Separate can never be equal
I was wading through traffic yesterday in Los Angeles when I heard the news. My friend Daniel Champion called my on cell phone and excitedly asked, “Have you heard!!?? Of course I had not because me and Travis had spent day the Getty Center and we didn’t have access to the news.
“It’s legal. It’s official. Gay marriage…it’s legal in California now!”
My heart skipped a beat. I didn’t know what to say, and anyone who knows me at all knows how rare that is. Lol. Then I thought Daniel was joking or having fun with me, but hearing the pitch in his voice as he rattled on, “It’s all over the news!” I knew he was serious.
So this is what it feels like I thought to myself as I hung up the phone and turned to Travis. Victory. Count it. Put one in the win column. Sure, we haven’t won the “war” but this is a battle that we deserve. After two vetoes, letting Massachusetts steal bragging rights, and putting up with all of those annoying signature gatherers outside of Wal-Mart for the last 5 months, it was time to stem the tide in the Sunshine state.
The California State Supreme Court ruled that banning gays and lesbians from enjoying marriage rights is a civil rights issues and can no longer be legally sanctioned in the state. It’s about time. I didn’t want to cry yesterday, I just wanted to dance and shout and holler. I want to cry as I write this though. I am equal, under the law, in my native state. No more sitting in the back of the bus for me. No more having to drink out of a separate water fountain or having to walk into the county clerks office and read the sign that says, “No gays allowed.”
As I turned to Travis, and relayed the news, he hopped up, grabbed the dashboard, eyes huge, and said, “What! Really!? Are you serious!?” Outside of being the most politically minded 20-something I know, the excitement and genuine joy in his face and eyes made me glad I could be the bearer of such great news. The fact that he just happened to be visiting with me in California on such historic day will make our mini-vacation that much more memorable.
Fuck separate people. It’s equality, or nothing.
May 16, 2008 at 6:01 pm
You’re absolutely right. The “separate but equal” doctrine was overturned in the 60s (Brown vs. Board of Education) when it was being used for racial segregation. And there was a time when inter-racial marriage was illegal. Slowly but surely, our country is realizing that all people deserve equal rights. I just hope that the conservative Supreme Court doesn’t overturn the California decision.
May 17, 2008 at 3:33 am
I don’t see how the Federal Supreme Court can overturn it, it’s a decision based on state statutes, not Federal. If they can, someone enlighten me as to how?
May 17, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Jim. I’m not sure the Federal court can over turn the State decision, but I’m not entirely sure how that works. What I was referring to in my blog is the state initiative that has been underway in California (i.e. the signature gathering campaign at Wal-Marts) to get a referendum on the November ballot in CA to change the state constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. That would/could in effect, negate the historic decision of the California State Supreme Court lifting the ban on gay marriage.