Lone commenter at VA's top anti-equality org. is poetic embodiment of changing tide

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08/14/2014

by Jeremy Hooper

The Family Foundation of Virginia, that state's big anti-LGBT organization, did a post decrying the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals for refusing to stay its recent decision in favor of marriage equality. If the Supreme Court does not step in and overturn that decision (that story here), Virginia's same-sex couples could be marrying as soon as next week, and this pro-discrimination group ain't happy about it.

However, their own supporters don't seem to be so passionate. The aforementioned post, which has been up for a full day now, only has one comment. And that one comment? It's from a former supporter who now regrets his past vote:

[SOURCE: FF of VA]

And this guy is exactly right. Eight years in the course of this fight is a very long time. In 2006, we had only one state with marriage equality, no federal recognition, a hostile president, and a body of misinformation that duped far too many Americans into seeing same-sex unions as some sort of nuclear weapon that would soon demolish every piece of this nation from Lady Liberty to the Golden Gate Bridge. In 2014, we have nineteen states (plus the nation's capital) with marriage equality, full federal recognition, a president who came out for marriage equality and then still easily won reelection, a majority of US Senators (including four Republicans) who are on record in favor of it, a nonstop chain of lower court rulings that have gone with history's right side, and credible public opinion polls everywhere that show majority support for fairness. Politically, judicially, and culturally, there has been a seismic shift.

When it comes to this fight, all organizations like Family Foundation of Virginia have are their memories. But while they are waxing nostalgic about when they were able to turn fair civil protections into a popularity contest, a growing number of Virginians, like a growing number of Americans everywhere, are instead looking forward. The next decades will be filled with citizens who are deeply ashamed that they allowed themselves to buy into the other side's aggressive PR campaign. These enlightened, consciousness-raised, more peaceful citizens are now ready to join those of us who were there all along. Together we win the future.

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