Right(s)

Much has been said about Obama's recent coming out (wink-wink) as a supporter of gay marriage. For a lot, the talk has focused on how it will affect his bid for re-election, how the right wingers will respond to this pronouncement, how they will use this pronouncement, for their benefit, etc.

For many of my friends in the LGBT/LGBT-supporting community and I, the talk has centered on this sentiment: FINA-frikken-LLY. :)

But will our campaign for equality now become easier? Will we now make more sense to the people who still think the LGBTs will go to hell? Will  LGBT rights now become more, well, right?

Sadly, no. In terms of the everyday fight, nothing will really change. In fact, this more apparent support for LGBT rights doesn't make my belief in them any stronger. I'd like to think they were strong enough, even without Obama's backing, thankyouverymuch.

But.

And I say this personally.

(Without impunity, kasi I know this is completely feeling of me, because sino ba naman ako, diba? Haha!)

I am happy for him. For Barack. For finally being able to say, out loud, to the public, that he is, in fact, supporting gay marriage. For doing what is right. It's the straight person's watered-down version of coming out of the closet, I suppose. ;) (Because take it from me, for one reason or another, there are many closet LGBT supporters.)

As someone who was also quite reticent about gay marriage before, as someone who has been told (in more ways than one) to shut up about my views about LGBT rights, I am one with him in this amazing display of courage. He has so much more to lose than anyone I know by making this conviction clear. That is courage.

And THAT is making me happy. And giving me purpose.

So, I know the manner he chose to announce this stance was very Obama-esque (quiet, calm, conversational), but allow me to play to stereotype and mentally garb myself in Cher's disco clothes and dance to this song.