Today is the first day to get a marriage license in Washington, D.C. The District will begin issuing marriage licenses today for marriages between two men or two women! In the heart of the political,justice wins out! There is a waiting period until the marriage can be performed so watch out for next Tuesday, March 9. It is the first day weddings can take place and it is going to be wedding bell time in D.C. If the snow ever stops and those cherry blossoms bloom it going to be some fabulous wedding season.
When the weddings happened first in San Francisco in 2004 and then later in 2008 here in California , witnessing all those weddings made a difference. California Supreme Court Justice George remarked how seeing all those people lining up to get married and seeing all the weddings had a profound impact on him and his thinking. Perhaps as couples marry in our nation’s Capital it too will change the minds and hearts of our Congress people and even President Obama and help us swiftly dismantle DOMA-the Defense of Marriage Act that keeps federal marriage recognition from our LGBT community.
And perhaps just perhaps seeing all those weddings will have a profound and radical transformation of our right-wing Supreme Court justices. As the Federal case begun in here California to overturn Prop 8 will make its way up the ladder let’s hope that these wedding ceremonies that will take place and the couples who get married will have an influence over the rhetoric of the religious right-wing conservatives who make false claims to justify their anti-marriage stance. This damaging rhetoric filled with lies hurts real people and their families. Let’s hope the reality of these weddings and these families will be the antidote to ignorance in Washington, D.C.
I was at least a little heartened that Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts denied a stay to the anti-marriage forces in D.C. They had tried to get the Supreme Court to issue a stay that would prevent or delay the issuing of licenses. But he denied it thereby allowing the issuance of license to go forward today. That might be interpreted as a very positive sign.
So break out the champagne and let’s toast freedom, liberty and equality today. Let’s offer a toast to those couples who will take the plunge that they forge a life of joy and happiness, love and blessing.
And let’s pray that this win for our side can open up the eyes to those that play in the realm of the political.
Count Dan and I in. Can we really go to DC and get married ?
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