My concern about the election’s revelation about America’s complacent bigotry seems to be at least partially on track. Andrew Sullivan reports the following e-mail:

“I wonder if you noticed that yesterday all eleven states that considered the question of gay marriage voted to ban it. ALL ELEVEN. I think this sends a very clear message — true Americans do nt like your kind of homosexual deviants in our country, and we will not tolerate your radical pro-gay agenda trying to force our children to adopt your homosexual lifestyle. You should be EXTREMELY GRATEFUL that we even let you write a very public and influential blog, instead of suppressing your treasonous views (as I would prefer). But I’m sure someone like yourself would consider me just an “extremist” that you don’t need to worry about. Well you are wrong — I’m not just an extremist, I am a real American, and you should be worried because eleven states yesterday proved that there are millions more just like me who will not let you impose your radical agenda on our country.”

The Maximum Leader and Vater Smallholder both oppose calling gay relationships marriage but are willing to allow civil unions as a way of offering the vast number of rights attendant to heterosexual relationships to all citizens. Unfortunately, they are in the minority. The folks who were energized to turn out and push the election to Bush aren’t like my friend and father. They want to punish homosexuality legally.

Take Ohio for instance. The constitutional amedment added to the state’s supreme law did NOT stop at gay marriage; it specifically forbids any attempt to “approximate” the rights of marriage through civil unions or contracts. In fact, employers are now specifically prohibted from offering benefits to same-sex partners. Social conservatism has triumphed over believers in the free market.