My First Same-Sex Wedding

I was at my first same-sex wedding this weekend. The brides have been in a committed relationship for 27 years. Their son is a freshman in high school. Their families had flown in from all over the country. The family members were Jewish and Gentile, young and old, Democrat and Republican. What united them was their love for the couple. I have never been a big fan of weddings. They are long. They are schmaltzy. They often are boring. This one was none-of-the-above. The ceremony itself was short and to the point. The company was excellent. The food and music were great. And where else would I get the opportunity to do "The Bump" with someone who was at a cocktail party with John and Cindy McCain just two weeks ago?? She promised to let Rick Santorum know that she had spent the weekend attending a gay wedding, and had enjoyed it very much. She promised to ask him and his cohorts to lay off our families. On our way home from the wedding, my partner commented that the idea that the voters could invalidate this marriage in two weeks is just plain wrong. Yesterday, on the way home from school, my younger son noted that the No on 8 ads are about equality, while the Yes on 8 ads -- which he is subjected to pretty much any time he turns on the TV at this point -- make it seem like there is something bad about being gay. This offends him. I am not usually one to pray, but now seems like a good time for praying. I pray to wake up on November 5 to find that California has voted for fairness. I pray to wake up on November 5 to find that my friends' marriage is still, unquestionably, legal. I pray to wake up on November 5 to find that my sons' belief that their family deserves respect has been validated, and not undermined. As we Jews say, from my lips to God's ears....