Good news and bad news.

You probably already know the good news - we've got a new president-elect.

The bad news comes from California - Proposition 8, which eliminates the right of same-sex couples to marry, passed by about a 5% margin. This is a step backward, and in California of all places on top of that. Measures in Florida and Arizona also passed, with the same effect, as did Arkansas Initiative 1, which bans "umaried sexual partners" from adopting children - this would apply to both gay and straight people, but because because only straight people can legally marry in Arkansas it's quite obvious who this is aimed at.

A friend and fellow blogger who lives in California has started a blog called No Surrender, in which she's been writing about events in California since Proposition 8's passing. There are already talks of lawsuits against the state for the right to marry, as well as protests by some more well-known gay Californians. My friend has written an open letter to the people of California, which I encourage all of you to read an pass along. This isn't over yet, and if we keep fighting we may still be able to beat this thing.