Our Marriage is Now Equal and The Whole World Knows It!

By Robert Hudson Westover

My husband and I knew something incredibly unusual for us was unfolding after the Marriage Equality ruling was handed down last Friday by the Supreme Court. We were there, outside the imposing white marble facade of America's most iconic building of Justice with the words carved in marble above it's giant bronze doors: Equal Justice Under Law.

The general consensus was that a ruling wasn't supposed to be handed down until Monday, June 29, or the high court's last day in session for the year. This is how the other landmark Gay Rights rulings had been handled in the past (see my previous blog post on the End of DOMA ruling in 2013).

Tom and I ten minutes before the Marriage Equality Ruling.

But I had a premonition that it would happen on Friday and told Tom we needed to get to the Court in the morning, before 10 AM (the time that rulings for the day are handed down). Fortunately, we both work walking distance from the Supreme Court, so we rendezvoused at about 15 minutes before the rulings of the day would be announced. 

Would I be right?

Our hearts beat rapidly in anticipation as we hoped and prayed that for the first time in our lives, the statement Equal Justice would be met out in its totality. Would this day bring us unfathomable joy by changing our lives forever and making our marriage, our love, truly equal under the law? Or would it be yet another half measure of dignity handed out to us like ravaged prisoners hoping for the full pardon that would someday open our cell doors and free us--forever--from the jail house of second class citizenship? 

We knew this ruling was going to change the lives of millions...Tom and I just two of those millions.

And when that crowd shouted out LOVE HAS WON! we jumped for joy, broke into tears and just held each other.

A picture taken of US by CBS News moments after the ruling.

It took 15 years to get Equal Justice in our marriage.

Many, many more years for many others.

"What do you think of the swiftness of the change?" One reporter asked us. Tom replied "Swiftness? It's been over 50 years since WE started our fight for equality. It hasn't come fast enough... We love you Justice Kennedy!"

"Kiss your husband!" a reporter asked, so I did!

And then many other reporters started asking us questions, taking our picture and filming us. This had happened the last time a great barrier of bigotry had fallen: DOMA. In fact, the reporters were asking lots of us, lots of questions. We were more than thrilled to respond. Maybe some young person, struggling under the weight of oppression might hear our story and be inspired to love themselves, feel sorry for their persecutors and look forward to a life in a community of kindred hearts.

But, to our amazement, that day, our ripple in the pond of outreach was beyond anything we could have imagined. We knew this when a text arrived from a friend we hadn't heard from in ages telling us to look at CBS New's Twitter page. There we were, in full embrace--our devotion and love--for all the world to see.

And the world did see, read and hear from us! On six continents! 

As the day unfolded, and into the night, the texts and Facebook messages kept coming: Saw you in the Huffington Post! One friend wrote from LA. Then the PBS News Hour reporter who had interview us texted to tell us we'd be featured at the top of the hour as the Network's lead story.

Three days later and we're still blown away. Think of how many millions of LGBTQ folks have seen that, "Yes, it does get better." 

Tom and I are so very humbled and grateful to have been able to speak for the LGBTQ Community that historic day. There were so many of us, the quiet foot soldiers there that day, and many of our voices were not broadcast to the world. That's the price we pay for loyalty to our cause, to our community.

From the Huffington Post. 

But, sometimes, like what happened for us, the spotlight turns and there you are. As Christians we believe that God does work in mysterious ways. We don't always understand it, but all things can (and often do) work together for those who have faith. So many words and expressions are timeless and this quote from Psalms really says it for us--for what happened on that momentous day "This is the Lord's work and it is marvelous in our eyes..."

                                                                             ***

Below are links to some of the worldwide media coverage our voice received.

North America:

Lead story PBS News Hour

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/sex-couples-gain-equal-right-marry/

Yahoo News

http://news.yahoo.com/us-supreme-court-rules-gay-marriage-nationwide-141601707.html

The Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/26/photos-show-celebration-o_n_7671690.html

CBS News Twitter

https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/614460786853965824?utm_source=fb&fb_ref=Default&utm_content=614461716102021120&utm_campaign=dantracht&utm_medium=fb

International Pick Up

South America:

http://www.la-razon.com/mundo/Suprema-Unidos-legaliza-matrimonios-gay_0_2297170288.html

Africa:

http://nigeria.shafaqna.com/EN/NG/515857

http://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/the-herald-south-africa/20150627/281754152971553/TextView

