From the Washington Post comes the touching love story of the first same sex couple to apply for a marriage license in DC.  They wed today.

"This is for everyone who wants to get married," she says. She used to run a support group for black LGBT women and would end sessions by inviting everyone to submit questions for the group to talk about. One day she unfolded a slip of paper that read, "I feel like committing suicide, but I'm scared." To this day, whenever Young is out, she looks for the writer of that note. She has never seen her.

"I am doing this because I love my partner and we deserve to be married," Young says. "But I am also doing this because the first one is always the hardest."

Someone has to pave the way. She still may run into that woman, and if she does she wants to be able say, "Now, sweetheart. Now you can come through the door."

sdf

Now is the time, according to Thomas C. Waters, for you to have a significant impact on the attempt to move the "Marriage Protection" amendment out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Check out his blog for details.

Two quick side notes of interest.

Senator Barry Stout's seat is up for grabs as he retires.  Stout voted to move the marriage amendment out of committee in 2008.  One strong contender for the seat is House Rep Tim Solobay who was one of a very few Western PA Democrats to vote AGAINST a similar amendment in 2006 (the House did not vote on this issue in 2008). I have a list of his district so now is also a chance to identify and elect an ally to reclaim a Senate seat from those who believe we should add discrimination to the PA Constitution.

One of cosponsors of this bill is a Western PA Democrat, Senator Kasunic from the Fayette/Westmoreland/Washington county area. Now is a good time to follow the link to see if you have friends or family in that neck of the woods.  Now is a good time to make those real time phone calls (as opposed to email) so he knows what his constituents think about him being front and center in promoting discrimination.