Today is a big day, a really big, momentous day. It’s a day I am proud to experience and be a part of, a day that makes me “feel all the feels” as the young ones would say. Today is the day that the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution and all 50 states must recognize same sex marriage.
Why is this so important to me? My answer is simple: my children. I grew up in a pretty conservative household. My parents never said anything negative about gays or lesbians because I have an Aunt who is a lesbian and her and her partner have been together for as long as I can remember. As a child, I always viewed my Aunt’s relationship with her partner as one filled with joy, love and respect. And while I always had the feeling my parents didn’t necessarily agree with my Aunt’s relationship, they always respected it, they respected her partner and allowed my sisters and I to make our own judgments without their personal feelings impacting us. It’s that CHOICE, that RIGHT to be able to decide for yourself how you feel about someone that makes me so appreciative of this ruling today.
And back to my children…I want them to understand and appreciate just how far our society has come. I want them to know that love is love, no matter if it’s between a man and woman, two men, or two women. I want my boys to know that if two people are deeply devoted to each other, who put family first, who are willing to sacrifice and compromise and hold true to those sacred vows of marriage, then that is all that matters. Gender should not factor into love nor should anyone have the right to judge how someone else chooses to love. If I can demonstrate this to my boys and make them understand that love is universal, then I know I will have done my part to make their futures a little bit brighter.
I read this excerpt from Justice Anthony Kennedy and I think it perfectly sums up what so many have been fighting for:
For every person who has felt judged, disrespected or treated unequally, for whatever the reason, I hope you rejoice in our government’s decision today. While there is still such a long ways to go, this is a huge stepping stone for our society. There is so much injustice in this world of ours and to see that love has truly won out in the eyes of our nation is something that we should cherish and celebrate.
To every friend and family member of mine that has fought this battle, congratulations on your victory! I’ve always loved each and every one of you for who you are and I am overjoyed that you are now allowed to love who you want to in the eyes of the law.
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