Proposition 102. And in Florida, with 99% of the vote counted, 62% of the voters favored the equivalent Amendment 2.
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