1) The overwhelming majority of the GLBT community will vote Obama/Biden. It is an imperfect ticket, but so are all of them. It's the best we've had in a long time, and NO ticket is perfectly aligned with an individual voter's particular, singular set of priorities.

2) GLBT voters are just as diverse as hetero ones. Many don't vote solely on GLBT issues. Many are equally as concerned with jobs, the war, the economy, civil liberty erosion, public education and US policies on torture. The gay communitiy is not some monolithic block, all moving lockstep in one direction. In other words, they are regular Americans.

3) The success of Obama/Biden means a return to sanity for all of us in many, many ways. The thought of McCain/Palin in power is a nightmare on a thousand different levels.

4) It is perfectly appropriate for BOTH gay and straight voters to be outraged, even in the middle of a close election, if the candidates they support issue mealy mouthed, two sided bullshit statements on issues concerning gay equality. That's what democracy is all about - speaking your mind, pushing your representatives to do the right thing.

5) Barack Obama himself has advocated that the gay community PUSH him to do the right thing. He has said, in unequivocal terms, it's not his job to be a gay civil rights leader. It's his job to get elected President and it's the job of gay civil rights leaders, and average gay and straight citizens, to push the country and him in the right direction.

6) It's perfectly legitimate to believe that our Democratic leaders should be FRAMING the issue of marriage equality better - that they have let the right frame the meme for too long and that framing is the only reason this still has any potency as a wedge issue. There is a basic lack of leadership in explaining to the average flyover voter that there is a big difference between religious marriage and civil marriage. Too many progressive politicians fall into the trap of following the meme the rightwing sets in place and talking about this issue in terms of religious beliefs. It is appropriate to keep hammering the men and women ON OUR SIDE, until they start explaining the basics of the issue properly to the American public.

7) Bigotry towards gays, just like towards African Americans, women, Jews, Muslims or any other group, should never be accepted by people who consider themselves progressives. On a discussion board such as this one, it is reasonable to hope that there be a non-merciful one strike rule.

8) Don't ask the LGBT community to shut up about issues that affect their family's survival. Even during an election cycle.

9) Let's all take the next month and work our respective asses off to get Obama/Biden elected. If you choose to express yourself politically by working against Prop 8 in CA, great. If you choose to work on the senate race in NC and get Liddy Dole banished for good, more power to you. We each contribute in our own fashion.

10) If you're straight, you ARE the gay and lesbian community. Your sister could get thrown out of the army. Your nephew could lose his job in a fragile economy. Your son and his partner could have an overzealous prosecutor try to take their kids away from them. You are them and they are you. Gay and lesbian equality is YOUR issue too.