Dear Voters of the State of Maine,

I was prepared to write a lengthy and possibly quite hateful letter to you expressing my disgust over your decision, through the ballot box, to repeal your state's new law allowing same-sex marriage. What pains me about the 53% of you who voted for the repeal is that you fell for those time-honored tactics of fear and loathing, with particular emphasis on this caveat: if gays are allowed to marry, this kind of stuff would be taught in our schools.

 The horror!

I really want to go into a lengthy, profanity-laced tirade about your bigotry, and please don't try to convince me that even though you voted against same-sex marriage, you're not in any way shape or form prejudiced against gays and lesbians. Of course you are. Your election results clearly demonstrate that.

 No, instead, I'm not going to rant, because that would probably be besides the point. Instead, I'm going to allow the following comment, one that it saddens me to say I didn't coin, to accurately and eloquently express how I truly feel:

"Every tax-paying citizen deserves the right to marry the person they love. Americans who vote to deny other Americans a right they themselves enjoy should have that right taken away from them."

Are you listening, Maine? 

Are you listening, America?

This isn't a gay and lesbian issue. It's a human rights issue. No one has the right to deny another person the right to be happy, in life, in love, in marriage. Ever.

Shame on you, Maine. Isn't your state the "live and let live" state? 

Sincerely,

Gus Sanchez