“It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment, change has come to America.”

— President-elect Barack Obama

Millions worldwide were inspired by President-elect Barack Obama’s stirring victory speech Tuesday night.

“That is the true genius of America – that America can change,” Obama said shortly after his landslide victory over Republican John McCain.

For some, the change Obama invoked was palpable; America elected its first black president, who engaged more voters and delivered a message of “change” to a global community.

“America can change,” he said.

But, when?

It wasn’t immediately clear to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans who woke Wednesday in a country that – with regard to their most fundamental rights – had not changed for the better.

Instead, the “change” we see is advances in having our constitutional rights put to majority vote and stripped away.

In every campaign to ban same-sex marriage – in Arizona, California and Florida – committed gay and lesbian couples lost; relegated to second-class citizenry in every case. In Arkansas, voters passed a law banning unmarried and same-sex couples from adopting children or becoming foster parents; in this case, limiting the rights of gays and lesbians, and denying children loving homes.

In the Golden State, exit polls showed disappointing trends. Nearly 7 out of 10 black voters voted “yes” on Proposition 8 and Latino voters also favored the ban – though by a slim margin.

And in context of the initiatives voters did support, the elimination of same-sex couples’ fundamental right to marry seemed even more dismal.

More than 60 percent of voters approved Proposition 2, the state measure that will require more humane living conditions for animals raised for food, and in doing so, California’s voters sent a resounding message of support for animals’ rights – while simultaneously repealing the rights of taxpaying human beings.

Despite the tremendous joy at seeing an end to a Republican regime in the White House, and despite celebrating a victory for black Americans – who, despite what exit polls in California and Florida suggest, are allies in our battle for civil rights – our community aches today for its losses, which, indeed, are setbacks on our quest for change.

And so, in the spirit of our next, great American president, Barack Obama, we will persevere. The fight to win equality and fundamental, constitutional rights will not be won by popular vote. It will be won in the courts, as it was in May when the California Supreme Court issued its historic ruling in favor of same-sex marriage.

The courts are where we’re headed. As of press time, three lawsuits had been filed to request an immediate stay of Proposition 8, and to invalidate the discriminatory measure that would treat same-sex couples as separate, in-equal citizens.

We will take time to assess our loss and our campaign’s strategy, but we will focus our effort on winning this battle in the courts again.

There will come a day soon when we celebrate the joy and euphoria we celebrated in May, when the high court’s ruling came down. And this time, there won’t be a tenuous nature in our celebration; this time, we will win this fight.

That’s change we can believe in.