Gay Rights Takes Another Step Forward

Yesterday, as many of you now know, three states voted in favor of marriage equality (Washington, Maryland, Maine) and Minnesota also rejected the one-man/one-woman constitutional marriage amendment. Also, the Senate now has, for the first time, an openly lesbian senator. It was an historic day for equal rights in these United States.

These gains were the cherry on top of an already banner year that saw the end of DADT, the California courts upholding the verdict that Prop H8 was unconstitutional, and Federal Courts declaring DOMA was unconstitutional.

There are now ten states that support equality in marriage. That’s a whopping 20% of the United States! As our president stated in his victory speech, there is much more work to do. I believe, however, that all people who cherish the right of equality for all, should take a moment to reflect and enjoy the progress that Americans have made in the last few years.

The foundations have been laid, the framework put in place. If we keep the momentum going, true equality under the law can be ours before Present Obama leaves office. That said, I’m hopeful that in the next presidential election, equal rights for the lgbtq community will be a non-issue.