Editor’s note: This week, the Supreme Court ruled that it is “illegal for an employer to fire someone because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, delivering a major victory in the fight for civil rights for LGBTQ people.”
by MaryAnn Nelson
My daisy plant opened its flowers today. I checked it last night, and it was ready to bloom but had not opened. I planted the daisies in remembrance of our wedding. My husband, Rick, and I will have shared in all the many rights of marriage for 41 years in August.
Friday was a historic day! I cried tears of joy at the Supreme Court’s decision to recognize the fundamental right for all people to have equal access to marriage. The U.S. government, working through the Supreme Court, has recognized love is love. It has recognized that committed, loving relationships of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are all equal and will have equal protection under the law in all states and the District of Columbia.
The ruling is a blessing for my family. Washington state is a marriage state already. My boys are planning their wedding for next summer. I am a mama, and I worried that my boys would be offered a fantastic job in a state that would not recognize their love. However, this ruling will mean that our son and our almost-son-in-law will gain the protections of marriage throughout the United States, all 50 states.
We called it a marriage
Our younger son was in a domestic partnership some years ago—we called it marriage. They carried cards to prove their relationship at that time. If a medical problem came up, the card came out to prove what their relationship was, to make sure they could be together in an emergency. I have never carried my marriage certificate in case my husband had a medical emergency. And Jacob and Brandon will not have to carry proof of their relationship when they travel throughout the United States.
This ruling is a cause for celebration! I carried my tissues with me at work Friday. My happiness is dripping down my face. However, please remember that this is one step. There are still many injustices based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression in our country. Together, with people of faith, we can continue to work for justice and equity for all of God’s people.
I picked daisies to put on the altar of Stella Lutheran Chapel Sunday. And I rejoiced with my church family!
MaryAnn Nelson is a member of Stella Lutheran Chapel, Longview, Wash. Married to her best friend, Rick Nelson, she is mama to two sons and a bonus son living in Cathlamet, Washington. This Throwback Thursday blog first ran in June 2015.
Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash
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