Grey's Anatomy star T.R. Knight recounts his experiences from spending Election Day volunteering for No on 8, urging people to vote against the same-sex marriage ban, and then the ultimate sadness when Prop. 8 passed.

Knight writes:

The man who screamed "Homos and lesbians!" as he drove by, the older man who shouted at me to go back to West Hollywood (I live in Los Feliz), the woman who called us "abominations," the man who spat on the palm card we had handed him. There was a man who attacked a young female volunteer of ours at a nearby polling place at a Catholic church, shoving and pushing her and ripping up her palm cards. Every single supporter of Prop. 8 was so filled with anger and bile as they voiced their "support" to us, with the exception of one older gentleman, who engaged us in a very civil conversation.

One person in over 13 hours.

All of that was countered by the many straight families who were very vocal in their support of No on 8. The young man who joined us while on break from work (holding a sign he had downloaded from his computer), another guy who brought us cookies and juice in the morning, the husband and wife who brought us cappuccinos at nightfall, the drivers who honked in support (when others weren't flippin' us the bird), and the woman who hollered from her car, "Thank you for fighting for our family."

But then the news of Proposition 8.

It is difficult for me to understand many aspects of this outcome. Why did other minorities vote in such high percentages in favor of Prop. 8? Why do they see our civil rights as so vastly different than their own? Why did the Yes on 8 campaign use such incredible deceit to win? They claim to come from a place of high morals. How do they justify that with fighting in such an immoral way? Why is religion impeding our freedom and equality?

As I write this, I just read the concession from No on Prop. 8. I find it difficult to put the sadness I feel into words.

I know that gay people will one day gain all the rights due us as American citizens. I know that the people who stand in our way today will be the people the majority will later mock as foolish and bigoted. I was speaking to an African-American friend tonight. She told me, "It takes so long. But people will come around. You have to continue to fight. It just takes a very long time."

I hope I can muster the patience and keep my anger focused so I can continue to fight. Fight clean. Fight with just the truth. And never let myself spew the kind of hate I encountered on that Tuesday in November as we peacefully fought for our civil rights.

Last update: 11-10-2008 13:27