A Big Day

Yesterday was a big day for all of our friends in California in same-sex relationships. The Supreme Court in this great state overturned the prior ruling that banned gay marriage. The deciding factor for this ruling was the belief that "responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual's sexual orientation." The ruling was surprising, being that the California Supreme Court is overwhelmingly conservative, but I am pleased whenever people make steps away from discrimination and towards acceptance.

Just so you can decide how offended you should be by me, let me explain where I stand on the issue. Whether you call them marriages, unions, or whos-a-ma-whats'its, all people in this country (unless that have committed a crime against some other individual) deserve equal rights, regardless of the choices that they make in their personal lives.

I am hopeful that California will start a trend, and that other states might follow; allowing fair and equal rights to all people, regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation. No matter what your political bent, this ruling will likely make the issue of gay marriage a larger one in the upcoming elections. Here is where the candidates stand:

- Senator John McCain (GOP nominee) has always been a big supporter of "traditional" marriage but does not support a constitutional ban on gay marriage (as he believes it is a state issue). McCain also supports giving same-sex couples some of the same legal rights and benefits that heterosexual married couples have.

- Barack Obama (whoop whoop!) and Hillary Clinton stand united on this issue, both opposing a constitutional ruling (for or against) on same-sex marriages. Obama and Clinton support the idea of "civil unions", in which gay couples are afforded the same rights, benefits, and responsibilities as married couples.