Out Of The Closet

I recently came out of the closet. It was a difficult thing for me and my family, but there were recent events that forced my hand. I didn't want to do it, but it's actually a relief now that it's over. I am a liberal American. I know what you're thinking: this guy is shitting on people who've had to deal with the very serious issue of coming out as gay, lesbian, trans, questioning... and I apologize. It was a lazy way to get you to start reading. But since you're still reading... I came out publicly as a liberal on election night 2016. I had to do it, for a lot of reasons. First, because the middle part of our country is so stupid that they thought that Trump would be their best bet to make America buy cheap hats with a fascist slogan on the front (made in China). Second, because within hours of this shitshow of a "victory", I had tons of my social media friends posting right-wing bullshit, considering WorldNutDaily, Breitbart, RedState, as mainstream media. And asking their liberal friends to "be kind". And to "come together" in this time of fucking "unity". I came out because it bothers the ever loving fuck out of me that these assholes only look for "unity" or fucking "kindness" when their dude wins the election. Were these assholes looking for unity and kindness when Barack Obama was elected in 2008? No. They were already planning for his presidency to be one term, and pledging to de-legitimize his election. The fucking "tea party" was nothing more than a bunch of racist assholes, who immediately started the process of primarying people IN THEIR OWN FUCKING PARTY for even remotely suggesting that they would be something close to "loyal oppostion" - politics-speak for the party out of power duly expressing their disagreement with the majority, but pledging to work within the government structure to come to compromise where possible. These no-dicks said fuck that - he's a nigger, a Muslim, a socialist, a fascist (ironic), he doesn't represent my America (where we apparently hit the pause button in the 1950's). I never had a social media "friend" reach out to me looking for unity when comics showed a fucking watermelon patch on the fucking White House lawn. But they damn sure did two days ago when protests broke out in major cities across the country as their tiny-handed, intellectual lightweight business failure of a candidate (who took a tax loss that may or may not be legal to ensure that he HASN'T CONTRIBUTED A FUCKING DIME TO OUR COUNTRY IN ALMOST TWO DECADES) planned to visit the White House to initiate the peaceful transition of power. Obama has not been the perfect president. No president can be. When you're elected to that singular office, you represent 330+ million people. Some of those people are not going to be pleased on any given day. You make so many decisions, some of them are going to be wrong. My impression of Obama is different than every other person in this country. As is yours. But here's how my experience with 44 began: On election night 2008, I was in northern Virginia, after wrapping up a small software convention at the University of Maryland. A libertarian co-worker and I went out for a very nice dinner in Georgetown (corporate credit card), and then cabbed it back to the hotel. I was glued to my phone the entire time (Blackberry Curve 8330), and as votes started coming in, I was looking forward to celebrating in my hotel room. With alcohol. We got back to the hotel, and decided to have a nightcap in the lobby bar. Obviously, all TVs were tuned to election coverage, and I was pretty much in mixed company. Corporate suits, DC drones, and tourists in that bar were either enjoying the moment or despondent. My co-worker retired to his room, and I sat alone at my table with a final drink as Obama was declared the winner. I looked around the bar, and the response was politely subdued. Some tables were smiling and patting each other on the back, while others were huddled in quiet conversation. I looked behind the bar, and for the first time I realized that everyone working was black. And then I looked around me and saw that every single person they were serving was white. I finished my drink and asked for my check. As I was settling my tab, I looked back behind the bar and saw several of the staff looking at the TVs and smiling. Small, slight smiles, but powerful. I signed my bill, and at the bottom I wrote YES WE CAN! My server came and picked up my tab, and I headed for the elevator. As I was waiting, that server came up to me and almost sheepishly said simply "thank you - it's an important night". I shook his hand and agreed with him, and went to bed, feeling pretty good about my country. Seven plus years later, thanks to the tireless efforts of fucknuggets on the right (Mitch McConnell should burn in hell, even though I don't believe in it), the importance of that night has been effectively wiped away. Racism is not only at an all-time high, it's an election criteria. Obstructionism succeeded. The man who questioned Obama's legitimacy will succeed him in the most important and powerful position in our country. The man who won a primary by bullying his opponents, and who won the general election despite some of the most despicable rhetoric ever recorded, will assume the position of "most powerful person in the world". But it will all be better if we're just kind to each other in fucking unity. I'm writing again because I was silent this past seven years as I watched our democracy get raped by people who care more about themselves and their election possibilities than their country. And to the LGBTQ community I disparaged at the beginning of this post: You're fucked in a Trump presidency. And Pence hates you. I'm sorry I was silent. Next post: why Bernie Sanders would have been slaughtered by Trump in this election.