I know, right? Two marriage equality posts in one week? These are exciting times to be living in/ getting married in. So, a quick round up:
- Vermont, Vermont, Vermont! Gay Marriage is now legal in Vermont! And, in a even neater twist, Vermont is the first state to achieve marriage equality through legislative action. It's out of the courts! Next, we're going to see positive change in the voting booth, I am absolutely sure of it.
- Um, I think you need to go buy this Iowa shirt now. Or this one. Iowa, I'm a big fan.
- If you haven't done so, go peruse the comments of the marriage equality thread from earlier this week. Team Practical has come up with many touching ways to bring a small sense of justice to the currently unequal institution of marriage during your wedding. I'm not sure I emphasized this enough in the last post, so I want to say this: if you feel moved to do something to promote marriage equality on your wedding day, there are many many ways that you can do this. If it doesn't feel right to you to make a public statement, you are doing *just* as good a thing if you make a donation to a gay rights organization privately, or find some other small and personal action to take. Sometimes it is the quietest actions that are the most meaningful.
- And finally, please go watch this gut-wrenching reminder of why gay marriage rights are not about giving couples their 'Big Day' but about providing vital rights to parents and families. The sooner we realize that our laws are ripping loving families apart, the sooner people will be willing to step aside and realize that whatever their personal beliefs are, all citizens of our country deserve equal protection under the law.
- UPDATE! UPDATE! Annnnnnnndddddd the D.C. council just moved to recognize gay marriages performed elsewhere. Now *that* is what I call momentum. (Thanks MsTeacherLady!)
As the Jewish celebration of freedom begins, a cheer for the new freedoms granted in Vermont, and a prayer for all those who are not yet free.
(Comments are on, as long as any discussion stays respectful of all LGBTQ readers and supporters. We're a gay friendly safe place over here. That's just how we roll.)
(See... all this prattling on is what happens when I'm running low on real gay weddings. You have my email, lets keep them coming.)
meg, you rule.
thanks for linking to the heartbreaking post about the mom facing deportation…
there’s a bill right now called the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA)…check out what you can do over at http://www.immigrationequality.org
thanks for being the best kind of ally.
xox
April 8, 2009 7:01 pm
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I’m glad to see that there are places in the world where people are starting to realize how important it is for families to acknowledge and accept that gay marriage is helping our society.
April 8, 2009 7:03 pm
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The one teeny tiny regret I have from our wedding is that we didn’t think to acknowledge marriage equality. I’m so glad it’s becoming more common to do that. Happy Pesach, Meg!
April 8, 2009 7:04 pm
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meg, i sweat you!
April 8, 2009 7:27 pm
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It’s posts like these that keep me reading your blog even though my wedding happened months ago.
You rock, Meg.
April 8, 2009 8:14 pm
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I know this isn’t as big a deal as Vermont and Iowa, but I figured it was still good news worth sharing: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/07/AR2009040702200.html?hpid=topnews :-)
April 8, 2009 8:51 pm
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I love that you are encouraging a discussion of ways to advocate for marriage equality.
Before we got married, my husband and I had many conversations about whether or not marriage was right for us, initially taking the approach that we would get married only when that right was available equally to all couples. And then we ran into some of the consequences of not having those hundreds of rights and responsibilities that come with marriage – specifically, immigration issues and eligibility problems with health insurance. Our own experience really solidified for us the importance of being allies and advocates for marriage equality. It is really not at all about the wedding, but about the life you build together. And in totally practical terms, federal and state laws come into play in building that life.
When it came to integrating our views on marriage equality into our wedding, I’m afraid we weren’t incredibly creative. Our officiant (the deputy mayor) was really inflexible with the wording of the ceremony (beyond letting us take out “obey” and some other references to beliefs we do not share). We put bumper stickers on our getaway car that supported marriage equality, and those have stayed on our car ever since. We also made a donation to the HRC.
One thing I’ve been thinking about doing is having our rings engraved for our anniversary this summer. Possibly something as simple as “equality” on the inside of both our rings – reflecting both marriage equality and the fundamental equality of our partnership.
I look forward to reading the other ideas the lovely ladies of Team Practical are sure to share.
April 8, 2009 9:29 pm
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what a nice idea to incorproate a marriage equality message into your own ceremony (and for other readers to do the same)
your posts on this topic are always moving.
April 9, 2009 6:58 am
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My partner and I had our wedding this past Saturday in Texas. It felt so wonderful to see all these advances in same sex marriage going on at the same time. I told her that we added to the movement – now we just need to keep it going!
April 9, 2009 7:09 am
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Ah! I have that shirt! My whole family is from Iowa and I moved out to Brooklyn a few years ago and they gave me that shirt a couple weeks ago as a goofy engagement present. And I wore it all weekend in celebration of marriage equality!!
April 9, 2009 7:10 am
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I may have to get that shirt. I LOVE it! And I love Iowa, but I’m a little biased…I’m a native living in Des Moines. And the rest of the country thinks we aren’t progressive, just back woods hicks. Hmpf.
April 9, 2009 8:58 am
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What a wonderful post. It is heartbreaking to hear stories of families being torn apart because of marriage and immigration laws. I am shocked when I hear of any organization that purports itself to “protect families” that protests against same-sex marriage rights; not thinking that refusing those rights has devastating effects on already existing families.
April 9, 2009 12:07 pm
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Definitely exciting news. I’m anxious to hear what the California Supreme Court is going to come back with here real soon. Thanks for the support Meg!
April 9, 2009 2:21 pm
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So stinking proud of Iowa!!
April 9, 2009 8:11 pm
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Hip, hip, hooray!
April 11, 2009 2:17 pm
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Oh yay for Vermont and Iowa. I know this is late, and more about the marriage equality post, but I wanted to share an idea. I was talking with my fiance today about working something about marriage equality into our ceremony and he had a neat idea. It isn’t about the actual wedding, but he said that some married couples are choosing to donate a portion of the tax deduction they get as a married couple (the portion of the deduction which would be equal to the proportion of people in America who aren’t allowed to get married legally yet) to a cause that supports marriage equality. I thought that was a really neat way to continue one’s commitment to marriage equality after the wedding day and into the marriage. Of course, you would have to be in a financial position to do this, and it doesn’t address other aspects of marriage benefits that our LGBT friend’s don’t enjoy (hospital visits, etc), but I still think it is a neat idea.
April 12, 2009 12:07 pm
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I’m from Vermont. I screamed and cried with happiness when I heard over VPR that the legislature ovverode the veto! Then I was at a contra dance a few days later, and the caller made a big fuss about how fabulous it was . . . and pointed out her husband, who had been a sponsor of the bill, and whom I’d danced with many a time! Made me feel like part of history. ;-)
April 13, 2009 1:50 pm
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I was so excited to hear this news! Equality is on the rise in the US
April 19, 2009 6:26 pm
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