Kay Hanley

The adorable Trent from Pink Is The New Blog texted me earlier to ask for a picture of me with the I Voted sticker on for his voter photo series.  I’m so glad that he did because I definitely wouldn’t have thought to document this moment on my own. 

When I emailed him the picture, which was of me and Zoe Mabel, I had to mention what this election means to both of us. 

My parents brought me and my sisters to the voting booth.  My Dad always worked for local candidates in Boston and my Mom was a pro-life activist (no, that’s not a mistake) so my formative years were spent completely immersed in the true blood sport of Boston  politics.  I have followed American politics with love, disgust, excitement, anger and most of all (hopefully) respect my whole life.

In turn, USA Mike and I have always brought OUR kids to the polls.  I don’t think Zoe Mabel has ever missed an election in her 9 young years.  This year was especially meaningful, though.  She decided that Barack Obama was her guy last year (no surprise there) and followed the primary season indepently all the way up to the DNC.  We watched the convention every single night and she (along with conroy) cried when Obama delivered his speech.  I am not even kidding.  

Obama’s name on the ballot would have been enough to get her stoked about the election but then she got wind of something else:  Proposition 8.  A ballot initiative asking for an amendment to the Constitution of the state of California that would ban gay marriage.

Being from Massachusetts, we know several gay couples that are married, most notably our friends Brian and Charlie Moore-Ward, whom Z has known her whole life.  Many of our dearest friends here in Los Angeles are gay and nobody, including our children has ever thought anything of it.  

 So when Zoe got wind of Prop 8 she was quite literally shocked and saddened that anybody would want to inflict such insult and/or pain on so many of the people that are important in our lives.  Honestly, I do not have the stomach to even try to explain why such a point of view would exist in this world, so I don’t except to say that any idiot can get a stupid initiative onto a California ballot and maybe it was a horrible mistake.  No matter, I will tell you this:  An activist has been born.

 Alright.  Conroy’s here and we all know what that means.  The polls are beginning to close all over the United States Of America.  Godspeed, Mr. Obama.