1967 vs. 2010

Unless it is your cousin's birthday, June 12, 1967 probably doesn't
ring a bell. I never saw it once in a U.S. History book, and I certainly
didn't hear the reason for its noteworthiness while growing up in
Kentucky.

On that date in particular, the United States Supreme Court handed
down the decision in the case, Loving Vs. Virginia, that interracial
marriage was unconstitutional. Sixteen states (all but one of them
below the Mason-Dixon Line) hadn't repealed their statutes banning
opposite-race marriage (known as miscenegation laws). Wikipedia
tells us that despite the Court's ruling, "such laws remained on the
books, although unenforceable, in several states until 2000, when
Alabama became the last state to repeal its law against mixed-race
marriage."

"We are now preparing to land in Alabama. Please set your clocks
back thirty years."

One year following the historic 1967 decision, a Gallup poll showed
that only 20% of Americans approved of marriage between White
and African-Americans. Fast forward to 2007 when Gallup asked
the same question and found that 77% of the country approved
of interracial marriage. The tide had turned. Attitudes changed.
Even if 23% of the population disapproved, society progressed.

Today, we find the same progress in public approval of same-
sex marriage. In a 1996 poll, 68% of the public disapproved of
legal rights for same-sex couples. Fourteen years later, the
electorate has softened, if only slightly: 53% of Americans do
not believe in marriage equality for Gays and Lesbians. If this
pattern follows that of the public opinion of interracial marriage
and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", the average American will someday
finally accept what they should have all along:

Minding their own damned business.

Thirty states have approved same-sex marriage bans, through
amendments to their constitutions. It will take only one Supreme
Court ruling to deem those unenforceable, just as Loving Vs.
Virginia. Even organized religions spending millions of dollars to
sway public opinion are seeing that their dogma-based arguments
are, in the courtroom, feeble, at best. Americans need to accept
that the question isn't if same-sex marriage will be nationally legal,
but rather, when.

Once marriage equality is given to all, the final piece of the puzzle
may very well fall into place for me, personally:

This White Gay Man will have the option to marry his African/
Korean-American boyfriend.

What is more durable--white gold or silver?