tonight, E and i will go to sleep with the promise of 1,138 more legal rights than we woke up with this morning.
i remember what it felt like, the day i admitted to myself that yes, i was a lesbian. i remember the realization that i was, essentially, forfeiting a huge chunk of the rights and privileges that i had been born with. that, henceforth, i would be at the mercy of hospitals, landlords, employers, you name it. and for some of those things, the tightness in my chest remains.
many of us are still not protected from discrimination in housing or employment. there is still work to be done.
but, to be recognized as a full citizen again.....!
to be able to legally marry the woman i love....!
to be able to make medical decisions for each other, to be able to stay at each others' side no matter what the attitude of the conservative nurse or doctor. to file taxes together. to be on the same health insurance plan, PERIOD - no more hoping an employer offers same-sex partner benefits. to automatically be considered the legal heirs to each other, without the costly process of filling out and filing legal documents. to be recognized, BOTH OF US, as the legal parents of any children we may have or adopt.
and i only had to wait 15 years. some have waited their entire lives. and some never lived to see this day.
thank you, SCOTUS.
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