Allies through the ages

OK, last one. Promise. Consider it a spillover from last week to complete the five-day string of all marriage equality talk all the time. It’s also a powerful reminder that history should always champion those with courageous hearts. While our Golden Girls knew that love is love 22 years ago, there were also brave members of congress who knew the same thing 17 years ago. These were the voices who stood up against the Defense of Marriage Act back in 1996. The men and women who refused to use us as a political pawn. The politicians who never used us as a wedge to scare up vote. As we all know, the bill passed overwhelmingly (342-67 in the House; 85-14 in the Senate) before being signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Those who allowed it to become the law of the land have their own consciences to deal with now (though I’m incredibly pleased at the flood of lawmakers who have since flipped their votes). But there were those allies – 81 in all – who saw clearly from the beginning. And we should never forget and always give thanks for their convictions.

p.s. Since some of the Supremes seem to think same-sex marriage is so a newfangled thing to warrant not risking such experimentation, please enjoy this gorgeous photo of an African-American same-sex couple that appeared in Jet magazine back in Oct. 15, 1970. And, you know what, our marriages have been around and documented a lot longer than even that. Since at least the Middle Ages. Though, despite your ass-ertions, Justice Alito, is no historic evidence of iPhones in Byzantine art.