“In light of the fundamental nature of the substantive rights embodied in the right to marry — and their central importance to an individual’s opportunity to live a happy, meaningful, and satisfying life as a full member of society — the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all individuals and couples, without regard to their sexual orientation.”
-- Chief Justice Ronald M. George, the California Supreme Court ruling
This blog began when I took the big leap of quitting my job. My next notable leap will be into legally wedded bliss. Of course after 17 years together, we already feel like an old married couple. But it stung when our previous marriage (San Francisco City Hall, President's Day, 2004) was nullified by the state, and we've been longing ever since to hear those words again, "By the power vested in me ..." So we're taking the leap and will be married in late July. And we're really excited about it!
Of course, there is work to be done. We've selected and reserved a meaningful location, settled on the scope (very small), picked a date and (a few hours ago) the time. Our dear friend MG, who notes she will be the only person (other than me) who has been at all of my weddings (1987, 2004, and 2008), will be deputized to officiate. A very few close friends and KJ's two local siblings will join us. We've done a little clothes shopping, knowing that whatever we buy will become our dressy outfits for the next n years. The question has arisen of the vows, but I am mostly in denial about that.
All this is goes on while my family is in a bubbling cauldron of change, with both my elderly aunt and my mother planning moves, one sister changing jobs, miscellaneous health problems, etc.. Keeping the wedding plans simple reserves time, energy and money for these other transitions. For me, planning our wedding is a joyous bright spot that helps keep me centered through all the turmoil.
We still have plenty of work ahead to defeat the November ballot initiative, so we've chosen to keep our wedding small and low-cost and put our money into the fight to keep our right to be married, and to extend that right to other same-sex couples. I'm starting to get questions about which charities are the most appropriate for wedding gift donations. I have a couple at the top of my list (Equality California and National Center for Lesbian Rights) and am open to suggestions of others. I'll include donation links in a follow-up post when I have more information and when we have one or more registries set up.
No comments:
Post a Comment