Marriage Equality: from where we were to where we are.

Last edited Fri Jun 26, 2015, 01:35 PM - Edit history (1)

In 2008, just seven years ago, the Republican Party had been successfully using marriage equality as a wedge issue, ramming constitutional amendments through state legislatures, deliberately putting such issues on the ballot to get out the vote, and engaging in the politics of hate over this issue for over 20 years, and in doing so scaring the shit out of the Democratic Party establishment to the extent that most party leaders were scorning activists and refusing to support equality. Gay activists were anathema to the party. Like gun control and the death penalty, establishment politicians were given their marching orders in no uncertain terms.

President Obama, who notoriously was not only against marriage equality on 2008, but invited homophobic bigot Rick Warren to speak at his inauguration, did something historic in 2012: he embraced equality. He stood up and did the right thing, and he made that a central part of his second campaign for the white house. Whether his doing so was because he astutely noted that the winds had changed, or if his doing so was a critical part of that seismic shift may never be known, but it was the defining moment that brought us to where we are today, just three years later.

We have witnessed today an historic moment, a watershed in history. The tireless efforts of LGBTQ activists and their allies, including surprising support from otherwise conservative jurists at the federal and state level has brought us here. This moment will forever be part of Obama's legacy as president, and justly so, but it is also a lesson in how to struggle and how to win, how to never give up, never give in.

To all of my brothers and sisters: I salute you!