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| Spaniards celebrate the ruling of the Constitutional Court that preserved marriage equality. |
--Spain's socialist party brought in same-sex marriage there in 2005, and 22,000 couples have tied el knotto since then. But the currently governing conservatives tried to get the law overturned by the country's Constitutional Court. End of story: on Tuesday of this week, the court affirmed the legality of equal marriage by a vote of 8 to 3.
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| As always, the French do things with a certain élan - here, the dude in the bird suit at an anti-gay rally is somehow ensuring that les homosexuels will not destroy la famille, la patrie, and even le monde! It loses something in translation, but you know the drill. |
--And in France, where couples have been able to pacser in civil unions since 1999, the recently elected socialist government's cabinet has approved a draft of a marriage-equality bill to be presented to Parlement and debated in January of the coming year. The bill faces a legislative battle because, curiously enough, though 65% of the laid-back French - the folks who gave the world bikinis, topless bathing suits, and cinq à sept adultery - approve of gays getting hitched, only 52% can go for adoption and child-rearing by les pédés. The far right parties and the Catholic hierarchy are throwing a huge fit, as they do here, with all the end-of-the-world talk, yada yada. But since the Socialists have a firm majority in Parliament, looks to me like marriage equality - a cornerstone of President Hollande's campaign promises - is eventually bound to happen there.
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| Senator-elect Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., waves to supporters after her victory on election night. |
--Overlooked here in our own country is the news that scores of gay and lesbian candidates won state and local offices on Tuesday - 118 and still counting. Via Rex Wockner, check out the Victory Fund's full list of winning candidates all across the nation. And this old codger remembers when being openly gay was the quickest way to get yourself un-elected, and probably run out of town. Just.Fucking.Amazing.
These results are what we should have had the first time Obama was elected - but maybe he led the way and the country followed. Maybe it just had to work out that way. Whatever, it sure is a good feeling, and a new day. We are finally nearing the end of the long arc of the rainbow of justice.
I don't think anybody saw all these gay victories coming, and it still seems a little unreal - but there's no turning back from here, boys. This is the 21st century now, you bet your boots.
Ah, but hang on to your hats, fellas - the best is yet to come. Go grab something lovely to drink and settle back to watch Rachel totally unload on the Republicans and school them in Reality. I guarantee you will love it:
3 comments:
I wonder if, in years to come, this period will be seen as a turning point for the LBGT communities. A period when we passed from our rebellious 'teens' to a more contented maturity? I hope so.
P.S. I mean in the western world. Things have a long, long way to go in many other countries.
This election was a watershed in the United States, seems like - finally the dead hand of ultraconservative fundamentalists has been pried from around our necks. There will still be battles and setbacks in years to come, but I think now the way ahead is cleared for progress in gay rights and other things like nationwide health insurance that we have lagged so very far behind you folks in Britain and Europe.
And if I take your question rightly, yes I hope this period we are now living through leads to a time when gay people are able to live full lives with the same respect, dignity, and stability that our straight friends and neighbors have always enjoyed, or had the chance to enjoy, because the laws guarantee their rights and protect their marriages.
There is a fringe of the gay community here that rails against such "assimilationism" - they seem to think the only good life for a gay man is an endless round of bars, drinks, dope, and one-night stands. To which I say, bullshit.
Nobody has to get married - and their are quite a few people who should never even think about it. But most gay men I have ever known wanted a lover for life, a house that was a real home, a stable and satisfying life. And now I think we can begin to have all those things, the younger generation especially.
These good changes come too late in the day to do me much good, but it's gratifying to see how history has been working itself out in my lifetime.
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