NM Marriage Equality Update!

This past week has been pretty monumental for our little state (actually, we are the 5th largest state in the country, but I digress) in terms of marriage equality, and since it seems to be getting pretty minimal national news coverage, I thought I'd write a little about what all is going on, along with many informative links!

Last Wednesday, Doña Ana County started issuing same-sex marriage certificates and the NM Attorney General said he wouldn't interfere.

On Friday, our own Santa Fe county started issues same-sex marriage certificates! (Sidenote: A few months ago I had a dream that this happened, and as proof of my ability to predict the future you can read where I mentioned it in this very blog!)

I didn't read the news too much over the weekend, and it is getting hard to keep up, so I don't know exactly when the rest of this went down. BUT since Friday, FOUR more counties have started issuing same-sex marriage certificates: Bernalillo, San Miguel, Valencia, and Taos.

It's pretty exciting to see this all happen so quickly, and it will be interesting to see how it will play out in the near future. Legalizing same-sex marriage county-by-county is pretty unconventional, and the actual legality of it is being called into question. Lots of people want the state supreme court to rule on it, and lots of other people want it to be on the ballot. Everyone wants a statewide decision ASAP; those who are for same-sex marriage, and especially those who are married, want the reassurance that all these new marriages are valid, and those who are against same-sex marriage want all the new marriages to stop for good. So it is a quite fascinating political climate to be witnessing.

Eric & I love the idea of supporting the wedding industry of a state that has guaranteed marriage equality, and are crossing our fingers that same-sex marriage will be fully legal in New Mexico by the time we get married. Although honestly, it's looking like it will happen even sooner.

Also last Wednesday, former Democratic Party chairman (and possible Santa Fe mayoral candidate) Javier Gonzales came out publicly in a wonderfully written blog post. Here's my favorite excerpt:
"So I gathered the courage to speak with my parents, who responded with a much needed abrazo. I spoke to my friends, who after an initial awkward silence, asked, where are we going for lunch? I spoke to my daughters, who like many in their generation, asked what the big deal was.

"The life of St. Francis teaches us to discard the superficial and recognize the dignity in all of humanity. And in naming the cathedral in Santa Fe in his honor, our ancestors embraced that message. For over 400 years we have been a multi-cultural community that has thrived on our diversity. It is that spirit that has made us the City Different, a town that can embrace all kinds of people, from the children of traditional, culturally conservative Hispanics to the kids of hippies, from businessmen to artists, from natives and the old families that built this town to newcomers who help keep the economy alive. Our very existence as a community is proof that we are better when we value and accept one another for who we are without judgment."

While the last paragraph definitely idealizes Santa Fe's diversity (lots of class tensions abound), I think it really captures what so many in our community strive for, and a good reminder on an individual level as well. May we all be working to recognize the dignity in all of humanity - no small task, I know.