My fellow Latin@s, let's talk about this marriage ban

As a blogger who also holds a day job, I've been super slow in posting post-election responses. But here's my open letter to Latin@s about the marriage bans.
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I sat on the couch last night listening to POTUS-E Obama give his acceptance speech while holding the hand of my Latino husband. I cried tears of joy. Thanks to you, my fellow Latinos, those tears became bitter and tears of sorrow. What did you do?

You went to the polls in California and Florida, voted for Obama, for change, for a new start for this country, then voted YES to ban same sex marriage. In Florida 60+% of Latinos, men and women, voted to ban love. They voted for us to move on from the horror of the Bush regime, but tied us down to our collective homophobic past. As a married Latina, I am ashamed of my people. Many pundits and bloggers seem to give Floridians a pass, perhaps because you are in the South. I won't. We are a people who have struggled for everything we have. Many of Florida's Latin@s came to this country to escape the persecution of the Castro regime and yet you persecute those who love the same gender. Think about that when you dance at Castro's funeral.

Now California...You deserve a time-out. Over 50% of the Latinos, men and women, who voted on the proposition voted yes. I know we can be a conservative people, but again, we are a people who know struggle. In Oregon a proposition was defeated which would have pushed our children into English-only classes after two years whether or not they were ready. Is that fair? In California, some of you are native...No immigration. America came to you and yet you are still looked upon as aliens, as guests, and as others.

I've read the literature about othering. When you are an other, you want someone else to be more of an other so you look good. This seems to be the heart of the Black-Latin@ divide. Who is lazier? Hard working? I say fuck all that. We are Americans whether you hold citizenship here or not. You live here and work here? You're American.

At least there is hope in California because the young people know this. It is sad that two of the most oppresed groups in this country, African-Americans and Latin@s, voted to oppress others. I guess that's the solace in Florida...everyone appeared to be on the same oppressive page, except for young white liberals who most likely were also Jewish. The great schlep delivered.

It's a bittersweet day to be a person of color. Yesterday we broke thru one wall and cemented another one. We will never be free until we all are...including our LGBT sisters & brothers. Why can't you see that?

Don't forget to join me in tonight's Town Forum!
If you are in the area, there was a location change. The forum will now be held at LESLEY UNIVERSITY AMPITHEATER, 1815 Mass. Ave in Cambridge. Everyone else, join me here at 6 pm Chicago time or is it now Obama time...*cue MC Hammer dance*