Even though my well of inspiration has been a bit dry of late, I felt that I couldn’t let this day, this decision, this great gain in momentum, go by without acknowledging it in some small way.
To say that I never believed I would see the day that the United States of America would recognize the rights of gay and lesbian people to form families and have those family relationships treated with the same respect and dignity as their straight counterparts is true. To say that I never believed I would see this while at the same time sitting in a state that recognizes same-sex marriage is even more true. For me it is something close to as surprising as the fall of the Berlin Wall. People have been talking about it and working on it, me included to some extent, for years now. However, hatred, fear and the misguided education of our elders are difficult things to overcome.
I will say this to those people that are afraid of the decision. Don’t worry, be happy. Gay and lesbian couples are not out to poison the country’s morals, we aren’t out to bankrupt companies or governments with their change in benefits and we certainly aren’t out to find a new way to develop recruits. We simply desire the recognition of ourselves and our relationships as equal value and life affirming.
Know what? The thing that puts the biggest smile in my heart has nothing to do with me. When I close my eyes and think about the current generation of college students that may likely be able to openly love whom they like…and marry them…in multiple countries around the globe…that really brings a smile to my heart.
