Over the past several weeks, I’ve been phonebanking for Barack Obama, and against California Proposition 8 (which, if passed, would kill same-sex marriage).
Calling hundreds of households around the country is interesting. Now I understand where all those “while I was in ___, I met ___, who ___” candidate stories come from.
While phonebanking, I talked to a woman in Oakland whose brother would be joining the military the next day and wanted to be able to vote for Obama. I passed her off to a senior organizer, who explained what they could do if her brother’s absentee ballot didn’t arrive in time.
I spoke to a man who worked three jobs. He apologized when I called, saying he was too tired and busy to follow politics.
I had a long conversation with an Indian-American family in suburban Orange County that was against Proposition 8. When I asked, they explained their support for same-sex marriage in the context of equal rights for all. Everyone should be able to get married, they told me.
It’s 6:00pm on election night, and I’m hopeful that Barack Obama will win the election, and worried that LGBT Californians may have their civil rights rescinded. I’m anxious, waiting for good news.
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