News Bites: “As California goes, so does the nation”
Those are the words of my mayor, Gavin Newsom, who shared some vindicated words about yesterday’s California Supreme Court ruling that declared a ban on gay marriage unconstitutional. After all, he’s the guy that started a gay marriage frenzy here in San Francisco in 2004, and then saw those marriages ruled invalid months later.
It was a celebratory scene yesterday here in San Francisco. Homos everywhere were hands-up in joy, dancing in the street. See for yourself: click here.
Straight supporters were beaming with excitement too. One straight girl in my journalism class happily asked, “Do you think there’s a lot people getting engaged tonight? I wonder if there’s going to be a rush of June weddings.” [Maybe a mid-June rush: it will take at least 30 days for the ruling to go in effect. This SF Gate article has more info.]
Of course I was excited and grateful for the court’s decision, but at the same time I thought, OK, that’s just one more state that thinks I’m good enough to get married. You’re telling me I should be jumping up for joy because I’m being granted rights I already deserve?
I’ll take whatever victories for gay marriage I can get, but someone has to acknowledge that it’s a little messed up to be celebrating one’s status as a second class citizen.
We’ve got presidential candidates who want to make gay marriage a state issue, which only complicates the rights and protections of marriage even more. We’ve got civil unions in Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey and New Hampshire; domestic partnerships (with same state benefits of marriage) in Oregon and Washington, and now we have marriage in Massachusetts and California. That handful of states sounds like a mess compared to a neat and clean blanket of federal marriage rights.
My hope and faith is that there’s truth in the statement: as California goes, so does the nation. In the meantime, there’s more work to be done.
So how do you queers respond to another marriage victory?
May 16th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
We have domestic partnerships here in DC too!
May 16th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
I am cautious in my responses. And I underline that NY State still has no recognition- unless you go elsewhere and bring it back. Canada is not an option- we would want our kids with us- we can’t bring the baby over the border (adoption not final). Massachusetts is too far with the kids- and California is out of the question.
I am too busy living my married life to have to keep focusing on *how married* I am or am not in the grand scheme of things.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
I think Maine will be a while in coming, but we’re already planning to get legally married on our existing anniversary.
For what it’s worth, I think you’re right to get your hopes up! Glenn Greenwald has a great article at Salon.com about why this decision makes sense in California law.
We have to win the country one state at a time. It’ll take some time, but we’ll do it.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Well, since I live in a very conservative Asian country, this type of news makes me jump with joy and say “Wow! Only 10,000 more years to go before I can get married here!”
But, like DivaJean, my partner and I are too busy living together and worrying about house payments and savings and watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVDs to deal with these technicalities.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Celine, you make a good point. I see where you’re coming from. I’ve had a similar excitement when reading about Netherlands, Belguim, Spain, South Africa and Canada allowing gay marriage.
I agree with you and DivaJean that your love doesn’t need outside validation. I think I may be part of another generation that has had a taste of more tolerant attitudes towards gays. For me, marriage isn’t just a matter of validation of my love for my partner. I just want to be treated as an equal. I guess I’m committed to both my relationship with my partner and asserting equal protection for it.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:09 am
I am careful in my reply. Canada is not an alternative- we would wish for our kids to be with us- we can’t bring the baby over the edge. Love doesn’t need outside validation.
May 19th, 2008 at 6:51 am
[...] week, many of us had reason to celebrate as the California Supreme Court ruled that the ban here on gay marriage is unconstitutional. I’ve [...]
May 19th, 2008 at 9:54 am
It’s exciting to see state governments realizing something that made a lot of sense to most of us years ago. I can see the other side, though “Why celebrate something which I should have had to begin with.” Still, it’s better than NOT having marriages.