I've just written a letter to my mayor, R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis, urging him to have Minneapolis follow San Francisco's lead and begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Rybak recently issued a proclamation affirming the rights of same-sex couples. The deputy major and 3 of our 13 city council members are openly gay. I want to urge people, especially in liberal cities, to encourage their majors to do the same.
Most Americans still fear same-sex relationships on some level, and I think a growing movement to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples will help, not hurt, the gay rights movement. Media coverage of gay couples happily joining in long-term, boring relationships portrays the gay community in the best possible light and contradicts the fears that many have. Also, the sooner we get people used to seeing same-sex people holding hands and kissing, the better. I think even a lot of pro-gay straights are still a little shocked by images of this, and we need to get everyone used to it. The more it's known, the less it will be feared.
Even if all of these marriages are invalidated in the end, they will still have done some good. Maybe I'm too optimistic about people in general, but I honestly think that stomping on people's rights and revoking marriage licenses will draw more sympathy than some expect. Let's get as many cities as possible to follow San Francisco's lead and give this movement some real momentum. A precedent has been set and we have on our hands a rare opportunity.