Yesterday, June 26, 2015, is a date that will go down as one of the most colorful in history. SCOTUS declared same-sex marriage officially legal in all 50 states in America, and dare I say FINALLY! Ten years ago, as a baby lesbian just fully coming into my own sexuality, I would have never expected today would be a reality. This has been a long time coming for the LGBT community. It feels almost as good as when Obama, our first African American President, came into office. I was never for or against gay marriage necessarily. Marriage is an institution like any other, and I had always felt like I didn’t need my commitment to be recognized by anyone but me and my partner. But much like civil rights, the LGBT community has fought and even died for the right for our marriage to be legal in the eyes of the law. Though we are far from equality as far as the African American community is concerned, the legalization of same-sex marriage is still a huge contribution to equality as a whole.
Naturally, with the equality of all marriage, as the rate of marriage increases, so will the divorce rate. People will want to contribute it to new legalization of same-sex marriages, and maybe even throw in their opinions of abominations, and our love being unnatural. Like any other oppression turned freedom, I am prepared for the next few generations to smooth this out in the LGBT community. Makes me think of a poor person comes up on more money than they ever have for the first time in their lives and doesn’t know what to do with it, or a small town teen that has been sheltered most of their life going off to college and having freedom for the first time. Many of us individually need a few years to navigate life in a way that’s not self-destructive, and we must allow the LGBT community to do the same. Just because same-sex marriage is now legal, doesn’t mean that marriage is the only way to commit your life to your partner, prove your love, or even save your long-term, but rocky relationship. Some say yesterday was just a distraction from other issues, like all other media frenzies, but I say to those that believe that, if this is some sort of distraction, it is a beautiful distraction. Today is necessary for the evolution of this world and is a step in the right direction.
Of course there are disagreements about same-sex marriage vs. the church. I saw a Facebook post earlier that sums up my thoughts on that. It read: “Religion is for those who follow it. Laws are for everyone to follow. Remember this and don’t confuse it. Separation of state and church.”
All in all, congrats and endless rainbows of love to the LGBT community. This is definitely a victory for the United States.
DropaJewel, because someone has to 