In a sense, it’s a little disappointing that the “Land of the Free” took so long to get around to something like marriage equality, but I’m not going to let that get in the way of enjoying something that’s been a long, long time coming. In the end, the Supreme Court just ratified what America as a whole has already determined. That’s not to say it wasn’t a long, difficult, and bitter fight, but in the end, the court didn’t lead so much as just recognize reality.
I was raised in a very different time. That being the case, I’m going to have to have to re-learn some nomenclature and un-learn some assumptions. That’s fine by me. Societies changes and language changes to accommodate those changes and older folks like myself have to adapt. These are symptoms of growth and progress. I’m going to get my words wrong sometimes, I’ll mistakenly assume that when a guy gets married that he’ll have a “wife,” and I’ll be embarrassed. I won’t do it on purpose, and I’ll expect to be corrected when I get it wrong. I’ll get there, just bear with me.
On the other hand, I don’t expect ever to understand how people can feel bitter and belittled by other people getting the same freedoms that they already enjoy. It strikes me as petty and selfish to think that your rights are less valuable when they’re extended to more people. At that point, you’re not talking about “rights,” you’re talking about “privilege.” Perhaps someone can explain it to me in terms that make sense to me, but to date, no one has managed it.
In a roundabout way, today is going to be kind of a watershed for speculative and science fiction writing. From this point forward, any story about a future that doesn’t include same-sex relationships is going to look dated and naive. It’s going to feel implausible. This is a good thing. We as a people have grown a little bit and our stories should reflect this.
This isn’t the end of the road by any stretch of the imagination. There are plenty of institutional biases still entrenched in society and in law that need to be swept away. There are certianly many, many more that I’m not even aware of, and there will new ones emerging every generation. There is no final destination on the path to reform. Reform is a process. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing, and it certainly doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate with abandon when we get it right.
So, congratulations to the Supreme Court of the United States and everyone living in America: You got this one right. I feel much more excited about getting married now that it’s a more inclusive institution. I’ll close with this: I think today should be a national holiday. Either the 26th of June or the last Friday in June. How does “Freedom Day” sound to you?
