Every day I am thankful that others fought for me. Had I been born in 1942 instead of 1982, my life would have been very different. Who I am allowed to marry – as well as where I am allowed to eat and shop – would have been determined by the color of my skin and not the content of my character. Yikes.
Of course we all know that 50 years from now, denying people the right to marry who they want is going to be as embarrassing to us as the fact that we once denied the rights of people of different races to get married is now. That one day, two people of the same gender are going to ask for a marriage license and no one is going to think twice about it. That one day, my grandkids are going to laugh when I say “gay marriage”.
“Grandma, we just say ‘marriage’ now. For everyone.”
For everyone. That’ll be a good day.
In the meantime, here are just some of the wonderful same-sex couples I’ve gotten to photograph getting gay married. It is so exciting to have my work defined so clearly by this important time in our history.
If you’re on the fence about this issue, look at these images. They’re not different than wedding photos of heterosexual couples. Flowers and dresses and ties and boutonnieres and rings, sure, but most importantly, they are all brimming with love. Here’s a secret: it isn’t a different kind of love than the sort straight people have. These couples want to cover their spouses with medical insurance, have emergency room visitation rights, and have their children protected just like you do. It seems to clear to me looking at these photos. I hope it gets clear for you, too.
Cheers to love!
I’m cutting out early this week, so happy weekend.
p.s. Forgive the commercial: if you need an intimate wedding or elopement photographer in New York City – gay or straight – I’m your lady. Get in touch by going to AmberMarlow.com