virginia is finally for *all* lovers
So, as I write this, marriage equality has been the law of the land in Virginia for approximately seven minutes.
So yeah, good news. Not only good for Virginia, but as the Supreme Court declined to hear appeals on the marriage equality cases in the Fourth and Seventh Curuit courts, the legal impediments have fallen, or will likely soon fall in, if I’m counting right, 30 of the 50 US States.
As indicated above, starting at 1pm today, VA officials will be able to perform marriages, and the state will recognize marriages performed in other states. That means that several dear friends of mine now have (but didn’t before lunch) the same recognition for their partnership as I do. That’s amazing news.
I’ll probably have more thoughts on this later. Right now, though, it feels like a victory for what’s right. Virginia, home of Loving v. Virginia, is a particularly symbolic state for equality under the law for same sex couples to finally be the law of the land. Kudos to the work of all the active proponents in the state, particularly Equality Virginia and People of Faith for Equality in Virginia for all the work they did to get Virginia here.
Given the history, it seems right to me to close with some words from Mildred Loving on the 40th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia:
I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry… I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard’s and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight, seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That’s what Loving, and loving, are all about.
