This week I had the pleasure of attending my cousin’s Civil Union Ceremony in New Jersey.
Never having been to a gay ceremony before; I really didn’t know what to expect. What I experienced was nothing short of extraordinary. The service itself was held in a 300 year old Presbyterian church, complete with gorgeous stained glass windows. The ceremony was truly beautiful, and was a testament to the love and commitment that they shared. For all the beauty of the event, what struck me the most was how completely unremarkable it was.
The day was gorgeous, the setting was ideal, the service was lovely and the sermon heartfelt and uplifting. In short it was just like any other wedding I have ever been to. The only difference lay in the fact that rather than a heterosexual union, this ceremony was meant to join two gay men.
Had Sorren and T.J been a heterosexual couple; the ceremony would have been identical. Tears would have flown, heartfelt congratulations would have been offered, and their long term commitment to each other (23 years and counting!) would have been lauded. Instead of marriage, with all the accompanying rights and responsibilities, they were only able to be joined in a Civil Union. It’s sad to think that in a world of 72 day celebrity marriages heterosexual couples are given prefferential treatment simply due to the fact of their opposite anatomies.
I was saddened by the inequity, but encouraged at how far we as a community have come.
Growing up I couldn’t have imagined a day that I would bear witness to two men publicly declaring their love for each other, and could not have even conceived that such a thing might take place in a church. We truly have made great strides and we owe it to subsequent generations to continue the progress
