WOW. I could not believe my eyes. I never thought this would happen. The California State Senate just
voted 21-15 (there are a total of 40 senators) to make California's marriage laws gender-neutral. This comes after Assemblymember Mark Leno's original bill failed in the assembly and he used a parliamentary procedure to change and push through a vote in the Senate. I am not into superlatives much, but this is definitely one of the happiest moments of my life. Yes there are still hardles to jump through, but the California State Senate today became the very first legislative body in the country to approve marriage equality, without any direction from the courts.
This is a proud moment in America's history. This is in the finest American tradition. I watched the vote breathlessly, and watched with awe when the president pro-tem of the California State Senate announed: "Ayes 21, Nays 15, the measure passes." The chamber burst into applause, and I let out a scream. California is on its way to becoming the first state to legalize equal rights under the law for all couples without the interference of any court. No more excuse of an activist court, activist judges, or anything of the sort. Now we have a legislative body in the most populous and diverse state voting to affirm equal rights.
Gee, I'm almost teary eyed. But those are tears of joy I feel chocking me up. I sat through some of the debate, and Democrats in the Senate made respectful, honest, heartfelt cases for marriage equality. Equal love, equal marriage. Treat others as you'd like to be treated yourself. Tradition (the fact that from 1850 to 1977 California marriage laws WERE gender neutral). It was all there. A celebration of California. A celebration of America. Republicans of course tried to inject hate with all the talk about how it will destroy families and how marriage is only for procreation. But thankfully, Democrats carry a 25-15 majority in the California Senate, and this time, the forces of equality and fairness won a victory over the forces of hatred.
For every one of us GLBT Americans, this is a proud moment, a moment to celebrate. But it is also a proud moment for America as a nation and as a people. We are a country where, however late, wrongs are righted, love and commitment are recognized, and our common humanity takes precedence over our smaller differences. We are, today, ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. Perhaps it's only one state, California. But this is merely the beginning of an equal rights movement that will again place America on its moral height.
Thank you to every California State Senator who voted for this bill, and thanks to everyone else who made this possible. Yes, there is still assembly to go through, and the governor's signature, and we don't know if we can bring it complete circle this time, but we have started something that will not stop until full, equal, and complete justice under the law is dispensed.