I found it funny to hear CNN’s Paul Begala say after Mitt Romney’s speech that “Your heart has to go out to Mitt Romney.” The same can be said of the host of BET’s Don’t Sleep, TJ Holmes, who tweeted how “This is sad to watch.” and noted how Romney’s been running for president for several years and now it’s over. But, my heart doesn’t have to go out to Mitt Romney. Why feel sorry that a multi-millionaire’s dream has died given its largely due to his own ineptness?

I take the same attitude with Romney after his loss that he took for me and my mine the entire campaign: To hell with him. And good riddance.

I suppose both remarks are attempts of conveying humanity in the spirit of being “fair and balanced.” Whatever. Romney’s puppy didn’t get run over, so I’m not about to feign sympathy and let my heart go out to a man who’s been heartless in his depictions of Blacks, the poor, gays, women, and the plight of immigrants.

If anything, I take great joy in Romney’s defeat as it sends a clear message to both he and his party that sort of hateful and ugly style of campaigning no longer packs the punch it used to.

Speaking of, as a gay man, it also excites me greatly to see that slowly but surely Americans are looking at gay people as just people – deserving of the same rights and privileges in our romantic relationships as they enjoy.

Maine and Maryland have become the first states to approve of gay marriage by way of public vote. Moreover, Washington voters have voted in favor of same sex marriage while Minnesota voters struck down a ballot initiative calling for a constitutional amendment to define marriage as one man and one women.

I absolutely loathe how such a small minority’s rights are being granted on the condition of an approving majority versus state legislatures or judges. Likewise, I’m not completely thrilled at the idea of gay rights behind defined solely through the prism of marriage. Still, in this moment I’ll take comfort in Americans finally wising up. That is, in some parts of the country anyway.

As nice as it was to hear the newly reelected President Obama revisit old talking points about how America isn’t as divisive as it appears, I remain a bit ambivalent towards that sentiment. Even so, his reelection and voters approving gay marriage along with marijuana use do prove that the country is gradually becoming more progressive. So while evil may take a while to die, it does eventually tap out. Thankfully, it’s starting to look sooner rather than later.