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I am incredibly proud to be a Californian today.
Today, May 15th, 2008, the California Supreme Court struck down the state's existing gay marriage ban.
(Here! Have an article: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/15/same.sex.marriage/index.html )
Startlingly enough, the vote was 4-3 in favor of striking the ban, an unexpected outcome since six of the seven justices were Republicans.
Now, within the next 30 days, hundreds of thousands of "second class citizens"... who could be your friends, your family, your neighbors, in your church, at your school... will finally be able to marry. Not a civil union. Not a domestic partnership. Actual, full-fledged marriage that heterosexuals have had the privledge of enjoying for the entire life of this country.
I cannot express how incredibly full of exploding joy this makes me.
Sure, I don't "need" it, not for me. I've taken advantage of that heterosexual privledge and as many of you know, have been married to my longtime sweetheart mcc for a little over two years.
But you know what? For me, it's mere and complete chance I was able to do so. As fewer of you know, I'm bisexual. VERY bisexual. "Perfect 3 on the Kinsey scale" bisexual. If I hadn't met him at the point in life I did, if we'd met at another place or time, if he hadn't been in my life at the exact point he was? It could have very easily been me in that place. There have been women in my past that, had things gone differently, I could very easily have seen settling down with for good I could have just as easily been one of the "second class citizens" denied the right to marry whoever I chose.
After work, mcc and I went downtown to the Santa Clara courthouse, where there was a last-minute rally to celebrate the decision. Although the crowd was not huge (about what we expected, for an event planned after lunch on a Thursday) the energy was fantastic. Everyone was so overjoyed and happy. Many hugs, kisses, and tears. A LOT of support from community leaders, both political and of groups. The vibe was incredible.
A more dire reminder did continue to surface. A ballot measure is being sent up for the November ballot to take away the rights that have just been granted. We can't be complacent just because the victory is won for now, we have to keep fighting. But that's OK. It's a fight worth fighting, and today has shown that it can be won.
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