High court offers hope for equality and love

@JoshuaDolin

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments against Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California in 2008. The passage of Proposition 8 was a huge setback to our nation’s principles of equality, but there is now hope it will be overturned.

The legal question in this case is whether the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which grants equal protection under the law, can prevent states from defining marriage as something between one man and one woman.

The Supreme Court heard another case Wednesday regarding the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman at the federal level. This law may also be ruled unconstitutional.

This is very personal to me because this case has the potential to make my love equal under the law. I do not want to have to explain to my future children why our family is unequal to others, just because the government does not recognize our love.

This country was founded on the principle that all men were created equal, and it is time that gays and lesbians also have rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The most surprising thing I have seen since this case began is the amazing amount of support. All of my social media accounts were flooded with friends, gay and straight, showing their support from all over the world. For many, this case will not directly impact them. They have always had the right to marry whomever they wanted, as long as their partner was not of the same sex. But all of my friends recognized this is not about them. This is about the largest civil rights battle my generation has encountered, and we are making it known our generation will not tolerate unfair treatment based on sexual orientation.

I never felt more love or support in my life than when I saw all of those red Human Rights Campaign logos as profile pictures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I wanted to thank all of you, whether I have met you or not, for your help. By doing a simple act such as changing your cover photo or posting a status, you have helped my community get closer to actualizing equal rights. I hope we can win this battle together.

President Barack Obama has said, “Nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.” I have called for change and I am so thankful my generation is joining me. Civil rights for myself and millions of other LGBT Americans are now closer than ever to becoming a reality because of all of your support. Thank you for your help in making my love finally equal.