This morning, as news spreads that the Supreme Court has overturned the Defense of Marriage Act and (by legal inaction) overturned Prop 8, I am sending huge hugs and much love to all of my married and engaged queer friends.
For my straight friends, how does it feel wake up in a country where my love is almost as federally legitimate as yours? I can imagine it relieves a little itch at the back of your heart. That makes me happy for you, too.
As of this morning, I can get married in my state of residence (California) and have that marriage be legally recognized in the state where I was born (Alaska) — at least as far as many of the federal benefits fo marriage.
Alaska is a state I’ve not returned to since I was eight years old. I could never imagine voters there voting for marriage equality. It’s so odd to fathom how much legalized homophobia has shut parts of the world off to me in my heart. It will take time to let sink in the vistas policy changes like this open up.
There’s still work to be done to make sure the Supreme Court’s ruling applies to all federal policies related to marriage. But lots of rights opening up immediately, which I’ll let more expert folks discuss. The most amazing one to me: binational couples can now apply for green cards. HUGE.
We have so much left to do. Life and love, for me, are about moving towards a world that we can barely imagine today. Because so many people whom I hold in my heard need change. Because our planet’s biosphere needs change (or, less change, as it were).
We have voting rights to restore and at long last attain.
We have corporate ‘personhood’ to overturn.
We have climate change to turn back, and an addiction to petroleum to kick.
And the journey towards queer liberation is far from ended. Yes, I can now have my love and wed another man and have that recognized throughout the country (with some work left in that regard). However, homophobia and its legacy still makes it hard for many LGBT people to love ourselves. We still risk violence and legally firing based on whom we love and desire.
We have the collective impact of centuries of homophobia and transphobia to heal, in our hearts and in our communities. We’ve already begun that, and there’s a lot more to do.
Lots more to do. Lots of good work to fill our lives with purpose. May this step towards a better world launch us into a full out, mass, collective run towards progressive change. I’m putting on my running shoes. Let’s go, all together.
all together human 