Wisconsin battle lacks national attention

Shane Wealti posted a fantastic blog today on Dane101.com regarding the chilling lack of national attention that the Wisconsin marriage debate is receiving from national LGBT organizations and media. Although Wisconsin is just one of five states where this sort of legislation is being left up to ballot in November (South Carolina, Idaho, Tennessee and Virginia are the others), this battle is clearly going to be the most closely contested here.

"The absence of national coverage is also problematic because many of the important LGBT political donors live on the East and West coasts and it reinforces the stereotype of the midwest as 'flyover country.'"

Here in Madison, thanks to the efforts of the hundreds of volunteers that have been mobilized by Fair Wisconsin, it is hard to walk two feet on campus without seeing a window sign, a button, or a sidewalk chalking proclaiming "Vote No!", but it is painfully obvious that there are still many in our town that have no idea what this debate is even about. "What does 'A Fair Wisconsin vote no?' even mean anyway?" asked one friend; "What amendment?" asked another. We still have a lot of work to do in the weeks ahead, it seems.

In other news, the Tomah Journal had a quaint editorial opposing the ban published yesterday, and the Capitol Rotunda will be playing host to a beautiful Love Makes a Family exhibit on the first floor until October 21, so that is definitely worth a look-see.

And perhaps most importantly, tomorrow is National Coming Out Day. The LGBT Campus Center will be bringing the gay beginning at 11AM on Library Mall with the Breaking OUT of the Closet Obstacle Course until 2PM.