Marriage Equality

Quote of the Day:  This is the day that the Lord has caused to evolve. Let us rejoice. Pastor Andy Smith at the funeral of one of his colleagues Len Anderson, a man who lived through the Civil Rights movement, women being ordained as Lutheran ministers, and the ELCA vote to allow openly gay pastors to be ordained, and remain in the ministry. Pastor Len Anderson lived his life with an open mind and a caring heart. He showed us that the world is constantly evolving. Old beliefs and prejudices can disappear as we replace them with new ones that allow people to live out their lives the way God made them.

On August 1, 2013, the state of Minnesota saw its first legal same sex marriages. My friend Joey Halvorson captured many of the local weddings as a photographer. Her photo, and the stories of women I've met, inspired me to write an article for our local women's magazine, Her Voice. My article, "6 Brides" starts on p. 32. Our local UCC church celebrated a triple wedding last August for six brides who waited many years to become legally wed. I'd like to thank all the contributors to this article. You are all brave, strong, and inspiring. 

Photo by Joey Halvorson

Photo by Joey Halvorson

I spent many hours on this article interviewing wedding officiants, the brides, friends, and community members. Of course, the writing took some time, too, as I had to keep all that great information down to an 800 word article. The above photos are from a group interview that we held at our local coffee shop, The Coco Moon. We pushed two tables together to accommodate a powerhouse of women who wanted to share their stories with me and the readers of my blog and Her Voice. Joey's photo in the article will be displayed at the Minnesota Historical Society. 

Be strong and brave in who you are. Your courage will inspire others.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Describe a time when you felt called upon to do something brave.