Australia:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-27/us-supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-gay-marriage-nationwide/6577294

Asia:

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/americas/2015/06/28/439406/Overflowing-joy.htm

http://defence.pk/threads/u-s-supreme-court-makes-gay-marriage-legal-throughout-us.382878/

Middle East:

http://www.gulf-times.com/us-latin%20america/182/details/444751/supreme-court-makes-gay-marriage-legal-throughout-us-

Europe:

http://www.newsjs.com/us/its-reason-to-live-here/

The Supreme Court Makes All US Equal!!!

http://t.co/MqQ1t815SF #SCOTUSVoices pic.twitter.com/8clrcqx3Vm

— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 26, 2015

Death of DOMA Day!

By Robert Hudson Westover

Added June 26, 2014 on the one year anniversary of Death of DOMA day:

One year ago today, the day the U.S. Supreme Court struck down DOMA (or most of it). Tom and I were waiting outside the white marble court house edifice with thousands of others. Two reporters published some of what we had to say. Our quotes were picked up in media outlets around the world that day.

 Posted by Elizabeth Dunbar, NPR 6/26/2013 4:53:10 PM June 26, 2013 at 12:53 PM

 

• "Being openly gay in America has been a very huge challenge. You're still seeing discrimination and obstafication within the cultures of corporate America. You can see it's starting to change with young people... It's very different now for young people, how they interact with you. It's not really changed with folks who are our age."
   
  "It's very exciting, rewarding. It's been a long journey"
   
  "Young people hopefully (won't face discrimination). It will be much more of a normative environment."
   
  "I remember... when my gayness was as bad as a bad perfume. This is all stuff that I've lived through."
   
  "I'm going to be able to be on my husband's health care plan in terms of health care benefits. That's huge.”
   
  - Tom Fulton, 55, Public Affairs, D.C.
   
  Posted by Margarita Noriega (Reuters) 6/26/2013 4:54:54 PM June 26, 2013 at 12:54 PM
•  
  "We now have federal rights. I burst out into tears when this decision..." trails off, choked up
   
  "The United States is the most powerful nation on earth. The last time the most powerful nation  in the world allowed gays to not be persecuted was Rome. Fifteen hundred years. Think about that. Fifteen hundred years of oppression... This is a dramatic change in the history of the world and it can't be understated."
   
  "We first got married in West Hollywood about 12 years ago. It was the only city in the entire country at the time that allowed gay marriage... We attempted to get married in Massachusetts... but they didn't have reciprocity so we couldn't get married because we lived in the District. So we went and got married in the District. That's our journey."
  
  
• Robert Westover, 49, Public Affairs, D.C., married to Fulton in 2001 

The original posting from last year:

My Flag Waving Hero!

My husband, Tom Fulton, was at the Supreme Court in 1986 protesting the horrible Hardwick ruling. He said the treatment of Gay protesters that day was so bad that the cops wore plastic gloves so as not to have to come in contact with "The Gays." 

What a difference 27 years makes! 

Tom and me right after the ruling on DOMA 

Today, the horrific and discriminatory so called Defense of Marriage Act was overturned by five Justices of the United States Supreme Court. These enlightened and wonderful Justices deserve the LGBT community's unending gratitude and they will no doubt receive the adoration of posterity. 

But what about those four losers Jackass Justices?

I don't know where to begin, so I'll focus on the one Jackass Justice I have actually met. And by doing so would like to point out the cowardice and particular narrow mindedness of this man, The Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, John Roberts. 

Two years ago Tom and I attended an intimate Christmas concert at the Dunbarton Church in Georgetown. The Chief Justice and his family sat directly in front of us in the small edifice. 

During intermission Tom approached Mr. Roberts, and with the audacity of a man oppressed by men like Robert's his entire life said, "I really hope that when a case on Gay rights reaches your court that you won't vote against my rights as a equal citizen of this country..." 

You could have heard a pin drop. 

Unfortunately, but predictably, this misguided man of letters did exactly as expected and has now joined those on the wrong side of history--think Dred Scott, Mr. Roberts (et al). 

Tom being interviewed by the world press after
the death of DOMA!!!

So here's a proud Marine's OOORAH to my flag waving Gay Rights activist husband who has been fighting for our rights since the 1970s! And has never once hid in the closet! I love you so much! 

You are my hero!