In case you haven’t heard by now, California’s Proposition 8 (the bill that outlawed gay marriage in the state) is heading to the Supreme Court, which if all goes well could strike a huge blow for equal rights in the states. To help things out, Ellen DeGeneres, the single most likeable celebrity in the world, filed a brief with them to try and convince them that banning gay marriage is unconstitutional.
Portia and I have been married for 4 years and they have been the happiest of my life. And in those 4 years, I don’t think we hurt anyone else’s marriage. I asked all of my neighbors and they say they’re fine. But even though Portia and I got married in the short period of time when it was legal in California, there are 1,138 federal rights for married couples that we don’t have, including some that protect married people from losing their homes, or their savings or custody of their children. The truth is, Portia and I aren’t as different from you as you might think. We’re just trying to find happiness in the bodies and minds we were given, like everyone else.
First off, if you can look at Ellen and Portia de Rossi and say “no, I don’t want those two to be together,” you are terrible. Second, I know some people think that civil unions are enough, but unfortunately the language of the law in the States is all about marriage, and as she said, civil unions just don’t have the same rights and liberties as full-blown marriage. Hopefully, this made some of the judges’ hearts grow three sizes today. (I may be mistaking this for How The Grinch Stole Christmas.)