The word for today is - marriage.
Google it and you'll see about 586 million pages on the topic within less than one one hundredth of a second (and my isn't Google just a tad smug the way it tells you how gosh darn fast it works).
The first hit is good old Wikipedia which tells me that Marriage is a social and legal institution that creates kinship. And that it does.
With one fell swoop of a pen and an 'I do' on this day nine years ago I had myself a whole 'nother family. Which considering I had spent years coming up with excuses in order to avoid my existing extended kin was a little silly wasn't it. At this point I think it is worth noting that none of those of my existing kin who might be reading this would have been the ones I tried to avoid - you I love.
It's also a public statement of your private commitment. And it's a chance to have a good party where your loved ones, and kin (as aforementioned those two categories may be, and often are, mutually exclusive) get drunk on your account.
So if it's all these things why are so many of my friends and family denied the right to do this by the State simply because the person they wish to marry shares their gender? And why am I denied the chance to get legless and heckle them during speeches (hi Belinda and Damo - forgiven me yet...no I didn't think so).
On any given day it seems a little silly to me, but on this day when I get to proudly declare it's my wedding anniversary it seems like a bloody travesty.
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Yes, yes, yes!
ReplyDeleteI think we may have had this conversation in July but it's a bit blurry. I agree, it's hard to shout loud and proud of your 9, 10, 20 years together when others are denied their basic right.
Well said.
Kirsty
Firstly, best to you and Ros today!
ReplyDeleteWe forgave a little while ago (after hours of counselling and plenty of wine but it's forgiven nevertheless).
I can't agree with the premise of this article enough though. I find it bizarre that those who preach for family values the loudest in our society deny people the ability to form their own family, generally just because it doesn't fit with what some bronze-age fairy tales say.
Damo