Well, today's the day. The day I, and hundreds of thousands of fellow California gays and lesbians, find out if we'll be treated as equal citizens or relegated to second-class status. I've been wound up about elections before. But never before has an election been so personal and threatening to me as an individual. And I'm very nervous, because I really don't know how it's going to come down. If the polls are correct, this is going to be very close one way of the other.

I've done all I can. I've donated. I've put up signs. I've demonstrated. I've talked to people. Now, it's up to the people of California.

Back when this all started, I was pleased that Californians were so blase about same-sex marriage. Nobody cared. It was not a hot topic of conversation. Even the early polls on Prop 8 showed that only 30-something percent of Californians supported it.

That was all before the Mormons, the Knights of Columbus, Focus on the Family, and other out-of-state interests started funneling millions of dollars into California to flood the state with lies about same-sex marriage. It's been a tough fight.

Californians always like to think of themselves as enlightened souls, as trendsetters for the nation. Hopefully, this self image will work in our favor today. Because if Prop 8 prevails, for gays and lesbians, it might as well be Alabama. At least in Alabama, we know where we stand. We wouldn't have established rights stripped away from us.

Get out an vote. Do all you can to make sure No on 8 voters get to the polls. Don't let an early Obama win keep you, or anyone else who supports Prop 8 away from the polls.

Good luck to us all.