Yesterday the voters of California have chosen bigotry and hate over love and peace. Yesterday the voters of California did not choose the path of MLK by elected Barack Obama but the path of Jesse Helms and Storm Thurmond. Yesterday proved to be not the end of MLK's dream of equality but only the beginning. As a gay teenager not yet out except to two of my best friends I am extremely disheartened and depressed over what happened in not only California but in Arizona and Florida too.

   Yesterday proved to me that as we a society choose to accept one people we then decide to hate another. The age of race discrimination may be over but MLK's torch of equality has been passed to the fight for Gay and lesbian rights. I cried at 3 exact moments yesterday. First, when Barack Obama was projected the 44th President of the United States. Second, when Obama was giving his Presidential acceptance speech. And lastly when I realized that Proposition 8 would pass in California. Many people say that the fight for civil rights and the fight for gay rights are not a like, but I say say they are the same fight with a different face.

   Why am I, an American who happens to be gay, a lesser citizen or patriot than any one else. Why should I be treated as a second class citizen. Why should I fear to be outed and exiled. As much as I love President Obama and Senator Clinton I strongly disagree with them when they tell the story of parents holding up their children and telling them that they can be whatever they what to be. That's not true. I can't be whatever I want to be. I can't be President, Or Senator, or even get married. I can't show love, or hold the hand of a loved one without fearing what would happen to me.

   I'm not going to say that gay discrimination is exactly a like from racial discrimination because it is not. What happened to the Africans Americans in this county can not equal to anything else, but they share an inner struggle. A struggle to be accepted. A struggle for equality. I don't expect everyone in American to like gays and lesbians, but to just tolerate us and accept us. You don't have to like us but at least admit that we deserve the basic rights of human beings.

   Hopefully I am wrong and that one day I as a gay 16 year old can achieve my basic human rights. Maybe I won't see that day but I can promise you this that I learned something from President Obama. I learned that even if I don't achieve my rights, that if I fight hard and speak my mind then maybe my children (If I'm allowed to adopt) will be able to see a time where there is no discrimination. No matter who you are.

I would like to end this diary with a quote from Senator Hillary Clinton. "If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights once and for all." In this case gay rights are human rights.

When I first found out about Gov. Palin's being chosen for Vice-President I was a bit worried. I thought that because she was a women that we could not attack her and debate her the way we wanted to due to Rick Lazio's failed attacks on Hillary in 2000 and Obama and Edwards ganging up on Hillary in the New Hampshire debate. But as I find out how people are reacting to Palin's inexperienced and unknown name recognition I'm getting more optimistic about Palin being a horrible pick. To prove that, all we need is for her to say she has as much experiance as John Kennedy did when he entered the White House.

GO OBAMA/BIDEN!!!!  

    There is a lot of talk about Gov. Sarah Palin being very inexperienced and Quayle-like. Well I'm  here to tell you that she is a major threat for our victory in November. Why? Let's go back to the 2000 Senate race between then First Lady Hillary Clinton and Rep. Rick Lazio. During one of the debates Lazio went on the attack against Hillary and played very rough. What was the effect of the debate? Well the public saw Lazio as too hard on Hillary and was painted as a bully.

     Then their is that memorable debate between Hillary and Obama and Edwards after Iowa and before New Hampshire. Obama and Edwards ganged up on Hillary and kept attacking her. What was the affect? After being down by double digits in every single poll Hillary ended up winning New Hampshire by five points. Why? Because women stood behind her and said the media and Obama/Edwards were unfair.