In a 2 to 1 decision, the 9th Circuit Court has declared Proposition 8 a violation of the rights of gay Californians.

In his write up of the decision, Judge Reinhardt wrote:

“Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.”

Reinhardt was quick to say that this decision is only about this issue in this state, but the court’s decision that denying same sex couples the right to marry violates their rights as human beings and as citizens could well add weight to the case for marriage equality when it comes before the Supreme Court.

Sometimes justice is slow, but I firmly believe it will come for all of us. Today, I got another proof that my faith is justified. It is my fond hope that California will rejoin the ranks of those who offer full rights to all its citizens soon.

Since they got engaged in November, he and his partner, Aaron VanderYacht, have been finding they have a lot of questions about getting married as gay men. Naturally, they turned to the internet.

One frustrating Google search later, they had found a certain number of wedding-related services run by heterosexuals featuring rainbow flags that assured them they were welcome as customers, which was fine… as far as it went. What they couldn’t find was practical advice on how to throw a wedding with two grooms and zero brides.

So what do two guys looking for answers and not finding them do? They create the resource they’re looking for themselves. And so they started The Best Gay Wedding Blog Ever to document their wedding planning over the next year. As Kristen-Alexander says in his inaugural entry, dated January 10:

I thought it was time to hear stories and advice straight from the horse’s mouth, that horse being your’s truly!! So over the next, I dunno, year or so you and I will go on a journey. A journey to the big day: our wedding. I will share with you all the juicy experiences as my lovely groom and I try to figure out how the hell we are going to pull of a fabulous wedding on a budget. I am sure this experience will be full of hilarious stories, tears of joy, tragic tuxedos and terrible wedding cake! But best believe, by the time we are done you and your future Mr. or Mrs. will certainly know one thing: What not to do when planning your wedding!

All I can say is, I look forward to seeing what decisions messers Griffith and VanderYacht make.

Weir tweeted:

… he’s kind of everything that I’ve ever looked for and aspired to be in a relationship with.

That’s pretty much how I think people should feel about their life partners. Congratulations, Johnny and Victor! I wish you every happiness.

2012 has already brought happy news to more couples.

Basketball great LeBron James proposed on New Year’s Eve to his longtime love Savannah Brinson, the mother of his two sons. May they look that happy together for the rest of their lives.

Basketball legend Michael Jordan was ahead of the curve. He proposed to model Yvette Prieto, his girlfriend of three years, on Christmas Eve. Oh, in case you hadn’t heard, she said yes.

Last, but about a million miles from least, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin announced her engagement to longtime companion William ‘Willie’ Wilkerson. This will be the third trip down the aisle for Franklin, who is considering a summer wedding.

The sixty-nine-year-old bride assures us:

No, I’m not pregnant.

Rock on with your bad self, Queen Aretha! May you continue to delight us – and Mr. Wilkerson – for years to come.

While I admit I’ve never been that big on comic books so my knowledge may be somewhat lacking, this is the first time I’ve heard of a same-sex marriage in one. And the fact that it’s Archie, that inoffensive bastion of childhood innocence and suburban Leave it to Beaver golly gee whizness only makes this a more powerful statement, in my view.

So congratulations, Kevin and Clay! You may be imaginary, but your love is a big step along the way to marriage equality.

Now if only Archie would make up his mind between Betty and Veronica. You’d think seventy years would be plenty of time.

Oh, and see that huge head behind David? Yeah, that would be Scott’s boss, Conan O’Brien. Scott is the costume designer for Conan’s show. So when Scott and longtime love David decided to tie the knot while the show was in New York – where their marriage would be legal – Conan offered to marry them himself on the show. One quick ordination by the Universal Life Church later, he was legally empowered to do just that.

The grooms wore fabulous brocade jackets designed by Scott and – in Jewish tradition – were married under a chuppah. The one big question seems to have been which groom would smash the glass at the end of the ceremony. Two grooms, two glasses, no problem.

While the ceremony was largely light-hearted and did include several gentle ribs from O’Brien (You never designed me anything like that!), it was also a serious wedding ceremony. Both men got a bit choked up reciting their custom vows. When Scott vowed to “… fill your every day with so much love” I have to say I got choked up, too.

Go here. Watch the video, if you missed it on television. Bring a hankie.

Scott, David, mazel tov!

Traditionally, the form is ladies first. The bride’s parents were responsible for the entire celebration, and it was often the one day of her life that a woman got to be seriously celebrated. The world has changed, but ladies first is still the rule.

So how do we deal if there are two ladies getting married? What about when it’s two guys and there isn’t a lady to go first?

