So the California courts shot down Prop. 8, the hateful initiative passed in 2008 banning gay marriage.
Common decency rules the day.
This isn't going to go over well here in Bako.
Not. At. All.
While the original measure only narrowly won statewide, it passed here with a whopping 75% of the vote. This place is vehemently anti-gay. Hostile even.
Case in point: On the eve of the original vote there was a small "Anti - 8" rally on a Bako main drag which was dwarfed by a massive "Pro-8" rally across the street. The "Pro-8" rally brought out every Republican muckity muck, including a rabid wingnut from the local school board named Ken Mettler. At some point poor Ken took issue with the "Anti - 8" crowd and marched across the street and beat the shit out of one of the protestors. Knocked him down to the ground and kicked him in the head until he was unconscious.
It was all caught on film.
The protestor recovered and, quite rightly, sued Mr. Mettler for assault. The trial just ended a couple of weeks ago.
He was found innocent.
Even with film footage of him savagely attacking the protestor till he lay lifeless on the sidewalk.
In Bakersfield, if you're "for the gays", you get what you deserve.
And you know what? When it comes right down to it, that's the biggest problem with Bakersfield...
NO GAYS.
Don't get me wrong, there are some gay men here, but they're all deeply closeted or living "on the down low". They meet in secret on Craigslist or out on one of the bike trails by the dried up river. There is no "gay community", no bars or clubs. I've lived here almost a year and my Gaydar hasn't gone off once. I'm ready to trade it in for a toaster or something else useful.
And that, I believe, is why this town is such an ass backward armpit.
Without the gays, you have no charming older neighborhoods, tastefully gentrified.
No stylish restaurants or bars.
No boutiques, or galleries or day spas.
No Banana Republics or Crate & Barrels.
In short, you have no reason to live.
It's time these people realized we aren't the problem, we're the solution. Give us a hot glue gun and a bottle of vodka and stand back. Just look what we did for Laguna or Provincetown.
We're miracle workers, we gays.
And if there's one thing this place needs, it's a miracle.
