You’d think two days worth of writing about marriage equality with only a handful of comments would cure me. But no, I am a sucker for punishment. Because on this, one of the most historic legal weeks for LGBT rights, I just can’t shut up about how excited I am to see it all happening before my eyes. Just 10 years ago I wasn’t sure if I’d see same-sex marriage legalized in our country in my lifetime. And now I feel certain of it. So if I go on, if I gush, there’s a reason. Sure, marriage is by far not the final frontier in achieving our full and total equal rights. But it would be such both real (the 1,138 benefits, rights and protections granted federally by marriage) and symbolical (the acknowledgement and acceptance of our love as the same) victory that I cannot help but feel giddy. We will prevail because it is the right thing to do. We will prevail because we are a nation build on the concept of the equality of all people. We will win because skim milk marriage is not whole milk marriage. We will win because even Bill fucking O’Reilly thinks it’s just the bible thumpers left opposing us. We will win because love should always win. We will win because, well let’s be honest – we will win because our signs are better.
Our signs are absolutely better! My wife and I (gay married in CA in '08; 4 days before the axe fell) and our daughter look forward to being able to visit our red-state family without worrying about what legal ills could befall our family because we're SO not equal there. Our kiddo was born here, so both of her moms' names are on her birth certificate, but that's not good enough for most of the states in this country, and if anything were to happen to me while we are in TN (or any of the reds between here and there) my family might have to depend on my mother's greater legal rights to our daughter (what?!?) to sort things out. I long for a time when sanity prevails and the preceding statement is acknowledged as COMPLETELY FRACKING ASININE. That day is coming, and I am relieved!! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the marriage posts! :)
Keep 'em coming. My partner and I have been fighting for benefits from her (now former) union AFSCME for almost 6 years now despite being "united" in the eyes of the City of Philadelphia. At one point they gave them to us then voted to take them away again. They get away with it because they are stronger than the city and we have no state or federal protections. We need real marriage and we need everyone to keep talking about it until the thought of not having marriage equality sounds stupid, even to people like NOM and Westboro Baptist.
ReplyDeleteMy silence doesn't mean I haven't read your good blogs. In fact, I'm exhausted from reading everything I can read about the SCOTUS questions & indicators of where certain Justices (Kennedy & Roberts) may be leaning. I live in Atl, Ga, which will take the slowest boat possible to marriage equality. If DOMA is repealed based on the reasoning gleaned from Kennedy (states' rights), to get a consensus for repealing, then the marriage equality movement actually suffers a temporary setback. B/c the single digit # of states that offer same sex marriage would be the only states where federal benefits would be offered to same sex marriage. I am proud of the fight, the compelling arguments from our side, and the lady Justices who are so clearly on the right side of history. Thank you, Ms. Starker, for your 3 days of bogging on this issue.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to comment when you're dizzy from holding your breath . . . Good thing I can still read!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a huge fan of "marriage" in the "traditional" church sanctioned kinda way, but I am a fan of total equal rights. So, obviously, I support us queers having the right to marry whomever we love that is of consenting age. It's just that I want no part of an institution that wants no part of me. In the meantime, I'm perfectly ok with civil unions for ALL adults as long as they also confer all the rights and responsibilities at a state and federal level that "traditional" marriage does. Unfortunately, I that concept has been hit and miss. And maybe someday I'll change my mind...
ReplyDeleteEarlier this week, I read that the Supreme Court is "deeply divided" on the issue. Really? What about "liberty and justice for all"?
ReplyDeleteWell, forever more --- men have nipples? :)
ReplyDelete(Oh, those signs were to die for!)
You can never write too much about marriage equality -- until it's a reality. Even then, you have to stay vigilant and defend the hard-fought gains. So thank you!
ReplyDeleteGreat signs ("Jesus had two fathers" - love it).
Marriage is a legal term offering 1138 rights that civil unions cannot give. Social security benefits when your spouse dies, no taxes on your family healthcare, no taxes on your shared assets when your spouse dies, etc., etc, etc. As you get older, a lot of these benefits of marriage become hugely important. And "marriage" is a fundamental right, which as a gay person, you are unequally denied. The fight is an important one and has little to do with holy matrimony or liking the institution of marriage.
ReplyDeleteOf course, our signs are fabulous :) More wonderful and happy creativity to be found at:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.happyplace.com/8958/the-most-hilariously-convincing-gay-marriage-signs
Did anyone see the gentleman dressed as a pink devil with a rainbow tutu carrying a sign that said, "I bet Hell is FABULOUS?" One of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteDuring the prop8 protests and rallys we carried around a light weight erase board and a back pack full of markers. Although the cause was serious shit.we had a blast with all the SoCal misfits. They inspired the best signs.
ReplyDeletethanks for your blogging! here in Australia we are all watching with interest. Facebook is full of pink and red profiles and so many straights are getting on board!! It WILL change and my fiancee and I are waiting :)
ReplyDeleteKeep 'em coming! I love the signs, and the contrast with some of the anti-marriage-equality folks is just absurd.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling really cautious around so much of this; I'm so optimistic, but I'll be terribly disappointed if these decisions go the wrong way, so I'm trying to not get too confident.
I remember a moment in 2003, after I read about the Canadian gov't's proposal to make same-sex marriage legal throughout the country. I turned to my office-mate, and we just sat silently, stunned by the fact that we might have the full right to marry within our lifetime. The fact that it may come to pass within a decade of that moment is amazing, but the idea that it might get pushed back yet again is just appalling.
Gays don't deserve rights. It's an abomination of God, a danger to hetero marriages, and it will ruin tradition. Thanks to you liberals wanting to push your agenda, there's an ideology civil war going on. Under conservatives.. HETEROS BTW,the world was more peaceful and secure. All you liberals want is a stinking anarchy. Trust me, all of you will go to hell
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