Richard Herod is at it again. Last fall, he received a notice from his townhome association in Woodbury, Minnesota, insisting that he remove the anti-marriage amendment sign from the yard in front of his house. (At the time, Minnesota was preparing to vote on that amendment; if passed, it would’ve enshrined homophobia in the state constitution by denying gay and lesbian couples the right to marry.) [...]

There’s a lot at stake this Tuesday. Not only will Americans choose whether or not to re-elect President Barack Obama, but also in four states — Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington — voters will either stall progress toward marriage equality or permanently codify it as the rule of law. Add to that the potential repeal of DOMA (which would be great) and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (which wouldn’t), and you’ll see that the many LGBT civil rights wins we’ve achieved over the past four years are now on the line. [...]

In Minnesota, Richard Herod III has taken the “Vote No” message off of the rear bumper and made it larger than life. Herod’s idea began as a response to a rule imposed against him – right at his home. [...]

As motorists, we have a tendency to individualize our rides. It’s the American way. Our nation is one of the few countries where our vehicles are personalized with stickers, cling placards, and badges. Through these identifying marks, we advertise our educational history, faith, favorite sports team, sense of humor, and politics. [...]