lifeonq.com

Californians Plan Their June Wedding Parties

It is near 5 p.m. here in Atlanta, meanwhile LGBT Californians have three more hours to wait before they can have the state’s permission to marry. According to a story by Reuters, some of the more gay-friendly cities (Los Angeles, San Francisco and West Hollywood) plan to begin issuing licenses and conducting state-condoned gay wedding ceremonies after the close of California business, when the Supreme Court ruling officially goes into effect.

One visible change to California marriage that I find somehow humurous, or at least subtly ironic, is a change to the state marriage license. Rather than referring to a bride and groom, the form now lists Party A and Party B. In my dark, dry humor, I find that change to be a benefit to everyone. Shouldn’t all weddings result in at least two parties?

I don’t mean to make light of such a significant step forward for gay rights. Most significant is California’s willingness to issue marriage licenses to citizens of any state, unlike Massachusetts, which legalized gay marriage only for queers who have a legal address in the commonwealth. For the first time, our rights as citizens is not limited by our sexual orientation or where we get our mail. It’s more of a giant leap for our kind, rather than Massachusetts’ somewhat smaller step. But I have to admit that I see both the forest and the trees in what the California Supreme Court has given the LGBT community.

I can’t help but notice the timing of the ruling. Why do court decisions on LGBT issues seem to always come in an election year? Is it coincidence or carefully crafted timing cooked up by the vast right wing conspiracy? Nothing lights a fire under a fundamentalist Christian’s self-righteousness like the chance to vote in judgment of others. Call me paranoid, but it makes me wonder if they’re disguising their intent to get us with a Trojan Horse for a wedding present. Is California just another gift that will ultimately have to be returned? Will there even be time to write the thank-you notes? There is, after all, a marriage amendment on the ballot for this November, where a simple majority of simple-minded Californians could revoke the marriage licenses that will be issued in the six months until then.

Maybe I’m just one conspiracy theory away from A Beautiful Mind. Maybe I should just soften my jaded defenses and find beauty in the moment. So I’ll stop and smell the roses as Parties A and Parties B pass by on their way down the isle. Congratulations, everyone!