*Sound of kicking things around in utter rage*

Yesterday, the state of Oregon nullified hundreds of same-sex marriages, wiping out the dreams of Pacific Northwest gay couples who rushed into the state to finally, completely, absolutely be equal with straight couples who get married because they love each other more than heaven and earth.

I don't get it. I don't understand. Someone, please help me figure this out. You can have a government lie, cheat, and steal its way into power, into a pointless war, into bankrupting the nation for pro-rich people tax cuts, rape the environment, threaten judges, and just act like a bully off his meds. However, we can't have two people of the same gender get married because what...that's not natural? That's not what some invisible sky being wants? Blood for oil, a-ok. Gay folk exchanging vows and being recognized as a couple, nope.

I'm equal parts baffled and angry. Although I'm straight and happily married to a wonderful woman, I have a lot of lesbian friends and co-workers. One co-worker in fact was part of the civil union gold rush last year, heading to Oregon with her partner to get married. They had a ceremony some time back in Vermont, but the wedding in Oregon, where you would be "married"? How could they not pass this up?

So, they took themselves and their children (they have twin boys together, raising them with love and care as any other Tab A/Slot B couple would) to Oregon, had the ceremony, and were a married couple. Now, it's all invalidated, due to the bigotry of old thinking, that love, true and genuine love, can only be in the heterosexual flavor.

It may not sound like a big deal, but the government can screw with people who are together but not legally seen as married. You aren't recognized as a member of the family in some cases, removed from life-or-death decisions in some cases.

But it's more than that. It's being told by a group of thinly veiled theocrats who you can love, and who is a lesser being in society. That's not how equality and democracy is supposed to work. It's the shameful replay of the bigotry of against interfaith marriage and, later, interracial marriage. It's the soul-wearying dread of "Oh shit, we have to go through this all over again," chanting over and over about human rights to the bigots with power until they finally get it through their pinheads that love is an immutable element. It doesn't belong to one race or gender or sexuality. Just get the fuck over yourselves, and let's have our long-promised future where we can love who we want without baggage and bullshit.

And flying cars, too, damnit.