Why the Prop 8 ruling is a beginning step, but not the end

When Prop 8 took hold in California, banning gay marriages in that state after they had previously been made legal, a lot of us were cheering on the people who challenged it in court. As of yesterday, we now know that they won and Prop 8 has been declared what it is, "unconstitutional".

But this is only the beginning. There will undoubtedly be an appeal and it's possible the case could go all the way to the Supreme Court. We could be hearing about the ramifications of this for months and perhaps years to come depending on how fast the process moves.

Then there is the other problem: the fact that this law was passed at all. The main argument against gay marriages is that they are "morally wrong" and marriage should lead to babies. What about all of the childless couples out there who either can't or don't want children? Has anyone stopped to think about how disturbing this argument is?

And of course, marriage equality is the tip of the iceberg for people in the LGBT community who are bullied, harassed, assaulted, and even killed on the basis of their sexuality and sexual identity on a regular basis. Even here in "liberal Massachusetts", I have a friend who is a trans woman who was physically assaulted because she is trans. We are a LONG way away from establishing civil rights for all, including the basic right to live without physical harm or death for whom we love and who we are.

I will be honest: growing up I refused to say the pledge of allegiance. Why? Because I feel it's a lie. We are NOT given "liberty and justice for all" and the issue over civil rights in regards to the LGBT community is proof of this. When I heard a young child was taking a similar stand in a news interview, I was thrilled. The sad part is that twenty-five years have passed since I was in school, and people in the next generation still have to take that stand.

The battle also continues in other states where marriage equality continues to be an issue, and some authors have done their best to do their part to increase awareness and fight the good fight. I contributed to an anthology called To Love and To Cherish, which is a collection of stories about women marrying women. Note that I don't use the term "lesbian" as I feel it excludes the segment of women who are bisexual but wind up in a monogamous gay relationship. My own story, "My Big Fat Greek Pagan Lesbian Wedding" is about two women who are Greek polytheists, one who is a devotee of Hera and the other Aphrodite, and the trials and tribulations that unfold for them as they plan their wedding. Between friends and family who try to mean well but sometimes miss the mark and miscommunications between them, I take snapshots of it all. LGBT couples go through the same sorts of issue we all do regardless of our backgrounds, and that was more or less the point of my story.

Proceeds from To Love and To Cherish are donated towards Marriage Equality in order to fight for civil rights.

You can find my story in the anthology in ebook, Kindle, or print format on Amazon.com and other retailers online.

Love & Magic,
Adrianne
www.adriannebrennan.com