Ok, so perhaps not the most unbiased headline ever published. Good thing this is a blog and not a newspaper. Keeping my opinion out of my photography is not a particularly important goal of mine. And why should it be, this is MY blog. Besides, nobody told you you had to read it. Or like it.
So yesterday and today at the Supreme Court, justices are hearing arguments pertaining to same-sex marriage and marriage rights on the Federal level. And after an important election, the US has 9 states (plus the District of Columbia) who allow same-sex marriage. The Supreme Court will consider whether there is legal standing to make same-sex marriage a federal law thereby allowing any same sex couple the right to marry legally in their state (as long as their state does not have a law expressly forbidding it). Obviously this issue has some folks up at arms. So I thought I’d take a little trip, thanks to the wise suggestion of my friend Jon, to make some images. Here are some.
Obviously there are a number of viewpoints represented here. Some are more appealing than others… This next photo comes with a little note. While the ramifications of federal allowance and recognition of same-sex marriage may not be obvious to everyone, they are clear to me after having a conversation with a very near and dear gay couple. One of this pair is a US citizen, the other is not. And while they reside in the District of Columbia which allows them to be married, it’s not a federal law and therefore lacks federal benefits. Among these benefits is the right for the non-citizen to become a citizen after marrying a citizen. Heterosexual couples enjoy this right, naturally. But perhaps that context will explain the sign if you didn’t get it already. Choosing between country and spouse is not cool.
Ever see those t-shirts or coffee mugs that say “how could you say no to this face?”? I mean really, how could you say “no” to these faces?
As a photographer who shoots a lot of weddings, I can’t help but love this sign. Reminds me of a sign I saw at some other same-sex marriage event that read (basically), “let gay people be miserable too”. LOL. Not exactly the point, but I guess the idea that we all bleed the same blood does come across. Just asking for equality, not special treatment.
Classic DC. Gotta love the “Guys, I said I hate figs” poster. Just classic.
So while the Supreme Court weighs the issues before it, huge numbers of Americans wait with eager anticipation to hear what will become of them and their partnerships in the eyes of the law.
I love that I live in a country that allows me the right to say whatever I want to say. But I do wish, sometimes, that some of these people wouldn’t feel the way they do. It’s sad to see people so proud to say something they should be so ashamed to feel. And that’s the show, don’t forget to take care of yourselves – and each other.
