California, Let These Men Marry!
Ed and Derence have been together for 40 years and Ed is facing an Alzheimer's diagnosis.
Writes Ed: "...If the courts drag this out for months and months, I fear I will, God forbid, lose the ability to recognize my beloved Derence when he gets on his knee to propose to me."
The couple submitted their story to the Courage Campaign during a call for stories following the California Supreme Court's decision to take the question from the 9th Circuit and extend the federal Prop 8 case for many more months.
Just heartbreaking.
Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...
And sign their open letter to the 9th Circuit asking it to lift the stay and allow same-sex marriage to resume in California here.
Posted Mar. 3,2011 at 5:47 PM EST by Andy Towle in California, Gay Marriage, News | Permalink
Sweet
Posted by: Sargon Bighorn | Mar 3, 2011 5:52:07 PM
Heartbreaking, but hey, it's just a couple of queers. Aren't their lives just used for playing politics?
BTW - that is a snark.
Posted by: Mike in the Tundra | Mar 3, 2011 5:54:54 PM
The first question from the NOMs of the world is going to be "why didn't they get married when they could have before Prop 8"
Posted by: Hayofray | Mar 3, 2011 6:03:08 PM
Ah, that made me tear up.
Alzheimer's is so cruel.
Posted by: Rowan | Mar 3, 2011 6:06:42 PM
I wish this story would get as much publicity as possible, because HayofRay makes a really good point: What could the NOMs of the world say to this? How could they possibly denigrate something as beautiful and tragic?
(They're rhetorical questions, really, as I'm sure NOMs will come up with something maddeningly appalling.)
Posted by: Austin | Mar 3, 2011 6:28:33 PM
This is exactly why the "incremental"/"baby steps" approach is COMPLETELY and FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG. It's one thing to develop a strategy based on the democratic participation of affected parties and a sober assessment of the current political conditions. It's something else entirely to follow GLAD's, HRC's and all the other Gay Inc's strategies, which, whatever their subjective intentions are, necessarily reinforce the status quo and perpetuate legal discrimination in the interests of the Democratic Party.
It's a sad reflection of the hold the Democrats have over this movement that we can read stories like this and stories about 10-year olds hanging themselves and we still think it's okay for any politician to tell us "not right now, just you wait."
Posted by: She Who Must Be Obeyed | Mar 3, 2011 6:43:58 PM
The Dems aren't perfect by any means, but they're all we've got. People have seen the results of voting Republican, and it ain't pretty.
Posted by: niles | Mar 3, 2011 9:19:04 PM
The letter of the law versus the spirit of the law
The letter of the law versus the spirit of the law is an idiomatic antithesis. When one obeys the letter of the law but not the spirit, one is obeying the literal interpretation of the words (the "letter") of the law, but not the intent of those who wrote the law. Conversely, when one obeys the spirit of the law but not the letter, one is doing what the authors of the law intended, though not adhering to the literal wording.
"Law" originally referred to legislative statute, but in the idiom may refer to any kind of rule. Intentionally following the letter of the law but not the spirit may be accomplished through exploiting technicalities, loopholes, and ambiguous language. Following the letter of the law but not the spirit is also a tactic used by oppressive governments.
Posted by: I'm Layla Miller I Know Stuff' | Mar 3, 2011 10:22:49 PM
Wouldn't it be nice to see a truly massive protest for these guys?
Rowan is right, Alzheimer's is brutal.
Posted by: ratbastard | Mar 4, 2011 4:23:29 AM
Okay I guess I'm going to sound completely heartless, and I admit I haven't watched the interview yet, but I really do wonder why they didn't get married when it was legal in CA. If I'd been with someone that long I think I would have been overjoyed when the day came that I could finally marry the man I love. I guess being guess being diagnosed with Alzheimer's puts things into perspective, though. (please don't hate me, I'm just confused)
Posted by: Matthew | Mar 4, 2011 9:09:44 AM
Matthew there are lots of reasons. Maybe they didn't have the money just then. Maybe they were too busy with medical appointments and treatments. Maybe they wanted to wait until their families could come. Maybe they were planning to, but didn't get around to it in time before the plug was pulled on marriage equality.
I get that you're just asking. But remember that a marriage ceremony isn't something that one usually just throws together at the last minute.
Unless you're Britney Spears.
Posted by: The Milkman | Mar 4, 2011 10:34:17 AM