Little victories on the heroes' journey

We got the news today that federal justice Orlando Garcia decided that Texas's marriage law (and the voted-in constitutional amendement) is unconstitutional, but that he was granting a stay pending appeal. So, no practical change for Texans... but psychologically a big deal. This means we have a little bit of progress in a state that has long been seen as one of the LAST to accept marriage equality.


There is still much to be done. But we keep moving closer.  We are pretty certain that marriage equality will become law nationally via a Supreme Court decision, but it could be years.  (Just a few years ago, however, we might have said DECADES...)

Hours later we got the news that Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed the 'ok to hate' bill there-- she was very much pressured by business concerns and still took two days to make a decision.  Still, we can at least say that hate was not multiplied today.

That whole 'inherent worth and dignity of all' thing--my goodness, it is not simple or easy.  Justice work is not unlike laundry.  It's neverending, rarely glamorous, often stinky.

I take some comfort in the story of Olympia Brown--best known for being the first woman to be fully-fellowshiped by the Universalist Church.  She worked throughout her life for equal rights, especially women's suffrage.  The 20th Amendment was ratified when she was 85.  It was at that point that she said, "You know, I think I'll work on World Peace."  And she did until shortly before her death six years later.