By Curtis Creekmore

Thank you, America, for once again proving that I, as a gay man am a second-class citizen, and I’m in fact not created equal.
Last Tuesday, Arizona, California and Florida passed a constitutional ban on gay marriage, stating that marriage was to be between one man and one woman. They joined 26 other states that have laws written in their state constitutions, including Kentucky.
The ban in California passed 52 to 48 percent. Two percent of the voters of California made a decision for 100 percent of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender) community.
I understand that our country runs on the thought that a majority vote rules, but shouldn’t issues like these garner a need for more than just one vote to swing either way? Why can’t the “hot topic” issues be voted on as if they were in the Senate, where two-thirds of voters must either approve or disprove the measure before it can be entered into the law books? If you can’t please at least two-thirds of America with whatever bill or amendment you’re trying to approve, perhaps you should go back to the drawing board and try again.
 Many try to bring religion into this rule because they believe that marriage is a Christian institution. I don’t care what your religious beliefs are. When you love someone, you love someone, and no one can tell you differently. Gay marriage is not an “attack” on traditional marriage. It’s not something that the gay community is doing to ruin the moral fiber of America. We simply want the same rights allotted to everyone else, regardless of who or what they are.
It seems as though our society is moving closer and closer to George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” where “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Obama and Biden, while not supporters of gay marriage, have indicated support for civil union. While this sentiment is appreciated, surely we’ve learned from Supreme Court precedent that an institution that is separate but equal is inherently unequal.
Our society took a large step toward diversity and acceptance in electing the first black president in history. But, one day later, when the final count on Prop 8 was decided, the LGBT community was left behind. Is it too difficult for us all to walk together? Or can we, the United States, only accept one oppressed minority at a time?
If so, I’m not looking forward to the next 50 years.