"The free uniting of two people"

When 2009 began, I never expected to become an accidental activist for gay marriage, but now I am a devoted advocate. I'm looking forward to the challenges of 2010 with great hopes toward the inevitability of gay marriage nationwide.
As we follow the pathway to the goal of civil rights for same-sex marriage, we have to look at the gains--and setbacks--of this decade.
When Gavin Newsom, San Francisco's mayor, approved same-sex marriage in February, 2004, nearly 3,200 same-sex couples wed within 10 days. But that didn't last, and the marriages were voided.
Then, four years later on June 16, 2008, the California supreme court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage. Finally! But that didn't last, though the marriages remain valid. Behind the scenes the religious zealots garnered enough signatures--and money--to put a constitutional amendment on the upcoming ballot--and on November 5, 2008, Proposition 8 destroyed same-sex marriage in California once again.
Newsom said the issue "is about civil marriages, not about religious marriages. ... We're not telling religious institutions what to do." Back to square one.
Now, on to Massachusetts. They became the first state to approve gay marriage in 2004, and now five years later, more than 11,000 gay and lesbian couples have married in the state.
Connecticut, Vermont and even Iowa approved gay marriage. Same-sex marriages will begin in New Hampshire in January, 2010, and should begin in Washington, D.C. in the next few months (unless some underhanded scheme evolves).
On the world stage, only seven countries allow gay marriage: Canada, Spain South Africa, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium. Gordon Brown, Britain's prime minister wants British civil partnerships to be recognized across the EU--including Eastern Europe.
On December 21, 2009, Mexico City's assembly cheered in a bill 39-20 to approve same-sex marriage, which includes allowing adoption. Supporters yelled, "Yes we could! Yes we could!" Mexico City's civil code is now calling marriage "the free uniting of two people." How great is that!
This week in Buenos Aires, Argentina, two gay men, who had previously been denied to marry there, were joined in an informal ceremony in the capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province.
Progress has been made and attitudes are changing. As an ordinary mom of two gay children who became an accidental activist this year, I hope that more mothers, parents, gays, straights--anyone with the desire to see the rights of same-sex marriage become acknowledged and approved--join in and represent a sound humanitarian voice for a long-awaited change and make gay marriage a well-deserved civil right--"the free uniting of two people."