On June 12th, the anniversary of the court decision legalizing interracial marriage, Christopher and I attended the beautiful wedding of our friends Lorena and Jennifer.  The brides were gorgeous, their families were beaming, and we all drank a little too much tequila – exactly like a wedding should be.  With one catch, Lorena and Jennifer can not legally get married in Colorado.   Though the most significant commitment is the one they’ve made in their hearts, Jennifer & Lorena’s marriage, and loads of other unions based on love and commitment, does not have the same legal protections or benefits that Christopher and I will have when we get married on July 11th.  Why does our country think it is okay to continue discriminating against certain groups of people?

In some ways, I feel like a traitor to my gay and lesbian friends by getting married before all people in love have that right.  Many straight supporters of marriage equality, like, Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie, refuse to access the privileges of marriage until ALL people in the US can get married.  Though I am not ready to make that sacrifice for the gay rights movement, I am dedicated to supporting all of my friends who want to make a commitment to the love of their life. For that reason, instead of giving Christopher and I a wedding gift, I encourage all of you to consider a donation to an organization fighting for marriage equality – like Freedom to Marry or Marriage Equality USA.

In the United States, six states recognize and issue marriage licenses for gay marriage: Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.  Here’s hoping that the remaining 44 states recognize the humanity, rights, and love of same sex couples before our kids grow up!