On Monday, January 11, hundreds of community members rose before dawn, like farmers in the field. We came with our sleeves rolled up ready to clear out the weeds and start afresh. Somehow, over this dark winter, the garbage of the past – all of our bitter disappointments, wounds from our neighbor's lawn signs, internal disagreements, broken hearts, and social network driven revolutions – has all quietly intermingled and transformed into rich compost. In the darkness, everything seems possible again. We gathered together on this historic day to plant new seeds in fertile soil to grow more love, more hope, and more justice in our country. We stood as witnesses to welcome in the light to shine on the injustice of Proposition 8, and on any measure intended to strike at our common humanity.
All before 6 a.m., a carload of young activists, including Scotti Maldonado, arrived from Fresno to join Gregory Rivera's carload from Hollister to be at the morning vigil. A lesbian couple in the middle of their honeymoon drove up from Pismo Beach to represent those who wanted to legally marry, but because of Proposition 8, could not. To my amazement Billy Bradford had already arrived from Castro Valley and with help from a spirited group of Restore 2010ers, had set up tables to serve gallons of hot coffee donated by Starbucks. Maya Scott-Chung passed out candles and quilt panels while photographers Bill Wilson and Rick Gerharter captured the scene. Pam Brown was checking in speakers from her list, Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis were handling media interviews, putting the federal case in the context of our lives. Robin McGehee calmly troubleshooted to get the new sound system working while Kip Williams and Sean Chapin were busy capturing on video the crowd forming around the flagpole at the Federal Building. Melanie DeMore and Diane Larsen, two amazing singer-songwriters, met and compared notes on the guitar wired to the sound system while ingenue Veronica Klaus proved glamour can get up early for the cause.
Standing there watching all the activity and all the people around my wife Davina Kotulski and I – many of them love warrior veterans who have come to feel like family over the many years we have walked this path together, and many of them new leaders who are pressing us to not be complacent but to be bold, courageous and unstoppable – my heart was full of love, of pride, of hope for a new day. My dear friend and co-emcee the Reverend Roland Stringfellow started the vigil with a prayer – for unity, for inclusion, for love and justice to prevail – and as we all stood together in the freezing cold listening to stories, songs, and testimonials of support from the many straight allies standing shoulder to shoulder with us – surrounded by news reporters and cameras capturing our resolve – I felt something shift inside. I felt not just hope, but a knowingness that we were right where we were supposed to be – that this long journey of heartbreak punctuated by great bursts of miraculous joy was unfolding just as it should – and I had an overwhelming sense of well being that was anchored by MCC music director Stephanie Smith as she led us all in a singing chant, "We are the ones we have been waiting for."
The federal court case, led by Ted Olson, David Boies, Ted Boutrous, and our beloved Terry Stewart, is shedding light on the false premise propagated by Prop 8 that gays and lesbians are to be feared and hated and that we can permit a majority to strip a minority of their constitutional protections with no recourse but to grovel and beg the electorate to restore the protections that all others enjoy freely. We express our thanks to the courage of plaintiff couples Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, and all the same-sex couples, our friends, allies, and others who step up to tell their personal stories on why marriage equality matters.
This week in court, the expert witnesses are revealing the long and varied history of unfair and repugnant marriage restrictions against other minorities in our country, reminding us of our own painful and brutal history of discrimination against the LGBT community, and calling on American society to rise to our better selves and evolve to a higher state of consciousness that sees and respects our common humanity. And it tests our community's own resolve to stay grounded in love and peace as we are baited by anti-gay signs outside and rhetoric inside the courtroom. Life is a mirror and will reflect whatever we believe and embody. Let us reflect the light of our truth, our beauty, our love for all people. Let us reflect the love we want to see in the world. Because as is said at the end of Angels in America, "We are all amazing creatures, each and every one of us. The world only spins forward and we will be citizens."
In that spirit of the world spinning forward, I believe the U.S. Supreme Court will permit the trial to be uploaded to YouTube. In addition, there are several dedicated community bloggers, including my wife (at http://www.davinakotulski.com), who are watching the trial and blasting out frequent updates and insights – follow them and stay engaged. Join Marriage Equality USA at http://www.marriageequality.org. Stop in and watch some of the trial in person – it is right in your backyard, at 450 Golden Gate Avenue, 17th floor, in courtroom 6.
Molly McKay is the media director for Marriage Equality USA.