Matt O'Grady Day
Guest Posting by Matt O'GradyTomorrow, June 19 is Matt O'Grady Day at the Taproot Foundation. All our offices will be closed, and staff has the day off. The holiday celebrates my wedding last year on this date, which was among the first same-sex weddings to be legally performed in California. Of course, this is the greatest honor I've ever had in my somewhat sordid career - who else do you know whose employer declared an official holiday in their honor?
But Matt O'Grady Day isn't really about me. It's about the step forward society took - however faltering that step proved to be - when California's Supreme Court ruled that equal protection under the law applies to all, regardless of sexual orientation. Since that brave step was taken, California voters decided to write discrimination back into our constitution, and the same Supreme Court upheld their right to do so. In the same ruling, they also upheld my marriage, along with the 18,000 others that were performed last summer.
As a result, we now have three classes of citizens in California: First Class Citizens, including all heterosexuals who may marry and receive all the benefits provided by California law, as well as more than 1,000 distinct rights bestowed in federal law. And we have Second Class Citizens, including me, who enjoy state benefits of marriage, but not the federal ones. And we have a sorry Third Class of Citizens: Gays and Lesbians who can't get married at all. This is clearly unsustainable, as well as inherently unfair.
My sister-in-law is a fundamentalist Christian. She blessed my marriage, yet at the same time expressed opposition to same-sex marriage in general. A few weeks ago, she sent me a note. She had just seen the film, "Milk," and it changed her perspective entirely. She had voted to ban same-sex marriage last November, she wrote. But if she has the opportunity to vote on it again, she would change her vote.
I look forward to the day when the Taproot Foundation revises its policies and drops Matt O'Grady Day. Not because I'm not loved here anymore, but because my sister-in-law and everyone else in this country get so far past all this nonsense about restricting marriage that having a special day celebrating the achievement just seems passé.
But until that day comes, we have work to do in advancing society. So join me in taking tomorrow off to celebrate and rest up, then let's all get back to work fresh on Monday pushing society forward.
Steve Van Landingham, his mother Jeri Boone, San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty, Polly O'Grady, and Matt O'Grady celebrate after Steve & Matt's wedding at San Francisco City Hall, June 19, 2008.
As the proud mother of Steve and equally proud mother-in-law of this happy couple, I salute the progressive and foreward thinking of the Taproot Foundation. On this day, my family and I honor the Foundation, Matt and Steve and all others who continue to work tiringly for equal rights among all peoples.
Marriage should be between two people who love each other (with a big Period!).
Jeri Boone
Hi,
Happy Anniversary to you and Steve! I too salute the Foundation for being so forward thinking. I can't believe that this country, which was founded on human rights principles is so backward in this regard!
Gloria Sandoval
Matt: Congrats on the marriage/anniversary and enjoy your well deserved day off.
I too look forward to the day when we can enjoy all the wedding ceremonies of people in love (and dedicated to one another) regardless of arbitrary restrictions. Thank you and your organization's efforts on that behalf.
I wish we at Eden I&R could take off tomorrow but the 2-1-1 phone line is receiving more calls than ever (over 6,500 a month), especially from new folks who have never requested services before. These are trying times for many.
Keep on!
Barbara
Congratulations and may the battle continue until equal rights are achieved for everyone.
Dan
Matt -- Little did I know when we met that you were such a celebrity!! Here in NY, as you know, there are just two classes -- the heterosexuals who can marry and the rest of us. Someday there will truly be only one class. Although, I do feel that everyone should get a civil union and then take the piece of paper to their religious institution to be married as I feel marriage ia a religious and not a civil instituion. That being said, Happy Anniversary to you and Steve -- and many, many more!
Sandy
These are my two amazing uncles!! Matt, I have emailed this link to all of my friends who have had the pleasure of meeting both of you and think that you are two of the greatest people they have ever met...That being said, I hope our family can continue to push things forward and be an example for what a loving family looks like, gay or strait.
Happy anniversary to both you and Steve. May all couples have the same privilege some day.
For Matt O'Grady day, I'll take part of the day off, and the other part I just won't work very hard.
Miss you guys.
J
Gosh, I think that every day should be Matt 0 day, but until that time, happy anniversary from Sacramento
Matt & Steve,
Congratulations and Thank You!! Such a great event to be celebrated and to be exploited for pushing the envelope. We third class citizens thank you second class citizens for working to elevate us all to first class citizenship.
Warm regards,
Tim
Hey brother. Happy anniversary to you and Steve. We are very happy for you and proud of you. Know that a great many people are working on behalf of marriage equality. The day is nearing.
Matt, congratulations and happy anniversary! Sheila
Matt - were you at NIU in the mid 70's? I think we went to music school together.
Matt,
A day late and a dollar short as they say, but congratulations. Thank you for your inspiring post and well thought out post.
I'll be working with Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA) to help get the word out on marriage equality. Civil rights take time as they say.
Sincerely,
Bob Bates
Thats right! Don't be afraid to speak your mind. This is the 21st century, right?