On Nov. 4, our country turned one big corner but missed another.

The election of Sen. Barack Obama to the presidency was a stirring moment for Americans of many backgrounds and communities, and a milestone in realizing the Rev. Martin Luther King’s dream of a country that values the content of our character above the color of our skin.

But our nation’s quest for “liberty and justice for all” is far from fully realized, as was evident with the passage of four anti-gay ballot measures on that same historic day.

In California, Arizona and Florida, voters approved bans on marriage equality for same-sex couples, making California, in the process, the first state to ever strip away existing rights already enjoyed by citizens.

And in Arkansas, voters took the alarming step of barring adoption by any unmarried person. In doing so, that state not only severely limited opportunities to find loving homes for children who need them, but also sent an Orwellian message wherein voters are allowed to decide who is permitted to raise families, and who is not.

These bans represent the tyranny of the majority, which our Founding Fathers tried hard to prevent.

Democracy never intended for a simple majority of the people to take away the fundamental rights of the minority. A cornerstone of democracy is found in the belief that our Constitution, and not our contempt, should be the driving force insuring equality for all.

Constitutional scholar Lawrence Tribe recently noted that efforts to block marriage rights for lesbian and gay couples may be unconstitutional because of their incompatibility with the 14th Amendment, which guarantees all persons “the equal protection of the laws.”

The courts, which President Bush has stacked with conservative appointments, may be the final arbiters.

And this is where Obama’s victory may go hand in hand with securing full equality and full citizenship for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.

There are still many corners yet to be turned in our work to respect and protect all of our neighbors. But if we turn this corner, if we grant full citizenship to gay and straight alike, we can come closer to fulfilling the American dream, and King’s dream, too.

Steve Ralls is director of communications for Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). He can be reached at pmproj [at] progressive [dot] org.