Birmingham News: "It Is Time For Gay Men And Women In America To Stand Equal"

Bravo to the editorial board of the Birmingham News.

I encourage you to read the entire editorial, but for now, just the big finish:

We believe the Supreme Court will rightly hold that the unalienable rights of Americans include the right to marry, for all. Since the legal framework of marriage is provided by our governments, it must provide for equality.

Some argue that when the Declaration and Constitution were written, the framers did not conceive that their notion of rights extended to gay men and women, and marriage. No doubt true. For many at that time, such thinking did not even extend to equality for America's black citizens.

But when America moved to right that wrong, Alabama stayed on the wrong side of history for too long (and our own 1901 state constitution purported to forbid interracial marriage until 2000, long after that had been rendered unenforceable by the Supreme Court.)

Alabama should consider whether it wishes to be in that place again. Times change, and the notion that laws should be interpreted within the nature of those times is also part of America's Constitution. The first words of the Declaration of Independence are: "When in the course of human events..."

In the course of human events, it is time for gay men and women in America to stand equal. Laws that impede this are not in line with our Constitution, and must fall.

I hadn't seen that point made about the Declaration of Independence in regard to marriage equality.

"When in the course of human events..."

Yeah. That works for me.

Forward.