You may have heard that something happened today over at the Supreme Court. In case you have not been inundated by your friends’ Facebook feeds, Twitter feeds, or various local and international media, you can click on all the links to read the decision penned by Justice Kennedy, the significant quote that will be used and reused in weddings to come because it’s absolutely beautiful, and even Justice Scalia’s dissension because dissension. This decision comes on the heels of another pretty good decision. It’s been a good week, you guys.
Maybe because I stayed up late last night reading Dan Savage’s latest book –specifically the chapter where he discusses how It Has Gotten Better since the Stonewall Riots and since Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, two key developments in the LGBT movement and in equal rights for everyone regardless of their sexual orientation– but I am crying a little bit today. Not a big bawl, but more like the tears that come when you know that despite all the horrible things that happen every day, sometimes justice (even narrowly, like 5-4 narrowly) can be on the side of those who choose to be who they must be. Today’s victory is the kind of moment that makes Capitol Hill the neighborhood beam with pride (pardon the pun) at Capitol Hill the sometimes-broken political machine. Yes: it happened on our backyard.
It gets better. Here is a photo of Sister Tearyn, of the DC Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
Sister Tearyn. Photo by María Helena Carey
Here is a photo of an umbrella. Because it’s a rainbow umbrella: I detect a theme.
Here is a photo of Pastor Mary Kay Totty of Dumbarton United Methodist Church, waiting to break bread with the thousands of revelers because it’s been one heck of a week:
Pastor Mary Kay. Photo by María Helena Carey
Here is one of a kid holding a snowcone.
Equality snowcone. Photo by María Helena Carey
Not everyone was happy. The same gentleman who drives the truck with the aborted fetuses was front and center, quite literally, and ready to answer questions.
Not everyone was happy. Photo by María Helena Carey
And one of a happy couple. This was a highly Instagrammable moment: people were blindly bumping into each other, joyfully looking at screens and laughing and sharing tweets. Many were also looking for the perfect selfie situation. If you live under a rock, go open Instagram and look at #LoveWins.
Selfie. Photo by María Helena Carey
And a GIF, because we kind of earned it:
Here’s a gif for you, America. You fucking earned it this week: pic.twitter.com/OrfVsJauxe
— Ben Rosen (@Rosen) June 26, 2015