Friday, May 16, 2008

Happy Gay Marriage Day from California!


Joyfully, this is the third state I've called home that has legalized same-sex unions (2 out of 3 have marriage equality). Today was an incredible day to be in San Francisco. You may recognize COLAGE's own Beth Teper celebrating this morning, pictured above as seen in the NY Times.

The court's ruling was strongly worded:
“In view of the substance and significance of the fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship,” Chief Justice George wrote, “the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples.”
Yeah... it's about equal rights.

This ruling does not signal 'full equality' in California as some have said today, but rather marriage equality - one institution. There is still plenty of inequality in this state and throughout the world. Marriage equality solves some very real problems for many people - including thousands of families in the country's largest state. It will not cure many of the inequalities that LGBT people (and all people) of this state experience, but it does send a loud message that people should be allowed to marry, regardless of their sexual orientation. Let us remember this as we celebrate.

It's a great day to be gay in San Francisco.

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