Where Were You When You Heard the SCOTUS News?

http://busingers.ca/4.php Last Friday, in a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court made marriage equality the law of the land. Same-sex marriage is no more–there is only marriage now. We asked VillageQ contributors where they were and what they were doing when they heard the historic news and we hope you’ll leave a comment and tell us what you were doing.

I was writing a report for an immigration legal services organization when my phone started pinging. Blown. Away. Completely and totally blown away. Even though this was “expected,” in the back and forth of CA’s marriage equality battle, I learned never to “expect” anything. So now I’m sitting on my back porch, in awe, viscerally, physically remembering every single time I felt a roadblock in the way of marriage equality in the past eleven years. I felt those blocks physically back then, like leaning into a brick wall. And now each of them is falling down. For EVERYONE across the nation. This is an extraordinary feeling. ~ Cheryl Dumesnil

I was sitting on the couch with my cat, drinking coffee and texting Deborah Goldstein. ~ Vikki Reich

On my couch, waiting for my twins to wake up, folding laundry not yet aware of the massive poop explosion that would greet me in only minutes. ~ Betsy Fife Archer

At home getting spit up on by my baby while my preschooler was trying to use me as a jungle gym and while talking to a contract who was taking out our stairs so we can put in a sump pump. ~ Dylan Flunker

At the mall, in Albania, with my ex husband and daughter, eating fast food and shopping for a kite. ~ Clare Masson

Sam called me screaming (I was at the Museum of Natural History with #3) and I thought she had a car accident! Needless to say I was a bit happier when I found out why! ~ Jan Kaminsky

In a field of strawberries with a queer momma friend. She got a text, we furiously loaded Twitter, and then both started crying and hugging each other. ~ Levi Sable

At work, working. How boring. Definitely made the day much more exciting! And we celebrated with ice cream and rainbow sprinkles later! ~ Nicole D’Isa

In my car in the parking lot at the gym. I was watching the SCOTUS blog on my phone like a crack addict. Every update made my heart race. I called my mother so we could be on the phone when we heard. I saw that they had brought out the boxes of opinions. Then I saw: 1st opinion. Then: Marriage. Then: Opinion by Kennedy. I burst into tears. And so did my mother. But in that moment, it still hadn’t explicitly stated if we had won, although it was surely implied. And then I saw it. We won based on the 14th Amendment. And my phone exploded. We have so much work to do. But today is a glorious day in America. A glorious day. A day for celebration. A day to thank our foremothers and forefathers. A day of appreciation. A day for tears of gratitude. A day to recognize that all the little gay boys and girls being born today will never know that they can’t get married. That they aren’t worthy. That they will never be a part of this institution that is a defining feature of our society. They will never be erased on death certificates or in hospitals. It is just that much more difficult to erase their loves and their lives. I cry tears of joy for each and every one of them. May their lives be easier then mine was. And may we continue to strive to make their lives more full, more equal. With zero borders and zero shame. Today is a good day. A great day. A spectacular day. ~ Roger Rosen

FEATURE PHOTO CREDIT: LAURIE WHITE