Ready to perform a marriage ceremony
The Supreme Court recently declined to hear protests against the overturning of several same-sex marriage bans, instantly legalizing same-sex marriage in enough places that over half the US population could be guests at a same-sex marriage in their home states. Well, Miss Janet was into marrying those couples long before it was popular everywhere.
I started at the Marriage Factory at her behest the day same-sex marriage was legalized in California - in 2008. My first wedding joined a pair of women. Proposition 8 was heavy blow to me. I took it very personally, despite being in no way personally affected. The wait for that same court's Prop 8 & DOMA rulings last year was long.
While waiting for all that hash to get settled, Jesse Tyler Ferguson of Modern Family started a website called Tie the Knot (tietheknot.org) that offers stylish bow ties through The Tie Bar (thetiebar.com), with most of the proceeds going to marriage equality organizations.
I dress rather formally when I go to the Marriage Factory. If I dressed the way I do to go to work, couples would be getting married by a guy in a polo shirt & jeans - hardly "most important day"-worthy. My wife thought I'd look good sporting one of the aforementioned bow ties, and bought one for me last year, before the court's decision. I wore it the first day I married same-sex couples, and for weeks after. After a while, I surrendered to routine and stopped wearing the tie. It's hard to tie one well, and not every shirt looks good with a bow tie.
Earlier this month, she bought me the George Takei tie. George is not only Lieutenant Sulu, he is a gay rights icon. I think it looks more like Eddie Van Halen's guitar from the "Jump" video than anything to do with Star Trek, but I wear it with pride. Pride in a job well done.
Standing by for the next couple to marry
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