On a typical Valentine’s Day, my wife Eunita and I might go to Cannon Beach or some other relaxing destination. This year, however, we decided to walk together for the marriage equality march amid rain and little pellets of ice. I can’t say it was relaxing, especially since I ended up walking 19 miles on already sore feet, but we did find time to smile and laugh amid the downpour. Despite the circumstances, we found a way to celebrate love–both our own love and the love same-sex couples will now be able to publicly declare and affirm through the act of civil marriage.
Our celebration today was made all the more special because it was the first Valentine’s Day for our four month old daughter Danalyn. I can’t say she understood what was happening, but she did like the colors of our rainbow umbrella. She didn’t cry or fuss a single time as we marched. Instead, she drifted off to sleep in a state of utter contentment. For anyone who saw us walking on the sidewalks of Centralia, I don’t think there would be the slightest doubt that we are a happy family.
As I reflect on this, I am reminded of how State Senator Ed Murray argued the case for marriage equality by observing, “Marriage is how society says you are a family.” As an openly gay elected official, he further stated, “We seek, like you, the chance to live our lives, to experience joy, to care for our families.” This is what is at stake with marriage equality. We are marching so that no family is erased or made invisible in the eyes of society. We are marching so that when same-sex couples walk down the street with a content child in the arms of one of them no one will doubt that they are family.
