The recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, June 26 that same-sex couples can legally be married means the final hurdle in equality has been crossed.
Half a century ago, interracial couples had to hide their nuptials in some parts of America. A century ago, couples of different religions were frowned upon even if it was just Catholics and Protestants getting married.
People say look to the Bible but when you look at traditional marriage, it's about property. Fathers gave up their daughters so they could get livestock or acreage. Marriage was an arrangement and people didn't get along.
Following World War I, divorce became more prevalent in America. People were getting married for the wrong reasons.
I've known people who have gotten married even though there was trouble in paradise and their reasoning for going through with it all is that they had so much invested in the wedding. Other people I know have had double thoughts because they have arguments.
But for the most part, people at one time got married because it was expected. If you wanted to have sex, you had to get married. If you wanted to have a child, you had to get married. If you were 30 and unmarried, something was wrong with you. This wasn't in the Dark Ages, this was a few generations ago. You needed to get married to a woman to make "an honest woman" out of her. Any woman who didn't ever get married was labeled as a lesbian or as an "old spinster." Being a bachelor was frowned upon because it meant you slept around with women.
Not true.
And still some people think that.
Now, times have changed. It's deemed okay for someone to work some years saving money and building their careers so they can take care of their families.
And there's nothing wrong with being single. I know some people who tried relationships and it didn't work out. People need to grow because relationship take work and if you don't want to work on it yet, there's no point in getting stuck in a job you can't quit.
So, now, same-sex couples can get married. The sun will rise tomorrow. And for some people, it will shine a little brighter.
All same-sex couples want is the excitement, joy and acceptance heterosexual couples take for granted. Being a newspaper editor for many years, I would get many features about couples celebrating 25 or 50 years together, but they were always heterosexual couples. Not until their obituaries were published, was it known that they were involved in a homosexual relationship.
Now, it's time for people to have their silver and diamond anniversaries reported in the same community newspapers their parents' anniversaries were reported in.
All people of the LGBT community are asking is for a seat at the table. You don't have to carry on a conversation with them throughout dinner, but at least pass them the butter and bread and admit they're there.
Same-sex marriages isn't going to destroy the sanctity of marriages. Other factors, such as adultery, child sexual abuse, domestic abuse, incest, infidelity, lies, and poor financial decisions, have already done that.
Marriage equality also means more rights for people after death. There is a next of kin established and this keeps estranged families from coming in and have a legal leg when they shouldn't.
Some times, there's always going to be someone in your family or a friend who make not like that you're with another person. It happens for same-sex couples and heterosexual couples. There are moments in which your partner is not good enough for your parents or your friends. But your partner is good to you and loves you, what does it matter what other people think? We live our lives sometimes wondering what other people think, but our friends and family are not always going to be there, you partner, significant other, spouse, will be.
It's time, today, for everyone to realize that they should focus on their happiness and stop worrying about other making others happy when that is never going to happen.
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