Last week, as voters elected Barack Obama the first African-American President, they were also voting for bans on gay marriage in several parts of the country. For many people the voting results are paradoxical. How can voters on one hand get past years of racial animosity and discrimination and send an African-American to the White House and on the other hand deny same-sex couples the right to enjoy the benefits of married life?

On Nov. 4, three states-California, Florida and Arizona-passed bans on same-sex marriages. The ban's success in California, often seen as progressive on social issues, has drawn the loudest protests, with gay-rights activists and supporters backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger expressing hope that the California Supreme Court would overturn the ban, known as Proposition 8.