Vermont Passes Gay Marriage

Wow. Wow. Wow. I guess that's all I can say. Wow. First Iowa this week, and now Vermont has legalized same sex marriage. What a week. All we need is announcement from the California Supreme Court, and I'll have had one of the best weeks ever. Today's news that the Vermont House and Senate overrode the Governor's veto on the same sex marriage bill was a surprise to me, as I had previously read that not enough House members voted for the original bill to override a promised veto from the Governor. But, five legislators changed their vote (or actually voted this time), and overrode the Governor's veto.

While this week's victories have little effect on our day to day lives right now, I know they will have significant impact over the long haul on our daughter Lauren's life. It will mean less ridicule from other kids as she gets older, it means she won't feel so different going to school, and it means more acceptance and tolerance for us as a family when we travel and even as we go about our day to day activities. Lauren may not understand what it all means now, but she will soon enough. She's lucky that right now, when some says to her "I wish I had two daddies" (this actually happened to us at Ikea!), her immediate response is "I know" in a very matter of fact way. I know we can only protect her from the real world for so long, and I'm glad the real world is getting to be a more tolerant place.

New Hope - Iowa, Vermont and Sweden

Iowa joined Massachusetts and Connecticut as the third state in the U.S. to allow same sex marriage after their Supreme Court struck down a decade old ban. Vermont's House and Senate voted on a gay marriage bill this week as well, sending it to Governor Jim Davis, who unfortunately has said he will veto the bill. Although not part of the U.S. there was also heartening news from Sweden where gay marriage will become legal on May 1 of this year. There was dark news as well this week, as the foes of same sex marriage already said they will seek to put a referendum to the voters of Iowa to ban same sex marriage.

Those of us in California continue to wait on the Supreme Court here to rule on the challenge to Proposition 8. The Supreme Court must make a ruling by early June. So we wait patiently keeping our fingers crossed, our hearts lightened by good news in other parts of the country and the world.