happy gay marriage day

it was a pretty historic day for gay and lesbian couples in california today as they were finally able to legally wed. when you think that it was only a few decades ago that the gay civil rights movement really began, it's quite an accomplishment. i was happy to see that hundreds of gay couples were married at the county courthouse downtown without large-scale protests in this still-conservative city. and maybe those opposed to gay marriage were surprised to find that their marriages did not crumble just because some couples who've been living together for years made their relationships official.

while there is still no federal recognition of gay marriage (and that's where true equality lies in terms of financial impact), to have something like this happen during my lifetime makes me feel very grateful. and i think the best way to recognize that on a personal level is for jay and i to be a part of it - especially since it could be taken away by california voters come november. in fact, it would be silly not to get married because these marriages supposedly can't be invalidated. so we're shooting for a simple ceremony at the courthouse in a few months, and then a party to celebrate afterward.

given california's cultural influence across the world, it's possible that we're underestimating the long-term impact of today's events. i think people will look back on this day as a landmark moment in shifting public opinion toward recognizing that gay people deserve the same rights as everyone else.