Thursday, August 05, 2010

On the road again ...

Random heading to the airport thoughts on life, equality and Decision Day.

So we're off to Fort Worth today ... for a meeting of the Steering Committee of Claiming the Blessing. My head is still spinning a little from the events of the last 36 hours ... thinking back to the call I got from Louise late Tuesday afternoon saying, "It's tomorrow!" "WHAT'S tomorrow?" I asked. "DECISION DAY!" she said. "Oh, crap!" I said.

Not because I wasn't ready to move forward with the what nexts of making marriage equality happen but because I already had a full plate for the week and responding to a landmark court ruling was NOT on my "to do" list.

But ready or not, it was coming anyway. I told one reporter yesterday while we were waiting for the decision to post online it was kind of like being pregnant and having your water break ... at which point there's nothing to do but keep breathing and wait til it's time to push!

So now we have a sweeping decision that I haven't had time to read myself yet. (I figure that's what a three hour plane ride will be for.) And while there was a flurry of news coverage yesterday and while the story will, of course, continue to evolve, what I was most struck by this morning was how little and matter-of-fact the coverage was.

Yes, it was the lead story on the morning shows, but they very quickly gave the facts, showed a little b-roll and then went on to the Gulf Oil disaster, Afghanistan and the woman who caught her husband marrying another woman on Facebook.

We weren't subjected to clip after clip of opponents wailing and gnashing teeth about how this was the greatest threat to the world as we know it since ... well, fill in the blank. We even watched the local Fox News last night (I know, I know!) and their unscientific text-in poll had 62% approving of the ruling.

Now, none of this means we're done. Or even close to done. But I think it means we're moving forward. I think it means -- as one of our opponents said in an interview yesterday -- we have "cultural momentum." I think it means people are tiring of the drama and manipulation. Some of them actually remembering some of their high school civics classes and the role of the courts in interpreting the constitution and are starting to "get" that the real disasters ARE the Gulf and Afghanistan and not some gay people who want to get married.

So off we go to work a little harder and plan a little more toward the goal of claiming the equal blessings for ALL God's LGBT beloved ... grateful that Judge Walker's ruling has moved us a step closer to equal protection for them in the meantime.

More later.

1 comment:

Elaine C. said...

yes, war, environmental disaster should motivate prayer, care and action ... people wanting to get married ... yawn