image via mathbabe.org

I was really disheartened yesterday morning when I heard news that North Carolina had passed an amendment banning same-sex marriages and civil unions.  The old-school song lyrics of The Youngbloods’ “Get Together“ ran through my mind, “C’mon people now…”  Admittedly, I heard the phrase in a much more exasperated tone than its 1960s vibe of peace, love and understanding; but nonetheless, c’mon!

I once heard that the mostly likely factor influencing whether a person is homophobic is whether or not that individual knows an openly gay person.  While I’m not implying that individuals opposing same-sex marriage and union are thereby homophobic, the opinion certainly conveys and perpetuates a strong degree of separateness, and emphasizes difference.

The national conversation on gay marriage took quite a different focus just a few hours later in the day when President Obama affirmed his support of gay marriage, making him the first in-office U.S. President to do so.  In addition to mention of openly gay members of his staff and those serving in the military, the President spoke of the role his daughter’s, and their dinnertime conversations, played in forming his belief.  A belief that has been coined an evolution.  And isn’t that the way evolution so often happens – from one generation to the next.

As timing would have it, our openly-gay father is hosting a fundraiser this evening in his home in Columbus, Ohio for U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin.  If elected, Rep. Baldwin will be the first openly gay person in history to serve in the United States Senate.