i just read in the bbc news that the california courts have overturned the gay marriage ban. why did i have to read this from another country when i live in california?! (actually it's 'cos i have a bbc news feed that i check.) regardless, this is an exciting day. it's still a very fragile decision--it takes 30 days to go into effect. but it's slowly moving me to be unable to even express myself in words. that is why i'm linking over the new york times article on the matter because there are hundreds of comments left there both in support and against. as i went through a few of the comments, it does make you wonder about the timing of the decision. right now california has a republican at the very top of power. republicans in general are anti-marriage equality for all americans. last time this sort of thing happened, it was during the last presidential election and so it stirred the conservatives out to vote for republicans. this year is a presidential election. also in november on the ballot will be an effort to ban same-sex marriage nationwide, which will overturn today's ruling in california and the 2004 ruling in massachusetts. some left comments in the new york times that the opposition is strongest before the old laws get overturned, such as during the civil rights era of the 1960s. hmmm, something to think about. there are people who say that gay rights is the last frontier of civil rights. don't know if that's really true but this could be the next wave towards equality and justice for all.

i tell you this though, echoing sentiments of margaret cho's old routine, that the economy sure could use the boost from gay marriage equality. think of all the shopping people would do for the presents and ceremonies. all those services to hire and people travelling to the ceremony. not just in one or two states but nationwide. and then things dying down and life goes back to routine. then a decade or generation later and everyone wondering what the big fuss was about, that there was a ban.