With This Ring

This is Richard and John, and they're 83 and 91 respectively. They have been together for 61 years, bearing witness to eras where gays could be lobotomized, incarcerated, or killed. While both still work as music teachers, there is still the possibility that as they age, one will wind up in a hospital and the other gent will be told he's not a real family member. That is, unless they get married, which they have wanted to do for longer than most of you have been alive.

The saving grace is that Richard and John live in New York. Albany's state assembly passed the gay couple inclusion amendment to the state's marriage law by a vote of 80-63. However, the Senate still has to pass it, and needs one more Republican on board. While religious groups have organized appeals, it does seem that New York will be the sixth U.S. state to extend equal rights to gay and lesbian families. (39 states have official bans)

There are all of these yoyos out there who say that gay marriage is a threat to their family or spacedaddy, but they're wrong. Anarchy will not reign, children won't be corrupted, and nothing bad will happen to your family if these two old dudes can tie the not. The only thing that will happen if gays are allowed to be married is gays will get married. That's it.

Now let these fellows have their rings.