We won a thing in the south, y'all! Marriage equality has come to Alabama, and it’s damn adorable.
As we trudged to the soccer fields, I looked at all of the other families arriving, most of whom had no idea what just happened to us. For the first time, we were equal to them, at least under the law. I had imagined this moment for years and always expected to feel elation or maybe just sweet, sweet relief.
Intead I felt rage.
Just a week earlier, we had made this same trek from the parking lot to the fields, camping chairs slung over our shoulders, water bottles in hand. We had been the same people, the same couple, the same family. But we did not have the same protections. Now because some judge somewhere said so, with the crack of a gavel, our status had changed.
Fuck that.
Every civil rights movement has depended on allies to move forward and while we wouldn’t ever focus on our entire conference on allies, having a straight, white, tech leader like Marc Benioff show up and support our conference is a big step forward.
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Since the show, my dad has done a complete 180. He’s been so supportive. He has watched every episode and shared his feelings along the way. I really do thank him for being the motivation to go on the show. That was what really pushed me to say yes. I wanted to do it for myself. It wasn’t about winning or competing; it was about pushing myself and trying to show my family that I could do it.
This is not just a political issue. It is a biblical issue. And as a biblical issue — unless I get a new version of the scriptures, it’s really not my place to say, OK, I’m just going to evolve. It’s like asking someone who’s Jewish to start serving bacon-wrapped shrimp in their deli. We don’t want to do that — I mean, we’re not going to do that. Or like asking a Muslim to serve up something that is offensive to him, or to have dogs in his backyard.