What if the sky doesn't fall?

While California grapples with the constitutionality of gay marriage, there has been some unexpected fallout for straight couples who got married in New Paltz, NY; Asbury Park, NJ; Multnomah County, OR; and Sandoval County, NM during the time when those communities were issuing marriage certificates to gay couples. Seems Social Security is so worried some gay couple might (GASP!) get benefits that it's not recognizing any marriage certificates from those areas. That'll teach those straight people for daring to get married someplace that is trying to establish equal rights!

As for the California lawsuit, I hope it turns out like Massachusetts, although that would most certainly result in a rush to change the CA Constitution. However, like with Massachusetts, if there's a period where gay people can get married and the sky doesn't fall and God doesn't turn everyone into pillars of salt, then maybe, just maybe people will be more reluctant to enshrine discrimination in their state's constitution. And since California is our next-door neighbor, maybe when the amendment issue comes up in Arizona in 2006, we will also see that there's no need for it.

Here's hoping, anyway.