it's over...

i just got home.

i wanted to say that i'm okay.

although i remained very optimistic up until about 7:30 this evening, i have to admit that i'm not totally surprised. i'm sure no one is...really. we lost by more than i had thought we would in all honesty. i thought it would be a lot closer. but it wasn't, and that doesn't totally surprise me either. it's a bummer that people aren't educated enough to realize that they just made me a second class citizen. that they just restricted the ability for me and sanaz to for legal contracts and create and raise a family. it's totally a bummer.

but on a happier note, i don't feel totally defeated. in fact, in our universe and our work on campus we actually made history tonight. we turned out a RECORD high voter turnout for an off year election, and not only that, but those that turned out voted OVERWHELMINGLY with us. i'll spew some numbers...on the two campus precincts we turned out 22% and 23% voter turnout (the highest ever for a Consti. Amendment eleciton). on those two precincts there were 80% and 85% of people that voted against the amendment. when we looked at the other student populated precincts (riverside, hyde park, far west, west campus) the votes were overwhelmingly with us. anywhere from 79%-93% voting against the amendment.

this not only shows me that we did a damn good job at letting students know about this amendment and turning them out to vote, but it also shows me that there is hope in our future. the fact that THIS many students felt that this issue was important enough to vote on proves to me that our generation is not willing to put up with discrimination for themselves, or their peers. we're not a generation of "well, it's always been like this so whatever..." we're GOING to fight. and our friends and allies and peers are going to fight too. these numbers at UT are historical, and they show just how much this is a generational issue. as soon as we are the leaders and the congress and the ones who decide what laws to impose, there will be a difference, because we are not going to put up with this crap.

i am incredibly hopeful. and i actually feel like in one sense we won tonight. we got our generation talking in texas and i don't think this conversation is going to let up.