Friday, June 20, 2008

Someone I Know Is Getting Married Tomorrow

I have an acquaintance of long standing who lives in West Hollywood, California. Today I got an email message from her dropping the not-so-surprising bombshell that she was getting married tomorrow.

I was not surprised because even local news in California makes it out here to wild and wooly Texas. In California last month, the state Supreme Court struck down any and all laws that discriminate against people on the basis of sexual orientation.

Yes, the acquaintance I am referring to is a gay woman.

She has been with her partner for years. They are joint owners of their house. But up to tomorrow, neither she nor her partner could include the other on their company’s health insurance policy. Up to tomorrow, if one were to be hospitalized, the other would not be able to visit if there were a “family only” stricture in force, or to sign documents for the other.

This is barbaric.

It has taken a state with a moderate-conservative supreme court to become the second in the nation to come to its senses. These people have done nothing but fall in love with the “wrong” person. The California Supreme Court just did the right thing last month, and now, starting just this week, same sex unions are being consecrated up and down the state.

And now it will be my acquaintance’s turn.

Did I mention that I have known this acquaintance for a long time? I’ve known her for as long as I can remember. Literally.

So on your special day, Gail, and on yours, Brooke, my thoughts are with you.

Congratulations, sis. It’s about time you got married and settled down.

2 comments:

Mariamariacuchita said...

Hi. I wonder if hell would freeze over if Texas ever decided to extend the same freedoms and rights to its GLBT population. I miss Ann Richards.

Guillermo Lopez said...

When gay marriages come to Texas, it will most likely be a U.S Supreme court decision and not the decision of the state Legislature or the state Supreme court. Although you never know, The California Supreme court is mostly Republican and has a reputation of being conservative, but they overturned the Gay marriage ban.