After 54 years together, George Harris, 82, left, and Jack Evans, 85, were married in Dallas on Friday.
Sitting in front of my computer on Friday June 26, watching rainbows fly out of my computer, I could not be happier. In the long fought battle for victory among the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court ruled a 5-4 vote that the Constitution guarantees the right to same-sex marriage.
It’s a beautiful day. A beautiful week when the “map of the United States” and the “map of states where same-sex marriage is allowed” is the same map. It’s even more beautiful that I’m not the only one who thinks so; so far mass media response to the ruling has been enormously positive.
Facebook has a new filter that allows you to turn your profile picture in to a rainbow to celebrate the ruling. Buzzfeed has changed its logo in to a rainbow and created a new “pride” button. Twitter and Tumblr are on fire. Sir Ian McKellan and Sir Derek Jacobi have released a video of themselves celebrating. The happiness if infectious.
If that wasn’t enough, American Airlines has changed all TV screen logos on their aircrafts to rainbows, Lily Pulitzer has come out with a new collection for lesbian weddings, AT&T, Ben & Jerry’s, Dove, Visa, PETA, Chipotle, Target, MasterCard – they’re all on the bandwagon.
But of course, not everyone is in unison on the new ruling, there is a vocal minority who are worried about what this means for the future of the United States:
"Finding my wife and moving to Canada." - RoyTheV
"Well, this country is going to hell after that. Moving to Canada." - Kakashi1426
"Gay marriage is now legalized in the entire US. Moving to Canada." - NeverThatKid
There are many more where those came from. But there’s just one little hiccup with that plan. Same-sex marriage was extended nationwide in Canada in 2005.
In other news, a Christian couple in Canberra, Australia, Nick and Sarah Jensen, have threatened to divorce if same-sex marriage was made legal in Australia.
They claim, “It raises a red flag when a government decides it is not content only having sovereignty over land, taxes and the military, but words themselves. By changing the definition of marriage it would, in years to come, have an altogether different sense and purpose.”
And they’re not the only ones. Texas ex-pastor Rick Scarborough threatened to set himself on fire (prior to the ruling) if the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, his exact words being, "We are not going to bow, we are not going to bend, and if necessary we will burn."
However, after multiple inquiries about his plans for self-immolation following the ruling, Scarborough claims that he never actually mentioned setting himself ablaze, instead quoting a spiritual song, “Shadrach, Meshach Abednego."
In retrospect, regardless of positive or negative media associated with this moment in history, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and as people, we should respect that. However, as someone who has grown up in a social, political, and religiously diverse atmosphere (as well as a self proclaimed romantic), I have always strongly supported the right to love without restriction based on gender identity or sexual orientation.
Even if we cannot understand or agree, if nothing else, we can all be happy that millions upon millions of people worldwide are living much happier lives today.
