It’s March of 2013, and there’s a battle playing out at the Supreme Court, both inside and out. On the steps of the courthouse, protestors wave competing signs; inside, the justices grill attorneys on who gets to decide the meaning of marriage. It’s a gulf that for years has divided the whole country: marriage for same sex-couples versus preserving of the status quo. Some protestors say that God defines marriage. Others say that it’s defined by the state. Most couples just want to say “we’re married” and be done with it. So who gets to choose?
To answer that question, I’ve journeyed to Washington to witness the protests and to watch the Justices deliberate. I explore the personal stake of the activists and attorneys before the court, and delve into artifacts from long-gone same-sex couples who, in decades past, somehow found a way to define their relationships on their own terms.
I come away with more questions than answers. It’s just the beginning of a saga that will take me back in time and around the country, and force me to confront own conflicted relationship with marriage and with my own partner.
As mentioned in this week's chat at the end of the chapter, here's my video about the Equality Act, as well as Stuart and John talking about why marriage matters.
Music:
In Your Arms Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/