Pride

It's not often I'm proud of my adopted state. But that our governor graciously accepted defeat, and the senate is drafting further anti-discrimination legislation, and marriages for same sex couples started without delay... well, it's like the dog you thought was dumber than rocks who finally rolls over for a bit of bacon.

Not the sharpest spoons in the drawer here, but smarter than the guys over in Wyoming. And that the bigwigs in the local church are preaching kindness and compassion and listening, I'm awestruck. Especially the week after General Conference.

After so much horrible world news lately, so much abuse, young girls enslaved, shootings, repression and regression, to have this one small spark of accommodation means so much. These are my patients, past, present and future, many co-workers, friends, and likely a few quiet family members. I want them well and happy and protected. I want to hug all of them, and their families. And all those who could easily have gone down fighting, but who chose instead, to change.

Just from a cold economic standpoint, this could be a goldmine. Weddings all over the place, for a start. After our brief fling with SSM in December, we had a wave of surgeries for people covered by their partner, spousal, health benefits. I expect more of the same this time. More kids will have decent foster and adoptive parents, fewer homeless kids. Secure people invest, buy houses for instance. The fiscal conservatives must hate their social/religious conservative brethren right now. I consider the first to be a reasonable political stance, an important balance even. The social regressives, not so much.

Marriage has changed over the centuries. Who holds the power, the money, the rulebook, has changed. So, since so much of this was gendered, the change means the roles have changed. Different scripts, or none at all. My mother used to scoff at gays wanting "special rights." Yes, she is a Catholic (capitol C), and I am not. Men wanted to marry women, to control production of heirs who would pass on the genes and family wealth. Women found marriage to be the only safe(ish) way to promote their own genes, and pass on their culture to their children. Effective birth control and abortion really is about this power shift, that swept up the other-than-heterosexual in it's wake. This is why it is the focus of some arguments. "What about the children?" is really, what about our genetic/cultural heritage. Even though, clearly, that ship sailed long ago.

A last gasp. The Universe has changed. All we can do is keep up, and open our hearts.




Yeah, we're here.