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CHEERS AND QUEERS 2010

Well that was a quite a year! And I for one am happy it is over. Here is my list of political learnings from this year; the good, the bad and the ugly.

THE UGLY
* Gay kids are killing themselves and the silence from the family values crowd is deafening.
* Lies, fear-mongering and race-baiting have a home in American politics; and that home is the GOP.
* Sarah Palin has a TV show and is still around.

THE BAD
* The American public has short memories and that the old political axiom is true:  No-one ever lost an election by UNDER-estimating the intelligence of the American people.
* The Great Communicator could more accurately be called Spelunker In-Chief for the number of times he caves on any given issue.
* Democratic Senate Majority Leaders from purple or red states (Harry Reid, Tom Daschle) are spectacularly ineffective.  Anyone for Majority Leader Schumer? (Even Durbin would be better.)
* The A-List showed the world that gays can be every bit as shallow and awful as straight people on reality TV.
* Rage is an effective political weapon for both the left and right. (Guess it is our turn again.)

THE GOOD
* There are some GOPers whose brains function more than once a year.  Thank you Collins, Snowe, Murkowski, Brown et al. for your votes on DADT.
* The lame duck Congress did what it should have been doing since 2008 – passing bills that the core of the party could support.  What would have happened if we had done this BEFORE the midterms?
* Obama says his views are evolving on marriage equality.  (Though for now he remains President Separate but Equal.)
* DADT was repealed.
* Even hapless governors of New York, who are clearly out of their depth, can make one good decision.  (Hello Senator Gillibrand!)
* Dan Savage reminded us that the Internet can be used to reach out directly to gay kids and let them know that It Gets Better.
* The West Coast and the Northeast remain bastions of blue state America and it is amazing to live there.
* Family makes it all worthwhile; both the family you were born into and the one you make for yourself.

Happy New Year everyone! Hopefully 2011 will be less bad and ugly.

And if anyone needs reminding that gay is good, watch this Miracle on 22nd Street:
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/12/24/nyregion/1248069482199/miracle-on-22nd-street.html?scp=1&sq=miracle%20on%2022nd%20street&st=cse

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