Minnesota Poised to Become 12th Marriage Equality State (Plus DC)

Image from TheWeek.com

The speed that marriage equality is sweeping the nation (and in some cases, the world) is a little dizzying, and has made me worry that the blog could be over-focused on the topic. Though "the gay" has always been a part of the blog, it was never the focus. But the news cycle won't let me get away from it.

Minnesota's House has just passed marriage equality, and it is assured passage in their Senate, and by the Governor. That will make them the 12th state to legalize same-sex marriage, plus the District of Columbia. It's awkward to keep putting that plus DC in there, but until it's a state, there you go. . . Anyway, when you factor in the almost certain re-addition of California in June, and the possible passage in Illinois, then this could really be the year of the "tipping point." But let me tell you, for everyone who thinks things are moving "too fast," I will agree on one hand that things seem to be snowballing, and disagree on the other.  As a gay man approaching 50, I feel like this is dragging out. Though AIDS dealt the gay community a colossal hit (and continues in some measure) in the 1980s, there was progress being made on gay rights then.

Though recent accomplishments have been remarkable, I can't help thinking things shouldn't be dragging out for decades. We are nearly 45 years since Stonewall. Isn't it time we put this issue into the record books, and moved past homophobia and religious overstepping? Still, kudos to Minnesota, who will have almost certainly wrapped it up in their state early next week. You put us over 25% of the country!

[Excerpt]

Minnesota House Passes Gay Marriage

A historic vote Thursday in the Minnesota House positioned that state to become the 12th in the country to allow gay marriages and the first in the Midwest to pass such a law out of its Legislature.
Lawmakers approved it 75-59, a critical step for the measure that would allow same-sex weddings beginning this summer. It's a startling shift in the state, where just six months earlier voters turned back an effort to ban gay marriage in the Minnesota Constitution. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post