Well, at that point, we think back to kindergarten. Chances are that’s when you started learning about alphabetical order, right along with learning what an alphabet is.

Here’s how it looks:

Mr. and Mrs. Durward Elliot Bayless
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their son
Arthur Cyril
to
Mr. Abner Clayton DeVere

Or, if the happy couple is hosting their own celebration:

Mr. Arthur Cyril Bayless
and
Mr. Abner Clayton DeVere
request the pleasure of your company
at their marriage

Two women marrying? It’s done just the same:

Miss Annabelle Daisy May
and
Miss Doreen Lola Ramsey
request the honor of your presence
at their marriage

But what if it’s not the happy couple, but a set of parents who are the same-sex couple? Not a problem! Here’s the drill:

Mr. Bernard J. Cummings
and
Mr. Barrisford Alan Greyson
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Gloria Daphne Greyson
to
Mr. Charles Leonard Hixon

See how easy that is?

Tune in tomorrow to see how to handle the question of wording the invitation when the celebration isn’t the wedding proper.

This morning, the United States became the thirtieth country in the world to allow gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members to serve openly in the military. And that means that after eleven years, Ross can tell people about his life partner, Dan Swezy.

Despite the fact that they live in Arizona, the couple decided to marry in Vermont. Only part of the reason was the fact that same-sex marriage is still illegal and unrecognized in the state where they live. The other reason was that Vermont is on the east coast, and therefore would allow them to marry at the very first possible moment after the ban against gays serving in the military was lifted.

And so at midnight, the pair exchanged vows, with Ross in his full dress uniform, just like any other military groom. Swezy, a civilian, wore a tux.

All the same, Ross doesn’t plan to make a big deal out of his marriage when he returns to his post at Fort Huachuca.

“Even though the law goes away, it will still be the white elephant in the room until everyone comes to terms with it.”

But he notes that the change in the law means that he no longer has to lie ‘several times a day’ to hide his sexual orientation.

I hope you will all join with me in wishing these two gentlemen every happiness and a long, loving marriage.

I only wish my father, a two-war Navy veteran, could have lived to see this day. He’d have been truly happy to see this.

Pop-up weddings, a celebration of FINALLY getting there!

For those who happen to be in New York City tomorrow and want a first-hand look at the happiness marriage equality can bring should head over to Merchant’s Gate in Central Park between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.. There you’ll find the Pop Up Chapel, which will host 24 elegant and customized weddings with help from the wedding experts at The Knot. What’s the Pop Up Chapel all about? According to the website:

“Our goal was to provide beautiful weddings that reflect the importance of the commitment our couples are making while providing a symbol of marriage equality for the entire city to celebrate.”

The Pop Up Chapel – two chapels, in fact – is providing a legal officiant, wedding photographer, ceremony decorations, and refreshments for the 24 lucky couples who reserved spots early (and their allotted 12 wedding guests), while the event itself will benefit charities that support LGBTQI youth. How did it all come together so fast? Volunteers, donations, planning experts, and a contest that asked architects to submit design entries for the 8 feet by 8 feet mini-altars that the winner will get funds to build. That’s how.

“This is basically wedding planning on steroids,” Carley Roney, Pop Up Chapel organizer, told the Times.

As for how you can get a look at this fun, spontaneous, and joyful nuptial event, the answer is respectfully. Spectators are welcome, the organizers of the Pop Up Chapel ask that they stick to designated areas. These are people’s weddings, after all!

Anyway.

These two lovely, smiling ladies are Kitty Lambert and Cheryle Rudd. After more than ten years together, they became the first New York same-sex couple to be married just seconds past midnight, this very early morning.

The ceremony, held at Niagra Falls, was timed carefully so that their vows would happen at the first possible moment they could be legal. And for the first time ever, the falls were lit in rainbow colors.

Several hundred friends, family members, and even some of the lawmakers whose votes made the moment possible were in attendance as the couple took their vows. The ceremony was performed by Mayor Paul Dyster, and a state supreme court justice was on hand to waive the usual twenty-four hour waiting period for couples issued a marriage license. The same waiver has been granted to a number of other same-sex couples for this day.

Yeah, I think most of them have had to wait long enough.

Congratulations, Kitty and Cheryle! Congratulations to all the happy couples taking their vows in New York this week!

May you all have long, happy, fulfilling marriages.

The two have been engaged and wearing rings for the past five years, but with the New York Senate’s vote to legalize same-sex marriage in the state, they can now plan the wedding of their dreams.

Congratulations, Messers Harris and Burtka!

We would also like to extend our best wishes to all the other same-sex couples in New York who can now decide for themselves when or whether to take the marriage plunge.