Yes, I still like being married, and more importantly, I still love my husband. Just in case you haven’t decided to vote against Proposition 8 yet, here’s another plea to do the right thing for us and thousands of other Californians.

Supposedly there are more in the series. Browse the links and collect them all. [via]

I don’t know if this reflects a change in attitude toward the issue, or just a reflection of how many REALLY BIG news stories are out there today, but half-an-hour after the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality, there’s still no major headline at the nytimes, sfgate, or cnn websites. MSNBC does have it as Breaking News though. Regardless, there’s now marriage equality in three states comprising 46 million people and 74 electoral votes. I wonder which candidate will step in it first.

In a meeting with another lawyer this afternoon my recent marriage and this weekend’s reception came up. He countered with the story of some friends of his and his wife who were just married after what they’re calling a “43-year engagement.” The way he tells it, the couple wasn’t sure they’d use their newfound rights just because they didn’t think it would change anything. After all, how could a label change a 43-year relationship? They did though, and then described waking up the morning after just feeling different. More complete perhaps. I’m not really sure to to describe it either, but it’s there. Even outside the legal rights and responsibilities, there’s just something about the effect of the word – it really does matter.

At least there’s no smog check.

[via PolitickerCA]

Five years ago today I was flat on my back with my feet up in stirrups, doped to the gills and getting nuked like a pig on a spit. Now I just look like I’ve been nuked as the weekend sunburn turns into the periodic leprosy commonly know as ‘peeling.’

The reception on Saturday went great. There were a few panic attacks, and the last minute move of about 100 yards (just like at the wedding itself), but those aren’t what I want to remember. Sure, it wasn’t exactly what we planned, but there have been so many plans on the table the last few months I’m not sure what the final plan was anyways, and what we had was beautiful.

What I want to remember are one hundred family and friends gathered together to celebrate an event that would have been legally impossible just a few months ago. Kind, loving, accepting and caring people who traveled distances ranging from hundreds of yards to hundreds of miles to raise their glasses of carbonated fruit juice with us and celebrate our new life together.

I think the smash hit of the day (besides our matching hawaiian shirts) was the dessert, a cake by a brand new chocolatier(?) bakery(?) in San Diego named Millle Feuille (don’t ask me how to pronounce it – I simply can’t). Their Apricot Summer cake was exquisite. For the record, and because a lot of people asked but I didn’t have the answer Saturday, that is:

Coconut-pineapple and carrot sponge cake layered with orange-apricot cream cheese filling topped with a marbled glaze.

But even that doesn’t do it justice, because it neglects the fresh blueberry and gold glitter garnish.

The lunch from Pacific Island Catering also went over very, very well, and Ellis, the owner, went above and beyond in making everything right. Not just great food, but amazing presentation and the possibly the best service I’ve seen in my seven years in San Diego. All along he exuded the experience and confidence that helped us relax and go with the process, and our trust paid off big time when not only did the lunch go off without a hitch, but he was able to make the phone calls necessary to get extra chairs and tables on two hours notice on a Saturday morning when our original plan was overrun by kiddie volleyball players.

The official photos were posted Saturday evening at Island Pix. The recyclable cameras we put on each table for the guests’ later humiliation are still awaiting processing on our coffee table and will be posted eventually. My camera, despite a few fleeting moments of temptation, stayed safely at home.

On a final note, we came home with two carloads of bubble wrap, packing peanuts, wrapping paper and Crate & Barrel boxes (not to mention leftovers) that have made Diego the happiest puppy alive. While I’m sure he’s disappointed he missed the big day, he’s sure enjoying a living room full of consolation stuffing.

Heading out in a few minutes for some reception-week pampering. Hopefully some of the stress toxins of the week will be pushed or flushed or sucked out of my body, and the rest of the week will flow smoothly and uneventfully. When finished tonight both my pores and my aura will be clean and my only problem will be maintaining that state through Saturday.

Seriously kiddies, I know marriage is new to The Gays, and maybe we have some learning to do, but our wedding was beautiful. The key: there were only five people there, including both grooms, and only five people in the world with advance knowledge. I’m very glad we let that be small, and gave ourselves three months to corral together The Hundred for the after-party. Don’t know how I could have dealt with the emotion of the marriage and the chaos of the reception planning all at the same time. I’m not even sure how I’ll deal with them separated by three months.

There’s a good article in the Union-Tribune on the new Field Poll released today on Proposition 8′s chances in November.  While the big numbers (55% opposed) are encouraging, the article has a rare but informative breakdown on the demographics of the two sides.

When the Field Poll is broken down into 18 political and demographic subgroups, majority support for Proposition 8 is evident in only four: voters who call themselves conservatives (72 percent), Republicans (66 percent), evangelical Christians (60 percent) and Protestants (52 percent).

Majority opposition appears among almost all the rest: self-described liberals (91 percent), Democrats (75 percent), people with no religious preference or a religious preference other than Protestant or Catholic (71 percent), people who have done some post-graduate work (68 percent), voters who consider themselves middle-of-the-road (58 percent), residents of coastal counties (57 percent), voters unaffiliated with either major political party (56 percent), Catholics (55 percent), women (55 percent) and men (54 percent).

There’s also a good discussion in the article on how responses varied depending on how the initiative was characterized.  Apparantly voters are less inclined to take away a right then to block a new one from coming into existence.  

We owe an incredible debt to Del Martin for her advocacy over the years that led to us having the right to get married.  So, how ironic is it that I was sitting here working on invitations for our reception when I learned about her death? 

What’s great about libraries.  [via]

“It’s a First Amendment freedom of speech issue,” [Doug] Manchester said. “I certainly didn’t want to offend anybody.”

You gave $150,000 to an incredibly divisive ballot measure, yet didn’t want to offend anyone?  Well, what exactly did you want your gift to accomplish, besides end my marriage while somehow not offending me?  Moron.  And no, it’s not even a First Amendment issue.

On a brighter note, thank you.  Thank you very much.