Today is a true historic day! A moment when you can feel the chains of bondage breaking. The Supreme Court has ruled that DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, is dead. The Gay and Lesbian married couples cannot be denied federal rights and benefits. And Proposition 8, the hateful ballot proposition in California that went into affect in November 2008 taking away the right to marry is also history. The court ruled that the people who sponsored Prop 8 who took the case to court when the State of California Governor and Attorney General refused to sponsor the court case, had no standing to do so. Thus Prop 8 which was declared void and unconstitutional by a lower court ruling is just that unconstitutional.
While the Supreme Court avoided ruling on a sweeping marriage equality platform across the United States, the ruling means that now in 13 states (including CA) and the District of Columbia where marriage is legal, the Feds must recognize that marriage in the over 1138 rights and benefits and privileges at the Federal level.
The marriage equality fight isn’t over in the United States. There are many places where gay men and lesbians cannot legally wed. And there are 33 states in the US where you can still be fired for being gay! That is why it is time for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to pass the House and Senate. The marriage equality and adoption rights must still be fought state by state.
We aren’t full citizens yet. But today for sure… a little more.
I am grateful to God for this day. A day of blessing for sure. A day where we feel God’s justice showering down upon us and encouraging each of to continue the work of Tikkun Olam-repairing a broken world.
Rabbi Denise Eger is Vice President and President Elect of CCAR. She is the rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami of West Hollywood, CA.
This blog originally appeared on walking humbly. seeking justice. living with hope.
One reply on “An Historic Day for Equality”
I agree wih the Supreme Court decision and personally would officiate at the marriage of same sex couples …but when you say that “God’s justice is shining down on us” and when you talk about the “hateful ballot proposition” …I say that yes ..there are haters who do hateful things …but it might be a little over the top as the implication is to condemn those who sincerely believe that marrriage is only between a man and a woman. I think we have to respect the views of others including Orhodox Jews and for that matter Reform rabbis who honestly dissent and are without malice. I think if we could be a bit more tolerant that might be tikun olam . Also I would ask how exactly can we know what God’s justice is? Is that not a matter of indivdual conscience and moral choice? I am thinking of ‘lo bashamyim hi ” and the words “eylu v’eilu divrei elohim chayim” I hope this is coherent and not visceral on my part. To me the breaking of the glass at a wedding symbolizes that the world is not yet at peace and still needs healing …Bechavod ..Hirshel Jaffe – ravjaffe@aol.com PS ..I am writing a second book after “Why Me? Why Anyone” .. It’s titled “Adventures of a Rabbi” and I am releasing some of the installments on my blog at http://www.runningrabbi.wordpress.com