Yesterday was one for the history books. The Federal Supreme Court of the United States has ruled on both DOMA and Prop 8. Legally married same-sex couples will have access to federal rights and California will soon allow same sex couples to marry once again. So Michael and I needed to ask ourselves... should we get married? We have said in the past that when it comes to the effort and expense to get a marriage license would only be worth it if there were some legal benefits to it. When it comes to a declaration of our love and commitment to each other we don't need a piece of paper.
The Human Rights Campaign has put together several infographics and resources that help to sift through the legal jargon and break it down for us non-lawyers/politicians. A nice list is here. So I've started going through the list and so far it looks like even if Michael and I get married we won't directly benefit from these rulings while living in Utah. The IRS, Social Security, and FMLA will still look at the state we live in. We have no children. Neither of us are federal employees. Neither of us have Medicaid/Medicare. Neither of us are in the military or are veterans. FAFSA might give us less aid since we'd have a combined income. *Facepalm*If I were a political cartoonist I might draw something showing a drag queen with a sash labelled Ms. Gay Rights (or just "Human Rights") taking a huge leap forward but Michael and I are left behind holding her extravagantly long train.
This is a great victory but we are far from done. I actually feel more conscious of marriage inequality now than before. Maybe it's because it feels so much more... concrete? Tangible? The day we get married was always "someday" which is so nebulous. Now that it's closer to becoming a reality I am beginning to ache for it.
