The Supreme Court Ruling on Same-Sex Marriage Has Profoundly Changed My Life

Photo Credit LA Times

Last Friday’s Supreme Court ruling on Same-Sex Marriage (Obergefell v. Hodges) changed the landscape for the gay and lesbian community forever.

As one of the most highly watched court rulings in years, it is also something I never thought I would see in my lifetime.

Since the adoption of our son six and a half years ago, I have continually carried my notarized documents (advanced health care directive, hospital visitation authorization form, power of attorney, will, adoption papers and birth certificate) for both myself and my wife at all times in the event of an emergency.

Photo Credit Skeeter Buck

Even though I’ve held a notarized marriage license from the State of California and have been legally married to my amazing wife for nearly two years, I never allowed myself to completely embrace the legality of our marriage whole-heartedly until this ruling became law last week.

Wedding Picture Skeeter Buck & Alexandra Walterspiel

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I’ve held a quiet thought it was probable for our legal system to somehow appeal and repeal my legal right to marriage on any given election year and void our marriage completely–until this recent ruling from the Supreme Court.

San Francisco City Hall
Photo Credit Randy Marcotte

 Legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide was not a progressive thing to do it was the right thing to do and no one could have said it more eloquently than Justice Anthony Kennedy:

“In forming a marital union, two people be-come something greater than once they were,“ Kennedy wrote. “As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves.”

When I married my wife two years ago I did become something greater than I once was. I became a loving and participatory partner in our marriage. As the Velveteen Rabbit says “I became Real”.

I even felt different, because I was different – I became a wife who promised to become all that I could be and to love my wife until I was overflowing with the joy from the gift of giving.

Legalizing same-sex marriage changes my life profoundly.

Alexandra Walterspiel, Daniel Buck Walterspiel, Skeeter Buck

When my son starts first grade later this year, I will no longer need to explain to his elementary school teacher, we are/were viewed as domestic partners in the State of Colorado, but we are/were legally married in the State of California and are both his legal parents.

I will simply say “we are Daniel’s parents and this is my wife” and I will know in my heart and on paper we are a legal family and we are legally married in all eyes of the law until death do us apart.

I find myself being grateful to all our Supreme Court Justices for giving us the opportunity for this case to be heard and for five of the justices rendering a decision that has provided the legal right for all same-sex individuals to marry equally and without prejudice their chosen spouse.

The day of the historical ruling our dear friend sent us this video message of her two son’s.  It sums it up so perfectly.

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