Well, here I am in Massachusetts where this civi right has been legal since May 17th, 2004. My next two weddings are between two men, one couple coming in next week from Melbourne, Australia, and the other two coming up in late March from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
There's one thing very important that many of my same sex couples have taught me, and surely without their even knowing it: they are no different, not in their need to follow tradition, not in their need to have their love front and center, not in their need to express gratitude for the nurturing and values given them from friends and family.
But most palpable in the sameness to opposite sex marriages is their knowing the privilege of their commitment, the seriousness of their vows, and the confidence of having the institution of marriage provide a platform of trust for each of them to grow and flourish throughout their lives. Even the intention to have children is a big part of many same sex couples' intentional future.
We're all still working on the language: I now pronounce you husband and husband/wife and wife/spouses? But that's just fooling around with the word search: the center of it all is the honor it is to be so included and so respected. I can't for the life of me picture a state in the union without s-s marriage in another ten years. May I never lose my rose-colored glasses.
