Other than my sense of right, wrong, and justice, I have no personal stake in the decision of the California State Supreme Court tomorrow - I'm not gay, I'm not in California, I'm already legally married - yet, I am terribly anxious for the result because it will say so much about where we are as a nation, and where we are going. I was nearly as nervous in November as I watched the election results and was amazed at how quickly it was over, and how profoundly our nation changed as a result.
This decision, while geographically smaller in application, has significant import as well, because it will set the tone. Prop 8 could be the high-water mark for the anti-marriage process, if the Court strikes it down - because I think it unlikely that the results of a subsequent election would come out the same way ever again in California. It would indicate that the principles of fairness and equality are making a comeback. If, on the other hand, the California Supreme Court upholds Prop 8, it will mean turbulent times indeed ahead. Even though I see a marriage equality amendment in the offing, which I think is likely to pass, and even though it may be overshadowed by electoral victories in the "New" States (New Hampshire, New York, and New Jersey), it would embolden the anti-gay crowd, slow the momentum, and provide a method of attack for the forces of inequality. That, to me, is as dangerous a trend for the American values
I believe in as the Bush administration's assault on the Constitution.
So... I, like millions of others who have an interest, and thousands of
California Couples Await Gay Marriage Ruling . In less than 24 hours I will have a clearer picture of what kind of country I live in,
