On a daily basis, same-sex couples face challenges unknown to married opposite-sex couples. For instance, visiting a loved one in the hospital, applying for immigration and residency for partners from another country, and having joint parenting, adoption, foster care, custody, and visitation, etc., are all concerns for many gay and lesbian families. And since many same-sex couples already have families, the inability to enter into a civil marriage can sometimes be very stressful on both parents and children. No domestic partnership or civil union or private agreement can duplicate the legal status of marriage. ~ MECA (Marriage Equality California)Yesterday's Entries 2000: The Piano TODAY's FOOD Breakfast: Raisin Bran CURRENTLY READING The Oath TODAY on TV Nothing--I went to
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I DO, I DO, I DO... 18 May 2004 It was an auspicious day to have a party. On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court decided Brown v. Board of Education and set in motion the wheels that would lead to the legal end of segregation based on race. On May 17, 2004, the state of Massachusetts issued the first state-recognized legal marriage licenses for same gender couples and, if all goes as it should, in 50 years we will recognize this historic occasion as the decision which set in motion the wheels that will lead to the end of discrimintation based on sexual orientation. What better excuse for a party! Despite all of the angst of yesterday, things today went perfectly. My review got written and it even sounds intelligent. Then I was free to turn my attention to The Cake. With so many things that went wrong yesterday related to this cake, I was due for a change of luck, and I had it. Everything went very well and after about 4-5 hours of mixing, frosting, and decorating, we had a wedding cake.
Ellen and Shelly came over in the early afternoon to bring the brides and grooms for the cake and to take some photos.
In the late afternoon, Shelly came to pick me (and the cake) up and we drove downtown to the site of the wedding reception. I am absolutely thrilled that the reception was held at the E Street Plaza, known in this house only as "Paul Plaza," and that the cake was set up on a table placed on top of the bricks which were purchased in memory of Paul. Absolutely perfect.
There was a toast by Yolo County Supervisor, Mariko Yamada, a group sing of "Get Me to the Church on Time," Ellen and Shelly cut the first piece of the wedding cake...
...and then I cut and served most of the rest of the cake. We didn’t exactly have an overflow crowd, but there was a decent showing and a good time was had by all. I hope that 50 years from now people will be gathered around celebrating the change that took place on May 17, 2004. I won’t be at that party, but I was there at the party today. And the neat thing was that in Brookline, Massachusetts, Jeri was playing music for a wedding reception for people who were legally married in Brookline today.
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Created 4/30/04
