With all the buzz surrounded the upcoming LGBT Wedding Expo coming to Detroit, you'd think we were Iowa, standing on the winning side of the marriage equality mountain.
We're not – but that doesn't mean we have nothing to celebrate.
On May 2, the Rainbow Wedding Network will bring their Same Love, Same Rights Wedding Expo to St. Clair Shores.
One might think Michigan an odd locale for such an event, with similar expos happening in such places as New York City, Chicago and Massachusetts. Though not all have full marriage rights for same-sex couples, all other states holding expos are certainly further along than Michigan, which not only prohibits marriage, but even shared health care benefits for same-sex couples and their families.
But the owners of the Rainbow Wedding Network didn't think it was odd – they thought it was a great idea. While it makes more practical sense to offer a gay wedding expo to areas that have marriage equality (or at least are on the verge of it), Michigan needs this. Michigan deserves this.
As Michigan's LGBT community waits patiently (or rather, fights mercilessly) for hate crimes legislation, anti-bullying laws and second parent adoption, marriage equality is hardly even a topic around here. But just because we don't see that tide changing in the very near future doesn't mean that our relationships mean any less than those happy citizens of Iowa and Vermont.
And for this Commitment Issue, Between The Lines wants to remind our readers of that.
We can't get married as far as our state's laws are concerned, but we can celebrate our relationships. We can have ceremonies, exchange rings, cut cake, make toasts. We can go to the LGBT Wedding Expo and get giddy.
This week, in addition to the first LGBT Wedding Expo Detroit has ever seen, marks Obama's 100th day in office, as of Wednesday. In his first 100 days, he has shown tremendous promise for continued support of LGBT rights, including hiring 35 openly gay people to federal posts, inviting LGBT leaders such as Human Rights Campaign Executive Director Joe Solmonese to the White House and even inviting over 100 LGBT families to take part in the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House.
Here in Michigan, we are seeing similar glimmers of hope. Hate crimes legislation has been introduced in the state Senate, second parent adoption is nearing a vote in the House of Representatives, and support for and interest in anti-bullying legislation has skyrocketed since January.
All this, in addition to growing support in polls, marriage rights in Iowa, Washington, D.C. and Vermont and a general feeling that for the first time in a long time, we are on the winning side of this fight for equality.
As we in the LGBT community rejoice both national and local strides forward, it's important not to forget that even when we aren't winning the battles, we can still celebrate who we are, and whom we love. Michigan may not have gay marriage, but it has thousands of LGBT people in relationships who are proud and want to be recognized, even if legal marriage isn't an option right now.
Don't sell your love short, even if the Michigan government still is.
