America. HOLY CRAP! In one year....

[cftxp]

If you've been gay in America or follow the news at all, we've seen major victories for our freedom to marry.

In total:

- We have 6 (maybe 7) new states have enacted laws or accepted rulings which favor marriage equality. These states are: New Jersey, Hawaii, New Mexico, Illinois, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. And currently Indiana.
- We have 9 (maybe 10) other states, in total, that have had rulings in favor of marriage equality or equal recognition without current equality since those decisions were stayed, including federally valid marriages having been/being conducted in 3 (or 4) of those states. These states are: Texas (YES!), Oklahoma, Utah, Michigan, Arkansas, Idaho, Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio - and likely Indiana.
- A federal court of appeals that's ruled in favor of marriage equality in the Utah case which also has legal grounds in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming (as well as New Mexico which already has marriage equality).

So basically, since the Supreme Court ruled in a 5 - 4 decision that married same-sex couples should be recognized as such by the Federal government, a whole new wave of victories have come for marriage equality, even from the most unexpected places!

It's also worth noting that several LGBT-affirming laws/rulings/decisions have been passed like anti-discrimination ordinances in Houston and San Antonio and the fairly recent decision to allow Medicare to pay for sex-change operations for trans* individuals.


I'm just here to say "HOLY CRAP!" at America since also - one year ago, I was barely out of the closet and still had the door open and now, I've basically obliterated both that door and the closet!


It's also the anniversary of the creation of my first "emotionally-charged" painting for my first-level painting class. I remember not being able to do anything in class for a full hour just because tears were about to come out and I didn't want them to but I did have to hide my true intentions for the work since it was supposed to be abstract, good thing I found drawer handles to depict. (If you think it looks REALLY shitty [even more than I think] my tablet served as the camera.)



Of course, I've found a way to do my second-level painting class THIS summer, do another painting relating to gay rights, and come out to my professor - I might have to do so today in class (speaking of which I'm here since I can't sleep).



It's a work in progress though. My professor actually told me that I had to be "bolder" about my painting. Now I'm wondering if she meant that in two ways. Hmmm....


Anyway, I'm done stating the obvious and doing shameless promotion so I should ask.
With everything that's happening in favor of our legal rights (here in America anyway), did you wonder, especially today, "HOLY CRAP it's actually happened?"

[East]

I love your "work in progress" painting....

I expect marriage equality will be the law of the land within a year.

[Wolfpack]

I hope that the USA does manage to get total marriage equality, we have just managed to get same sex marriage rites in the UK this year.

[Adam]

Both paintings are truly impressive, you have a strong vision and a lot of talent. For some reason, I reacted more emotionally to the first --- but I suspect that the second will bring more notice and acclaim.

And as for marriage equality --- my BF and I are going to be married on August 25th!!!!!!

[CellarDweller]

I love the second painting!

[Charon]

While I agree with much you say, I would point out that it's one thing to get a decision from the Supreme Court and quite another to get a decision from the people around you. Montana, for example, has admitted same sex marriage however, according to a rancher friend of mine, tell that to the average wrangler chasing cows on an ATV-horses are passé apparently-and see how much traction you get. I've been publicly gay for over 60 years and I've won my share of converts but there are still those that say, "Well, yes, he's a brilliant physicist but...he's gay." I'm not aware of the intersection of Gay and Physics but, apparently there is one. Nothing is easily accepted by the public as a whole-and often I think that should be "the public as a hole". We're a minority, always will be but so was Columbus and look how that worked out. (And, no, I'm not implying Columbus was gay. Some people see gayness in every man, every urinal, every fire hydrant-my favourite being the person who explained to me that Winston Churchill and his cigar were a "secret" way of indicating his sexual preference. On the day I was told that I thought about the military leaders of the time, from Eisenhower to Stalin, looking at that upended cheroot and thinking, "Yippeee...." Whatever you are, you can have the comfort of knowing someone is against it and/or you. Comforting to know that as I always say, "My critics are as good as the day I made them...."

[deepu69]

Thank you very much for the write-up and the paintings. We do need positive news like these to keep ourselves motivated.
What a shame that any and every 'unnatural' sexual act is a punishable offense in the world's largest democracy. India needs to do away with article 377.

[jaxc]

AMERICA! FUCK YEAH!!!:biggrin:

[Bluelight]

WOO! 'MURICA!

Now reluctantly catching up with Canada!

[Bowyn Aerrow]

I recall the days when I was told by society that a black man would be president before gays would be allowed to marry. Apparently they were right... in a sick, hate filled way where no one loved blacks or gays.

I recall laying in bed fantasizing about being able to marry my first partner way back in the last century. It was the 'impossible dream'. The best we had was to swap personal vows, with no officialdom to it, or recognition by society as a whole.

If you told me then that I would live to see the day when gays were so openly tolerated and the government/states would be allowing marriage, or that whole nations like Canada would just allow it to happen... I would have called you delusional. Attitudes were just way too negative to be changed in that short of a span.

I can't tell you how many times I became discouraged in changing one mind at a time with my letter writing campaign, or the long 'discussions' with folk about the reasonable granting of same-gender marriage, open military service, anti-discrimination policies for the workplace. It felt like a losing, uphill battle that would never, ever end.

Today it just feels unreal - magical.

Now if only I could find a gentleman* to walk me down the aisle so I can cash in on on all of those decades of dreaming for the unattainable which is now attainable. :biggrin:





*gentleman is a loose term