No Freedom til We're Equal

So I created this blog a couple months ago and then got so caught up in LSAT studying that I didn't get to post, but I'm free! (For now). But guess who else is free today?

Hopefully the story I've chosen to discuss today is something you already know about. A few years ago, the Supreme Court shot down DOMA- the Defense of Marriage Act, which said that the federal definition of marriage was that of a union between a man and a woman. By shooting it down, they made it possible for states to legalize gay marriage. However, this didn't mean they made it federally legal; it just wasn't illegal.

In the past few months, the court was reviewing a movement to make gay marriage federally legal. Until now, the states themselves reserved the right to each decide if they wanted to legalize it or not. Today, the Supreme Court declared gay marriage federally legal, meaning that gay couples can now get legally married in any of the 50 states.

(Fun fact, the first marriage after this was legalized was in Texas, of all states!)

So why is this important to know? The world is changing, and unfortunately for some people our age, we were raised in our parents shadows- taught to not be as open as the new world wants us to be. I know plenty of kids who are unaccepting simply because they were raised in that kind of atmosphere. Well today history was made, and you should all take a minute to appreciate what the world is coming to. America now, like many countries, has made a new step in equality- marriage equality. No longer can the states deny rights for married couples. I am grateful to be a part of a world that recognizes the need for equality among its citizens, and you should too. Hopefully, this will be a stepping stone down the road to creating equality for all- regardless of religion, race, or gender.

P.S. - I'm lucky to be a straight, white, upper-middle class person. I haven't faced a ton on of prejudice, except that of being a woman, and being a college student. I like having the ability to use my privilege to speak for those who can't speak for themselves- those of different gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, race, social class, etc. The gay marriage movement was supported by all of the gay community, but also by members of the straight community who spoke up for those different than them.