Happy Marriage Equality Day, Three + Months Belated!

This summer, as you surely know, was monumental in the fight for marriage equality in the United States of America. This is something that has been near and dear to my heart - and not just my heart, but my children's as well. From her very beginnings, Ava has been raised to honor every individual person she meets for who they are inside, and not judge them by their differences or their preferences, including their sexuality. She has two godfathers, for crying out loud! 

One of the things that has always mattered to me as a parent has been to pass on a legacy of tolerance, and love, and kindness. More than anything, I want my children to take from me that the inherent value of a person has nothing to do with their appearance, or their financial situation, or who they love, and everything to do with who they are inside, and how they treat people. It is also important to me that she become someone who is socially and civilly responsible, and an active participant in their world. More than what she grows up to believe, I want her to know that her voice can, and should, be heard, and that she should fight for what is right, and what matters. For us, one of those things that matter has always been that the people we love can love, legally, whomever they want. So on June 26th, 2015, when the Supreme Court ruled that marriage was a civil right, and that regardless of sexual orientation, should be extended to every single citizen of age, well, what's a socially conscious mother to do but load her children up in the car, drive down to the Travis County Clerk, and celebrate lavishly with the first recipients of same-sex marriage licenses in our state?

So that's precisely what we did.

That joyful expression just about sums it up. 

The County Clerk was SWARMED with News crews. In fact, I spoke to KVUE out in the hallway during the press conference with the County Commissioner, after they asked me why we were there that day. In short, I told them, I wanted my children to really see and feel the momentous joy that families, who had been waiting and waiting for this moment, were feeling as they got their marriage licenses and married. I just didn't feel I could do the enormity of what was happening justice from our living room. 

In this room, the first ten couples in Travis County to apply for a same-sex marriage license waited for the official green light to be ushered into the County Clerk. Some had waited DECADES.

We felt your joy. Congratulations!

We also got to talk to the ACLU of Texas, and Ava and I walked out with shiny new ACLU Texas t-shirts. Ava insisted on putting hers on and flying her flag the entire drive home. I'm so damn proud, y'all.