Freedom to Marry Day

Minnesota and Rhode Island formally pushed to 13 overnight the number of marriage equality states, an occasion marked with considerable fanfare in the Twin Cities.

Margaret Miles and Cathy ten Broeke (above) were the first of 42 couples married after midnight in the rotunda of Minneapolis City Hall by Mayor R.T. Rybak and I see via his feed that my Facebook friend Sean McGee was among those who witnessed the ceremony. Way to go!

Over in St. Paul, Reid Bordson and Paul Nolle were the first to marry --- in a ceremony at the Como Park Conservatory.

It's likely that dozens more will tie the knot today, officially Freedom to Marry Day in Minnesota thanks to a proclamation by Gov. Mark Dayton.

It could hardly be said that the happy couples rushed into marriage. Miles and ten Broeke were wearing the same gowns worn 13 years ago at their commitment ceremony. Bordson and Nolle were celebrating the 10th anniversary of their commitment ceremony.

So congratulations to Minnesota and Minnesotans --- it's a great day when Iowa and Minnesota together form a big blue marriage equality block in the middle of the nation --- flanked by California and Washington on the west coast and all of New England plus Maryland and Delaware on the east. Plus the District of Columbia.

Opponents of marriage equality have the sads. But in part they have only themselves to blame --- attempts to demonize those who differ and predictions of apocalyptic smiting by primitive Christianity's mythic angry God have lost traction.

Sensible people know that same-sex marriage will have zero effect on heterosexual marriage and, most likely, that sustaining a marriage will continue to be a challenge without regard to the sexual orientation of those united.

So here's to the lucky 13, in the order in which same-sex marriage became legal: Massachusetts 2003, California 2008, Connecticut 2008, Iowa 2009, Vermont 2009, New Hampshire 2009, (District of Columbia 2009), New York 2011, Washington 2012, Maine 2012, Maryland 2012, Rhode Island 2013, Delaware 2013, Minnesota 2013.