The Byron of Santo Domingo

The musings of an ex-Southerner, ex-New Yorker Living and Learning in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Monday, January 15, 2007

Gay marriage

On this MLK Day, I have been thinking of equality and justice.
Martin Luther King was many things to many people. He was hated and loved just the same for his struggle to bring us together to "form a more perfect union".

Justice and equality reach beyond race and class, it also touches gender and sexual orientation. If Martin were alive today, how would he feel about gay marriage? The issue has all the earmarks of an issue he would have trumpeted. Equality, injustice, and the right to live and grow equally with our neighbors. In my humble opinion, as a liberal and a champion of the under represented Martin would have been a leader in the fight for gay marriage.

I have been ambivalent about the issue over the past few years. I wasn't for or against it, because I didn't think it made a difference in peoples everyday lives. That was until I was in love and in a serious relationship. I began to think about honor, commitment, and love. How sharing your life with someone was important and should be valued. Standing in front of God, family and my friends was something I want to do. I want the union to be recognized by the government and given all of the rights and responsibilities afforded to my straight neighbors.

It is very fitting that on this day of equality, my friends Cheryl and Monica will be getting married today in a lavish ceremony on Long Island. Their union is one filled with love, honor and respect. I celebrate and honor their commitment to one another. I won't be there today, but will think of them as they exchange their vows. This is from an old Irish prayer and I send it out to Cheryl and Monica.

May the road rise up to meet you,
may the wind always be at your back,
may the sun shine upon your sweet face,
may the rains always fall softly on your fields,
and until we meet again
may God hold you in the hallow of His hand.

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