Monday, June 16, 2008

Welcome California!

-- by Sara

...to the roster of civilized places that (starting right this very minute!!) allow people of the same gender to marry.

Up here in Canada, where gay marriage has been a national fait accompli for just over three years now, we straight folk have been keeping a close eye on each other, looking for the smallest sign that all those new legal gay couples we're minting are taking a toll on Marriage As We Know It.

So far, though...nothing. Not a single sign of social decay in sight. Divorces and spousal abuse are at about the same rates. Porn sales, as always. I'm waiting to catch my hubby checking out foxy guys on the street, but so far, he seems as resolutely girl-oriented as ever.

Kinda disappointing, really. Three years, and it's all just as boring as it was before. They'd had us so convinced that we were storming the gates of Sodom and Gomorrah -- and frankly, we were rather looking forward to getting started.

Maybe California will have better luck. Who knows?

It's a damn fine day to be a native Californian. I'm so proud of Gavin Newsom, and the courageous gay rights activists, and the judges who backed them all the way up to very end in the aftermath of what had to be the happiest act of civil disobedience ever. We're here because of them. Remember them and smile next time someone tries to tell you liberals don't have great big brass ones.

Massachusetts -- and now, California. That's not quite one-seventh of the US that's now on board with same-sex marriage. (If New York joins the club, which could happen soon, it'll be closer to one-fifth.) From here on out, the rest of you are going to have to catch up -- or come up with a far, far better excuse as to why you think the words "full faith and credit" no longer apply to you.

Updated with corrections 12:10 am

No comments: