All of this seemed to happen without voting or it really mattering who the president is.

I remember Tootsie.

I remember the Defense of Marriage Act.

I remember Murphy Brown pregnant out of wedlock.

I remember Saturday Night Live saying the word "masturbate" on the air.

I remember Barney Frank jokes.

I remember Don't Ask Don't Tell.

ALL of it was hard-fought.

ALL of it was culture picking a fight with government and government not being able to muster the power to kick culture back down.

And that is why Republicans hate culture - they've been steadily losing to culture since they switched from Eisenhower to Goldwater. They're on the ropes and they're swinging wildly and it's ugly as fuck and we're all bleeding but goddamnit in my lifetime we've gone from Dungeons & Dragons = Satanism to "lol Ron DeSantis is picking a fight with Disney."

I lucked out. I kept Bob Dole out of office. I voted for Clinton, and he didn't suck, and then I turned 19 and it was the End of History. If your electoral awakening aligned with Trump entering office? You're gonna be cynical for life.

But the culture really does want things to be more liberal, and the conservatives will always wage culture wars to stay in office.